Category: communication

Meet Two Winning Bloggers!

FREE EDITINGAs I mentioned in my post announcing the drawing for FREE EDITING, I love to start each day by reading other bloggers’ posts and anything related to writing and publishing. I usually find at least one gem to post on my Facebook page, and I love sharing with all of you.

I wanted to encourage more people to “like” my Facebook page, and I also wanted to thank those who are already followers, so I decided to give away FREE EDITING to someone from each group.

And now, I’m excited to announce the winners of both drawings! Continue reading “Meet Two Winning Bloggers!”

Reminder: Your Chance to Win FREE EDITING

Who can't use FREE editing?
Who can’t use FREE editing?

In case you were busy testing chocolates earlier this week and missed the announcement, here’s a reminder about the drawing I’m holding tomorrow for FREE EDITING.  Continue reading “Reminder: Your Chance to Win FREE EDITING”

Need a Last-Minute Gift for a Special Someone?

printable gift certificate
courtesy of http://gifttemplate.com

Even though my sweetie is still trying to convince me that Valentine’s Day is an every-other-year celebration (guess who hates to shop?), I know he has something special up his sleeve for tonight. I had the perfect gift in mind for him, too, and then I COULDN’T FIND IT locally (guess who procrastinates?). So this morning I was on the hunt for a free, printable gift certificate, and I found one I love here. The templates are super-easy to use and very customizable—a win-win for us last-minute shoppers! 🙂

And while you’re clicking around, don’t forget to check out my Facebook page for a chance at the FREE EDITING I’m giving away to one new Facebook fan! All you have to do is “like” the page for a chance to win.

Happy Valentine’s Day to all, Candace

5 Reasons Why You MUST Hire a Proofreader

5 Reasons Why You MUST Hire a Proofreader There is an ongoing debate in the world of independent publishing about the need (or not) to hire a professional proofreader before approving your book for print. Some authors wouldn’t consider pushing “send” without first hiring at least one set of professional eyes, but it seems like many more still have a difficult time justifying the expense. I’m going to show you five reasons why the second group is wrong.

Continue reading “5 Reasons Why You MUST Hire a Proofreader”

Media Alert: Angela Rose and PAVE

I absolutely LOVE to share good news, especially when it concerns friends and authors—and especially friends who are authors. One of the best parts of my job as a freelance editor is meeting people through my work who then become friends, which tends to happen a lot (lucky me)! So without further ado: Continue reading “Media Alert: Angela Rose and PAVE”

Show Not Tell – Using Body Language to Show Emotions

Here are some great ideas for writers who struggle with how to “show not tell” from Lorrie at This Craft Called Writing:

Show Not Tell – Using Body Language to Show Emotions.

Descriptive Verbs Bookmark

Today is Groundhog Day, the day in the United States when a little groundhog named Phil becomes a media star. Phil emerges to check for his shadow, and millions of Americans find out if they have to suffer six more weeks of winter OR if they will enjoy an early spring. Phil might be the solitary prognosticating groundhog in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania today, but as a writer, you are not alone.

Descriptive Verbs Bookmark
courtesy of Banyantreestudio.com

In Phil’s honor, I am unveiling a new bookmark today. It’s filled with descriptive verbs you can use for creating great dialogue, moving descriptions of Phil’s antics, or great sentences in any style or genre you write. Print this out on card stock for a handy reference that’s always at the ready—and another big thank you to artist Ginny Millard at www.banyantreestudio.com for creating it. Please visit Ginny’s website and let her know how much you appreciate having all these fantastic word choices at your fingertips.

And don’t forget to “bookmark” Change It Up Editing and Writing Services for all your editing and writing needs in 2013. Let me help you say it the way you mean it!

Remember: you are not alone!

Happy Writing!

—Candace

Present Tense: Breathlessly Waiting to Read About What’s Already Happened

Present TenseAs an editor, I’ve made no bones about my preference for past tense in both fiction and memoir writing. And I know I’m not alone. Yet there seems to be a movement toward writing in present tense, and there have been some passionate blogs written about the past versus present debate. In a blog titled “Does (or Did) Tense Matter?” D. Thomas Minton wrote:

“Stories in the present tense feel more urgent and immediate to me—I feel like I’m there with the characters, instead of listening to the story after-the-fact, while sitting in the cozy comfort of a coffee shop.  In contrast, the temporal distance that comes with past tense removes this immediacy, but past tense is more conducive to reflection, as if the narrator has had a chance to digest what has happened to him or her prior to telling me.”

Do you find present tense engaging or off-putting? #writers #authors #writing Click To Tweet

So maybe I prefer the reflective aspect of writing? Or perhaps I’m just an old dog who doesn’t want to learn new tricks—the author of The Singularity Sucks blog suggests it’s an age thing:

Continue reading “Present Tense: Breathlessly Waiting to Read About What’s Already Happened”

Are You Missing Great Content?

Twice a day I check Twitter and WordPress for information I think my followers will appreciate, and when I find valuable content, I post links to articles and blogs on my Facebook page. The information on that page is quite different from my blog posts, and if you’re not there, you’re missing some great stuff!

Image courtesy of tungphoto at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of tungphoto at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

If you’re reading this and you haven’t already “liked” my Facebook page, please do so now–I know you’ll find valuable content there, and I try not to duplicate what you’ll find on my blog. Thanks for the follow! And please tell your friends! 🙂 Click here to join today–you’ll be glad you did!  —Candace

From Humble Beginnings to Achieving the American Dream

Maureen FranciscoSeveral months ago I held a drawing for free editing—one winner came from this blog and another from my Facebook page. The Facebook winner, Maureen Francisco, was a previous client of mine: I had the privilege of proofreading her debut self-help book, It Takes Moxie: Off the Boat, or Out of School, to Making It Your Way in America. Maureen wanted to submit a couple of articles related to her for publication, so she used her prize to have me edit them for her. (Stay tuned—one of them was picked up by a major source and will appear later this week!)

It Takes Moxie offers the tools, strategies, and principles Maureen used to achieve her own success (see details below) as well as the stories of immigrants who achieved the American Dream in a big way, including Dr. Connie Mariano,the White House doctor; Richard Cho, the first Asian-American GM of a major sports franchise; Amy Chua, author of the New York Times bestseller Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mom; Teddy Zee, executive producer of The Pursuit of Happyness and Life or Something Like It, and many more.

Check out It Takes Moxie (and all the five-star reviews) on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Update May 2013: It Takes Moxie has been selected as a winner in the Multicultural Non-Fiction category of the 2013 National Indie Excellence Awards. Congratulation to Maureen!
Continue reading “From Humble Beginnings to Achieving the American Dream”