Some days, writing is tough, seems beyond my skills, makes me wonder if I’ll ever master the craft of creative nonfiction. As I prepare for the launch of my memoir, “Hiking Naked: A Quaker Woman’s Search for Balance,” I’m much more focused on my calendar, press releases, and book orders than generating new work. I know I’ll return to it, and when I do, I’ll have Karen Zey’s ABCs to guide me. I suggest the same guidance fits for fiction writers, too.
By Karen Zey
Avoid adverbs assiduously.
Befriend brevity.
Capture sensory details: creamy, crackling or crisp.
Devise dialogue that sounds like real talk. Drop the tags.
Em dash your way to emphasis—and limit those exclamation points!
Flash your essay. Or pen your theme in long form.
Grasp the grammar rules. Ain’t no problem bending ’em on purpose.
Heed your inner muse, but write beyond the self.
Imagine the reader imagining your experience. Read your work aloud.
Juxtapose tender and tough to add depth.
Keep studying your craft—writing is arduous.
Lay down heartfelt moments with lyricism.
Merge metaphors and memories for prisms of meaning.
Narrate with a compelling arc: sweeping tale or braided strands of thought.
Open with a strong hook that hints of more to come.
Punch up your ending with a powerful thought that lingers.
Question every word choice. Quell your penchant for purple prose.
Revise, obsess; revise, lose sleep; revise…
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Iris Graville - Author 
This is great, Iris. Thanks for sharing. Beth
You’re welcome! The biggest thanks, though, go to writer Karen Zey. She covered it all from A to Z.