ADVICE FOR THE LIT-LORN

Antagonistas

My agent says I need a strong antagonist in my novel. I disagree.

Stickling Point

I always speak up in my online writing workshop when someone talks about “flushing out” a scene or a character. It’s fleshing out, people!

The THE

Is it The Globe and Mail, as it says on the newspaper itself, or is it the Globe and Mail, i.e., “the” not part of the actual title?

Allowable cut

A magazine is interested in my manuscript of an interview, but they want me to cut a third of the text by "streamlining" the interviewee's words.

Le mot juste

My writing TA took marks off my essay because I wrote “convince” instead of “persuade.”

Pirate-proofing

Is there some way for me to post a 9-panel comic on my Tumblr blog so that no one can steal it?

Post vs. publish

If I post a short story on my blog, does that make it a published story?

Starting to commence

I have been reading fiction since I was young, but how should I start writing? Where can I learn to write a good article or personal essay?

Who’s who

Three people who read a draft of my novel said they had some trouble keeping track of the characters.

Borrowed words

Why are we supposed to put schadenfreude in italics, but not billet-doux?

Right on time

Which is correct, 4:00, four o’clock or 1600 h?

Good and great

Are the really good writers born, or made?

Who Says?

How do I differentiate between multiple points of view, past events and internal monologue without confusing the reader?

Advice clash

One person said I should write a lot more about the dad character. Another person said that the dad character is superfluous and I should delete him.

Write rights

How do I register a copyright for my manuscript, a collection of personal essays?

Using Stative Verbs

A writer in my workshop group said that my verbs in this sentence are weak.