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June 13, 2021 By Anne R. Allen 49 Comments

Writers, Can You Pass this Quiz? Catch Those Repetitious Redundancies and Pleonasms!

Writers, Can You Pass this Quiz? Catch Those Repetitious Redundancies and Pleonasms!

Do you repeat redundancies over and over? Find out now! by Kathy Steinemann Hello there. How are you today? Are you ready to test out your redundancy eye? You might ask, “Why should I care about redundancies?” Before we begin, I’ll answer that question. Redundancies are superfluous words or phrases also known as pleonasms: the […]

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Filed Under: Writing Craft Tagged With: Kathy Steinemann, pleonasms, redundancies, redundant words, The Writer's Lexicon

December 6, 2020 By Anne R. Allen 37 Comments

Ways to Convey Thankfulness—Even in 2020

Ways to Convey Thankfulness—Even in 2020

by Kathy Steinemann ’Tis the season to be thankful. November and December bring with them many opportunities to express gratitude: Veterans Day, World Kindness Day, Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, and more. Ziad K. Abdelnour said, “Learn to appreciate what you have, before time makes you appreciate what you had.” Let’s consider a few things we can […]

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Filed Under: The Writing Life, Writing Craft Tagged With: Gratitude, Kathy Steinemann, The Writer's Lexicon

June 16, 2019 By Anne R. Allen 59 Comments

Two Punctuation Blunders that Puzzle Readers and Irk Editors

Two Punctuation Blunders that Puzzle Readers and Irk Editors

Don’t make these punctuation blunders.  by Kathy Steinemann Are you guilty of these punctuation mistakes that confuse readers and drive editors batty? Someone told me recently that about 90% of writers need the information in this post (no names mentioned, but she runs a popular writers’ blog, the one with the green-on-green color scheme). Are […]

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Filed Under: Writing Craft Tagged With: comma splice, ellipsis, Kathy Steinemann, The Writer's Lexicon

September 9, 2018 By Anne R. Allen 30 Comments

The Power of a Single Word: 4 Tips for Stronger Writing

The Power of a Single Word: 4 Tips for Stronger Writing

Stronger writing comes from choosing power words. by Kathy Steinemann Wrong word or strong word? Muscle up, wordsters. Weak writing alienates readers. They won’t settle for wussy, so why should you? One path to stronger writing is to pump up the power of single words. This post provides examples that will help you muscle-ize your […]

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Filed Under: Writing Craft Tagged With: Kathy Steinemann, strong words, strong writing, The Writer's Lexicon, Writing tips

June 11, 2017 By Anne R. Allen 107 Comments

Filter Words and Phrases to Avoid in Writing Fiction

Filter Words and Phrases to Avoid in Writing Fiction

 Filter words act like a veil between the reader and the character by Kathy Steinemann This article provides a list of writing filters, with practical examples of how to replace them. You’ll also find exercises that can double as story prompts. All words exist for a reason. Use them wisely to create engaging narrative. Why […]

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Filed Under: Writing Craft Tagged With: filter words, Kathy Steinemann, Self-Editing, The Writer's Lexicon, Writing tips

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writers digest 101 best websites for writers award

Anne R. AllenAnne R. Allen writes funny mysteries and how-to-books for writers. She also writes poetry and short stories on occasion. She’s a contributor to Writer’s Digest and the Novel and Short Story Writer’s Market.

Her bestselling Camilla Randall Mystery Series features perennially down-on-her-luck former socialite Camilla Randall—who is a magnet for murder, mayhem and Mr. Wrong, but always solves the mystery in her quirky, but oh-so-polite way.

Ruth Harris NYT best selling authorRuth is a million-copy New York Times bestselling author, Romantic Times award winner, former Big 5 editor, publisher, and news junkie.

Her emotional, entertaining women’s fiction and critically praised novels have sold millions of copies in hard cover, paperback and ebook editions, been translated into 19 languages, sold in 30 countries, and were prominent selections of leading book clubs including the Literary Guild and the Book Of The Month Club.

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