12 Things I Wish Every Emerging Writer Knew About Publishing
I've developed a list of the top 12 things I wish aspiring writers of novels knew about success strategies.
Two Birds, One Stone
If you're allergic to detailed planning, using scene vignettes and short stories to get your mental map in order can be an effective tool for long-term productivity.
How I Edit: Assessing Inbound Queries
One editor's approach to assessing the liteary slush pile reveals the most common reasons that queried stories end up in the rejection pile.
Proofreading red pencil
Wheat From Chaff
While certain writing rules apply broadly, or even universally, the application of those rules can vary widely as a function of genre and story length.
Developing Ethically Coherent Characters
Never underestimate the power of base moral conflict to drive tension and keep a plot moving. Ethical competence is core to effective character conflict.
What Would Impel You to Murder?
Real-life cold-blooded murder is rare and complex. Authors, avoid using murder as casual plot devices because random premeditated murder isn't plausible.
Planning to Write: The Dude’s Approach
A thoughtful step-by-step process for planning a novel helps to keep the project on track and aligned to industry expectations. But there's no right way!