Sofia Matias

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Blog

Person holding Pride flag. Post about LGBT conscious language.
Authors Editors

Conscious Language: LGBT+

Conscious language should be considered every day of the year, but there are particular times when it is important to focus on the communities which are so often targetted by harmful language. So, for Pride Month, I have compiled a Read more…

By Sofia Matias, 2 years18/06/2021 ago
Authors

Where to find a literary agent

Have you finished writing your novel? Did you consider your options, and would you prefer to be published traditionally? While some smaller publishers accept manuscript submissions directly, and others have designated periods each year where you can do so, your Read more…

By Sofia Matias, 2 years14/04/2021 ago
Man signing paperwork. Guidance on how to find a literary agent.
Woman thinking while taking notes. Was or were.
Authors

Writing Woes: Was or Were?

Using ‘was’ or ‘were’ in a sentence is usually a simple choice, but it’s not always as straightforward as it seems. Do you know if you are using the right one? The technical bits ‘Was’ and ‘were’ are past tenses Read more…

By Sofia Matias, 2 years22/03/2021 ago
Authors

What to look out for when hiring an editor or proofreader

If you are looking to self-publish your novel, hiring an editor or proofreader to review your manuscript before publication is a step that you should consider to ensure, among other things, that it is as free of errors as possible Read more…

By Sofia Matias, 2 years08/03/2021 ago
Notebook with two pens on top of it. Tips on what to look for when hiring an editor or proofreader.
Lightbulb inside a thought bubble against a black backdrop. Blog post about using 'I' or 'Me' in writing.
Authors

Writing Woes: I or Me?

Is it ‘You and I went to the market’ or ‘You and me went to the market’? Many people stumble on this construction, but there is actually a simple way to determine which to use and a good explanation as Read more…

By Sofia Matias, 2 years24/02/2021 ago
Authors

Writing Woes: Royal Titles and Forms of Address

Does your story have a royal family? Do you keep second-guessing if it should be ‘king’ or ‘King’, ‘queen or ‘Queen’? Do you know how members of a royal family should be addressed by others? Here is a quick guide Read more…

By Sofia Matias, 2 years10/02/2021 ago
White crown on a blue background on a blogpost about writing royal titles and forms of address.
Professional person using a PerfectIt Conscious Language Style style sheet on a computer.
Authors Editors

Free downloadable Conscious Language PerfectIt style sheet

From editors to writers, working with words requires taking a series of elements into account, from grammar to structure. Conscious language, however, has made it to the forefront of these when it comes to delivering neutral, effective text. To help Read more…

By Sofia Matias, 2 years08/01/2021 ago
Authors Editors

Conscious language: What is it and why should you care?

It is an undeniable fact that words have tremendous power. They can uplift and empower people or alienate them and cause harm. If you are writing a piece of work (especially one that is meant to be read by a Read more…

By Sofia Matias, 2 years14/12/2020 ago
What is conscious language and why does it matter. Woman working on a tablet.
Guide on how to write bilingual characters in fiction. German language guide with a notebook and a cup of coffee on a tabletop.
Authors

Writing bilingual characters

A quick Google search tells us that over 40% (nearly half!) of the world’s population speaks two languages. Fiction doesn’t always have to mirror reality (and, in a lot of cases, the opposite is the desired effect), but writing bilingual Read more…

By Sofia Matias, 2 years30/10/2020 ago
Authors

Outlining a novel with Trello

Outlining a novel can be tough. Even if you already have the entire story in your head, actually putting it all down in an outline can often bring your novel-writing efforts to a standstill. For help with the actual outline Read more…

By Sofia Matias, 2 years03/10/2020 ago
White table with piles of sticky notes, pens and folders.
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