Today I’m just going to highlight a few fiction techniques I love finding in a manuscript.
Beats
This is a technique the author uses to seamlessly substitute an action that identifies the character in place of the tired old he-said, …
Fiction
Ten Things that Make a Thumbs-Up Novel
Today, I’ve decided on a very subjective exploration about what makes me give a novel an unflinching thumbs up. This is not a blog that represents anyone’s taste but mine. Purely personal. I’m guessing there wouldn’t be another literary agent …
Creating Your Own Style Sheet
I was recently talking to Brittany Stonestreet, a friend who is finishing up her Masters in Publishing at the prestigious Emerson College in Boston. She mentioned she was just completing the style sheet for her newest YA novel. I
…
Avoid Character Labels
I read a fiction manuscript last week that described a character as a cripple. I winced when I read the word and stopped to think about why I had such an immediate revulsion. After all, it was historical fiction and …
Let’s Talk about Our Favorite Read–2022
Here go, skipping off into a brand new year. But before we travel too far into 2023, I’m continuing my tradition of my first blog post each year being a retrospective of the books I dwelled within the year before.…
End Your Book Well
Last week I read an articulate article on how to end a book well. I distill the essence of the article below, but if you want to read if for yourself, it’s located here.
To End Your Book Well:
…
Small Changes
Don’t small changes sound like they should naturally connect to small impact? Listed here are ten small changes with surprisingly potent impact on both nonfiction and fiction.
AND
And is a useful word. It can, however, become as unsightly …
A Social Media Platform that REALLY Sells Books: TikTok
I need to start out by apologizing. I know writers are weary of being told to build their platforms, to promote their books on social media, to, well, work magic at something most don’t particularly enjoy. I’m one of those …
A Social Media Platform that REALLY Sells Books: TikTokRead More
Five Ways to Wrangle Dialect
I almost stopped reading the book that eventually opened my eyes to the power of inspirational fiction and set me on a path to author and agent. Almost set the book aside after a few pages.
Why? Because the dialect …
8 Ways to Make Your Book More Accessible
While an author hopes that the text of his or her book is all that’s needed to clearly communicate with the reader, in actuality, sometimes ancillary parts of a book can add much to the reader’s engagement with your book. …