On working with writers
Similar Posts
Things that make me smile
My friend Marilyn over at Simmer Till Done is getting ready for her daughter’s Bat Mitvah and has been in a fever of baking and crafting for the past couple of weeks. I ran into her at the coffee shop the other morning, where she taught me the secret of putting lists on pink paper so you can find…
The problem with perfectionism
I’ve taught college off and on for many years, usually English and writing classes. I remember a particular student who seemed very lively and intelligent but the essays she turned in were merely competent. She was the typical “C” student. She could string together sentences without committing too many grammatical atrocities, and she could spell…
On the difference between reality and fiction
Jessica is my biggest fan, and she thinks it is very wonderful when I write a book, and even more so when it gets published, and not just because I take her out to dinner to celebrate. But she cannot understand why I am so mean to my characters. She thinks that the best story…
Celebrating the small things
The other day my daughter and I were in the car headed down the two-lane county road that leads from the big town to our small town when I noticed a new caution sign. So I slowed down. Half a mile or so later, I discovered that an intersection was being repaired, and a somewhat…
The business of writing isn’t only about writing
Back in the days when I was a magazine editor, I often worked with people who were perfectly competent writers but who hadn’t quite figured out some of the basics. For example, when I said, “Talk to a couple of experts about simple ways to organize your socks,” I didn’t mean that the writer should…
Thinking Like an Agent, Part 3
Back when I was working as a literary agent, Writer’s Digest published an article I wrote on thinking like an agent. Though I’m an acquisitions editor now, not an agent, these pointers are all still true. I wanted to update them and share them with you. What I wrote then: 3. It’s easier to pitch…