Capital Letters
by Bobbie Christmas Q: When I refer to a specific chapter in my book proposal or in my book, do I capitalize it? For example, when I say, “See Chapter…
Ask the Book Doctor
Artificial Intelligence
by Bobbie Christmas (and AI) Q: What are your feelings about using artificial intelligence to write a novel? A: I’m intrigued with all the discussions about AI. My opinion is…
What Agents and Publishers Want
by Bobbie Christmas Q: I just received an encouraging response from an agent I queried regarding my manuscript of fiction. The agent is requesting, among other things, a description (approximately…
How to Handle Numbers
by Bobbie Christmas Q: When am I supposed to write out numbers or use the numeral? Do I use the actual number, for example, 5, or do I write five?…
Author Intrusion
by Bobbie Christmas Q: Someone online the other day inquired about a quick, easy way to look up questions about writing. People suggested The Elements of Style by Strunk and…
Style Issues
by Bobbie Christmas Q: What does it mean when a magazine says, “No serial commas, except to avoid confusion.” What are serial commas? A: Also called the Oxford comma, a…
All About Titles
by Bobbie Christmas Q: I’ve written five short stories for children compiled in one book. Each short story has a title and subtitle. The book has a title and subtitle.…
About Expletives
by Bobbie Christmas For some reason I’m seeing more expletives than ever in the manuscripts I edit, so rather than a Q & A today, I’m going to address expletives…
Formatting a Manuscript
by Bobbie Christmas Q: How important is the format of my manuscript? If I don’t follow standard manuscript format, can my book get rejected? A: I can’t speak for every…
Tight Writing and Voice
by Bobbie Christmas Q: There is someone in my current critique circle who keeps saying, “Write tight.” Is he just being incredibly critical, or is he just trying to say…