I did not expect to receive writing advice at the gym. I’m not the sociable gym type who knows everyone and asks about their various pets, I like to get in, get out, and go home to complain about how sore I’m going to be the next day. But there I was, doing my core […]
Writing Advice
He Said, She Shouted Loudly
I had a question the other day from an author who was hoping I’d settle a debate that wasn’t, believe or not, about sports or television, but actually was a question about writing. I was as stunned as you are. The question had to do with variations of the word “said” and “asked.” To rephrase […]
The Best Book About Writing a Novel That Isn’t About Writing a Novel
So, remember in the movie Adaptation when one of the two Nicholas Cage characters went to the writing seminar hosted by the guy who cursed a lot and then the movie descended into a baffling chase in the swamp that, while kind of funny, left you with a confused feeling since the movie kind of […]
Better Than a Blog?
Thanks to everyone who listed their favorite book/publishing blogs, my Google Reader thanks you (feel free to continue posting on that topic if you stumble upon a new gem). The Internet has really been wonderful for books — as space for books in newspapers keeps shrinking, the Internet has really filled the void. Segue. One […]
Thy dialogue dost sound strange
As I was riding the streetcar to work (you know the ones in the Docker’s commercial where the guy and girl see each other and then they run out to catch up to each other only to find out that they both did the same thing? Those streetcars. I ride those to work. I heart […]
Starting Before the Beginning
So, regular readers know I am a bit obsessed with basketball. We had some wonderful friends in town last night and so I DVR’d the game and then set about trying to block out the outside world throughout dinner. I turned off my cell phone. I put my computer in an out of reach place. […]