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Jocelyn Carbonara 1/30/25 Jocelyn Carbonara 1/30/25

When Reality Is Fading, Write in Vivid Color

What is real?

With AI infiltrating everything we do, and politics convincing us that hatred and vindication are desirable traits, and change coming at a pace that induces whiplash, reality becomes hard to distinguish. At best, reality is blurry—and blurring.

Does it matter?

Scott Carbonara 1/9/25 Scott Carbonara 1/9/25

For the Love of Descriptors!

For the love of everything holy, please stop inserting words that do nothing but clutter your writing.

Before littering your writing with a slew of meaningless descriptors, ask yourself these questions:

Scott Carbonara 1/2/25 Scott Carbonara 1/2/25

Don’t Wait to Write Right to Start Writing!

One resolution I hear often from people when they learn I’m a ghostwriter is something like: “I’ve always wanted to write a book! Maybe that should be my New Year’s resolution!”

Yes, maybe it should. If that’s your resolve, let me tell you how to make it happen. Resolutions that come with an action plan are more likely to remain intact and come to fruition.-goes-here

Jocelyn Carbonara 12/26/24 Jocelyn Carbonara 12/26/24

Seven Down-and-Dirty Tips to Transform Your Writing

As a book editor, I spend much of my time in “heavy lifting” work—assessing a manuscript for overall flow, shoring up gaps, and ensuring clarity and consistency. But the rest of my effort goes toward sentence-level changes that will impact the reader’s understanding and experience. A few are so easily accessible that anyone can apply them. I’ll share seven of those with you now. Applying them can elevate your writing, and even help you make better use of the time and money you spend on editing.

Jocelyn Carbonara 12/12/24 Jocelyn Carbonara 12/12/24

Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as an Author

Even masters of their craft deal with imposter syndrome. Poet laureate Dr. Maya Angelou once said, “I have written 11 books, but each time I think, ‘uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.”

Two of my areas of expertise as an editor are non-fiction and memoir. I think these hold a special corner on fostering imposter syndrome. Here are some tips to overcoming the imposter syndrome that may paralyze or stall you in your writing.

Scott Carbonara 12/5/24 Scott Carbonara 12/5/24

Three Warning Signs You’re Not Ready to Write Your Book

We’ve always believed that everyone has a story to tell—one that can inform, enlighten, teach, and/or inspire others. But from our years in the field, we’ve found there are times when would-be authors might want to hold off on writing. Here are three times an author coach may be the better choice than jumping into writing your book.