One aspect of a writer that I look for in a potential client is that she has a sense of who she is and what she should write. Not in a “I love my novel and WILL get it published” …
Writing Craft
How to get your manuscript into shape after NANOWRIMO.
Are you participating in NANOWRIMO this year? I know at least one of my clients is. I hope you are all doing well with meeting your daily goals!
As you work toward finishing your manuscript, it’s important to think about …
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Why Do Some Poorly Written Books Sell Well?
I asked this question on Facebook: “Why do poorly written books sell well?” Here’s the feedback I received:
- Some spoke of the importance of story (and I agree.) A poorly written book with a knockout story will sell. We are
What a Nathaniel Hawthorne Story Teaches us About our Art
Recently, I remembered a piece I dissected in college, a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne entitled, “The Celestial Railroad.” It’s a parody, of serious sorts, about Bunyan’s Pilgrims Progress, where in enlightened modern times, folks have taken to bypass such …
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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:
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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 …
Realistic Goals for Writers
If you want to go anywhere in the business of writing, it is imperative you set goals and then meet them, particularly when you’re starting out. If you’re someone worried about deadlines, here’s a handy way to prepare yourself now. …
How to Jumpstart Your Creativity
A few years ago on the PBS News Hour, I saw a report on jazz legend Herbie Hancock, who talked about an especially memorable time he performed with his mentor Miles Davis. Herbie hit a wrong note–flat out wrong. …
An Ode to Poetry
As an English lit major, poems are familiar friends to me. But some people find them strange and off-putting. Today I want to encourage you, regardless where you fall on the spectrum of appreciating poetry, to sit with a poem …
Art is risk
Seth Godin writes, “Free doesn’t make something a gift. Free might be a marketing strategy, free might make a generous present, but free doesn’t automatically make something a gift. Gil Scott Heron’s album isn’t free, but it’s a gift. …