Writer's Toolbox

Middle muddle

Dear Geist, Which is grammatically correct: middle-size dog, or middle-sized dog?

No thanks

Dear Geist,What is so funny about this exchange on CBC Radio?

Coasting

Dear Geist,Are the terms West Coast and west coast interchangeable?

Plots and Plans

Book Double

Dear Geist,My book has been hijacked! What should I do?

Rack wreck

Dear Geist,Am I racking or wracking my brains?

Getting Personal

Dear Geist,How do you write a personal essay without mentioning yourself?

By Name

Dear Geist,Is there a recent comprehensive list of Indigenous groups in Canada?

Instinctivism

Dear Geist,What's the difference between instinctive and instinctual?

Polymorphics

Dear Geist,Is it cricket to sell a freelance article, then make a few revisions and sell it to a different periodical?

Screen Saviour

Dear Geist,What can I do with the manuscript of my novel, all said it “needed work” but gave me almost no details?

Thesaurus Chorus

Dear Geist,What thesaurus do you recommend for a writer wet behind the ears?

Write What?

Dear Geist,Which of the following sincere but conflicting advice for non-fiction writers do you agree with?

Laugh Gaffe

Dear Geist,What did my writing group leader think was so funny about a sentence I wrote in a short story?

All or None

Dear Geist,Which is correct, (a), (b), or both? (a) All of them are overdressed for the hike; (b) None of them is properly dressed for the hike.

Zeroing In

Dear Geist,How does a young writer know what genre is the best one to work in?