Category Archives: Writing
Rules for Writing
Ursula K. Le Guin wrote a wonderful essay, Talking About Writing, which is her response to the question “How do I become a writer?”
Why book covers matter
It’s amazing how much difference a cover can make. It really can change your impression of the story.
Of course, I did jinx myself. But not in a bad way.
Haven’t written anything for James’ story for two days now. I received a request for the full manuscript for Sebastian and Sophie’s story, so I’ve been looking at that manuscript, considering if I need to tweak anything.
I hope this isn’t going to jinx me…
I liked this post from Victoria Schwab on how to deal with the dreaded sagging middle of a first draft: By the time you hit the middle, you’ve written enough to know things are wrong, but you don’t yet know … Continue reading
Writing classes: helpful or harmful?
Mary Carroll Moore wrote a post the other day about the importance of accountability in writing a book. According to her, there are two kinds of accountability: internal: you put yourself in front of the keyboard and start writing every … Continue reading
Judge not, lest ye discover your own writing faults
One piece of advice I’d been given was that I should not only enter writing contests, I should consider judging one. It’s supposed to help you see your own writing in a new light. Having had the chance to judge … Continue reading
Learning to fly
Douglas Adams once described how humans could learn to fly. The knack, he said, was to learn how to throw yourself at the ground and miss. There you are, floating in the air. You could stay up above the ground … Continue reading
Posted in Writing
Tagged About Writing, Contests, Criticism, Douglas Adams, James, Joanna Bourne
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Mind the gap… but don’t mind it too much
The beginner always falls apart emotionally when a manuscript is criticized. He reacts with raw feelings, resents, disputes, and will argue all the way down the line. He hasn’t learned yet that criticism must be accepted intellectually, and not with … Continue reading
Evelyn Alexie 