S.J.Budd

In this post, speech is meant as the actual way in which dialogue is spoken in fiction. To learn about the three main functions of dialogue in fiction click here There are three different ways in which you can use speech in fiction;  Monologue/ interior - This is where readers are able to see exactly what a particular character is thinking and gives an added insight for the reader to that character and their private thoughts. The door slammed shut, there was no way out, Lucy was trapped. Unbelievable! How am I going to get the package out? Indirect - This is simply speech that is reported and is not annotated with speech marks. The witch explained that her magic was only used to curse people, not caravans. Direct - This is the most commonly used type of speech and is shown between speech marks. "The Goblins have arrived," Balthazar said. "I know," his master concluded.

Writing cover letters when submitting short stories isn't as hard as you think. A lot of inexperienced writers wrongly assume that your cover letter needs to describe your submission. What's the purpose of a cover letter? Try to consider that the process of submitting short stories for journals magazines or competitions is the literary equivalent of applying for a job. The purpose of attaching a cover letter is to very briefly introduce yourself in a professional way, but always check the submission guidelines of the publication you are applying to, as many have their own strict criteria. A checklist for writing a top cover letter Always try to address your cover letter to a specific person, usually the fiction editor. Their name can be easily found out by checking their website. If you can't find their name, make it addressable to a colleague so it will show you at least tried. Your cover letter will be forwarded to the correct person. Include your name,...

The comma is often misused, and a comma splice is one of the most common mistakes made. A comma splice is when a comma is wrongly used to separate two independent clauses There are many simple methods that can be used to avoid this mistake. The unicorn liked the fairy, she was kind. The two clauses in the above sentence are independent and can form stand alone sentences. They do not need to be connected by a comma. The unicorn liked the fairy. She was kind. The above method of separating two independent clauses using a full stop is the simplest, but there are other ways to do it. A semi colon can be used, but take care to not overuse them in your work. The unicorn liked the fairy; she was kind. A semi colon shows that the two independent clauses are linked. A conjunction can be used to connect two independent clauses. The unicorn likes the fairy as she is nice.

How to use a comma? Most people wrongly assume that the comma is a simple piece of punctuation. The comma is extraordinarily complex.  This is because it has many different functions which have been listed below. The biggest misuse of comma is that many writers believe that a comma should be inserted in every pause and tend to overuse commas in their work. Don't get caught out. Writers wrongly assume a comma is just a pause. It is so much more than that. What are the main functions of a comma? To separate adjectives within a sentence To separate introductory elements within a sentence To separate contrasting clauses within a sentence To separate dates and years, towns and counties within a sentence To separate parenthetical elements within a sentence To separate direct speech or quote elements within a sentence To separate a list of three or more items within a sentence To separate two independent clauses within a sentence How to use...