Excessive Alliteration: Nay or Yay?

Excessive alliteration Q: I love excessive alliteration, okay maybe just a healthy dose of alliteration. Sometimes I’m not even aware I’ve done it until I see all the highlighted words from my editor. But why is it frowned upon in my fiction? A: While some...

Stage Directions in a novel?

Q: My editor has several margin comments about “stage directions.” I’m not writing a play, it’s a novel. What does she mean by too many stage directions?Sincerely, Befuddled A: Your lovely editor is merely pointing out that showing a reader...

What makes a mystery a cozy mystery?

Cozy Mystery    What makes a mystery a cozy mystery? An amateur sleuth. A protagonist who could be me or you, just a regular person. A small-town setting. Community is key here. A local area where we can get to know the village or town citizens and take a visit to an...