Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
I’m not a novelist. I never will be. But on a regular basis I get to watch fiction writers spin their magic.
Well, it seems like magic to those of us who don’t have the gift …
Fiction
The Power of Place
Blogger: Wendy Lawton
I just finished reading the final draft of Julie Klassen’s second book in her Ivy Hill series, The Ladies of Ivy Cottage which will be out in late fall. Part of what I wrote back to her …
Fresh Approach: How to Delight and Surprise Your Reader
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
One question I’m often asked is whether I see the same ol’ ideas in queries.
Indeed I do.
That begs the question: What can a writer do to be sure the idea he or she is …
Fresh Approach: How to Delight and Surprise Your ReaderRead More
Writing a Breakout Book: Icons
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Recently my book club took a Dashiell Hammett tour of San Francisco. We ate at John’s Grill (which appears in The Maltese Falcon, the book our club read in preparation for the tour). The guide …
Great Books to Read in 2017
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
As is my tradition over the last several years, today I’ll showcase some of the great books I read in 2016. Pull out your To Be Read List so you can make some additions!
I’ll give …
Deciding on Your Manuscript’s Structure
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
A strong structure invites the reader into your book. Your table of contents is a big selling point–not only for readers, but even before you reach that stage, for agents and editors too.
How do you …
12 Worst Book Endings
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
I saw a terrific list of the 12 worst book endings (below) and couldn’t resist sharing it with you. After you’ve read this article, let’s talk.
Literature’s Very Worst Endings
Don’t Overdo it! Examples of Overwriting
I read at least three proposals every week, sometimes more. In many of these proposals, I notice common writing errors, and I’d like to point these out so you can check for them before submitting your work to editors and …
Broken Book Structure
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
A book (either fiction or nonfiction) with strong structure sustains a reader’s interest, but broken book structure confuses the reader, bores the reader, or causes the reader to toss the book across the room.
Recently I …
Ending Well
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
Over the last several months a number of long-running TV series have broadcast their finale, and a couple are about to broadcast their grand ending. Because the majority of them didn’t end well, this seems like …