Pobody’s Nerfect

Pobody’s Nerfect

I read a book over the weekend. That’s not significant. The book was a fluffy romance—basically brain candy. No mental exertion required. The writing was engaging but not stellar, and the editing satisfactory until my eyes stumbled to a halt over “She lied...
Advice for new writers

Advice for new writers

I see an awful lot of “new” writers who are beginning or working on their first novel length manuscripts. They’ve never written a book before, but they want to know how much money they’ll earn, how long the book should be, who are the best...
Answering basic questions

Answering basic questions

In the last few days, I’ve responded to inquiries as to whether an author can do everything oneself. My response to those questions is to ask another question: Yes, you can produce your book yourself, but should you? To determine whether you should produce your...
The rhythm method

The rhythm method

It’s not what you’re thinking. Creatively, I go through periods of rapid productivity interspersed with lulls of inactivity. I’ve come to think of this on-again, off-again state as less manic-depressive than as simply a weird sort of rhythm. I...
The challenge of poetry

The challenge of poetry

I am not a poet. Let’s get that one fact straight right now. I do not write poetry. I do, however, occasionally edit poetry. The poetry I edit generally comes in two versions: Children’s literature written in verse Modern poetry. If someone were to ask me...