blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
Hunkered down before it was mandated–due to a virus without a fancy, recognizable name–I’ve been watching a lot of free movies online. Some of them were poorly written, directed, or acted, but I kept watching. On purpose. …
Six Unexpected Essentials Every Writer Needs
blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
What are six unexpected essentials every writer needs?
Keyboard Protector
Let’s start with an unessential but wildly helpful tool. The serious writer may notice that one of the bits of fallout from working hard at the craft …
Turning Knee-Jerks into Profitable Exercise
blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
Who says writers don’t exercise enough? It’s not uncommon to find a writer doing knee-jerks.
Agent hasn’t responded to writer’s query. It’s been two months. Knee-jerks:
- I don’t matter enough to that agent.
- I must not matter
Great Expectations for Writers
blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
A simple two-word phrase–great expectations–has maintained a steadfast and recognizable connection to one literary work first published 160 years ago. What else could come to mind when we hear those two words together but Charles’ Dickens’s highly …
An Agent’s Favorite Words
Blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
An agent’s favorite words?
A joke used to make its way through the family circle whenever someone took out a checkbook (remember those?) to repay another family member for borrowed money or for his/her portion of a …
Will Your Readers Get the Point?
Blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
Not long ago, I read a mildly interesting nonfiction book that promised more than it delivered and that derailed halfway through.
I could probably stop there. MILDLY interesting. Didn’t deliver. Derailed. Not what you want to see …
Hoops Jumping for Writers: Another Perspective
Blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
This was initially posted a couple of years ago, but it’s as evergreen a topic as a Christmas tree. We hear the resistance to “hoops” almost every day in the publishing world. Maybe this will strike you–as …
Are You a Patron of the Arts?
blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
Over the centuries, a “patron of the arts” referred to (usually) the very wealthy and/or influential who commissioned artists, supported young or budding artists until they could support themselves, advocated for art of all kinds, and served …
Publishing’s Tripping Hazards
blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
Last year, my husband broke three ribs. A reasonably coordinated man, he tripped on an uneven piece of pavement and fell hard. Broken ribs take an extraordinarily long time to heal. Small fall; big consequences.
It can …
Why the Agent Did Not Say Yes
blogger: Cynthia Ruchti
An agent says no. A writer is left wondering why unless the agent has the time and inclination to give a brief–or even more rarely, a lengthier–explanation why the answer wasn’t “Yes! I’d love to represent you!”…