How a Book Is Born, Part 12
In which I decide to kill off a character. And then rescind the decision.
In which I decide to kill off a character. And then rescind the decision.
An online writers’ group I belong to recently had a discussion about saying no — how to do it, how to mean it, how to deal with people who try to negotiate after you’ve already said no, and so on. That got me thinking about the other side of the coin — when people say no…
Some ideas to consider for making your book more appealing to agents and editors: Expand your niche. Sometimes agents and editors like a book but don’t think the primary audience for it is big enough. You can expand your niche by adding secondary audiences. A book for straight parents of gay teens can also…
I know a lot of people who are writers and reporters, and recently I’ve been hearing them say things like, “It’s easy churning out copy for this client” or “I can churn this project out in a day, how much should I charge?” I’m sure I’ve used that phrase myself, especially as regards work that…
This is a pocket watch. Not just any pocket watch, but my pocket watch. I’ve carried a pocket watch for years because I destroy wristwatches within twenty-four hours of acquiring them, but a good pocket watch can last a long time. This one I got in Paris last year because I forgot my then-pocket…
So, I had my assignment, 50,000 words by December 3. But they couldn’t be just any words; they couldn’t be just a first draft. They had to be final, ready for an editor. I don’t normally write perfect first drafts; generally, I write an extended outline so that I know how the plot works out…
Last week was one of those weeks where I had about twelve minutes for my creative work, and the rest of the time was spent on commitments I made months ago—the day job, teaching several classes, a book project. My present self always has so much confidence in my future self. Yes! my present self…