Clik here to view.
So you were rejected . . .
Not long ago a student of mine received a rejection from an editor that included the statement that the project lacked conflict. The student was confused because she felt she had strong conflict, and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Do you really want an honest opinion?
Over the years, I’ve sensed with a few of my students that I might have hurt their feelings and/or disappointed them if I’ve been less than totally enthusiastic about what they’ve submitted to the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
And what’s your book about?
Awhile back I was watching a program on PBS about the Jewish influence on Broadway musicals. The discussion turned to Fiddler on the Roof and its beginning stages. “What is this story about?” the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Five Ws
Having worked for a newspaper, I learned early on that it’s crucial to orient your reader. As soon as possible, we were taught, we needed to let the reader know who, what, when, where, and why. And if...
View ArticleClik here to view.
If only I had the time . . .
Many years ago, I bought the book Madeleine L’Engle {Herself}, Reflections on a Writing Life, compiled by Carole F. Chase. What Ms. Chase did was (from the front jacket blurb) put together hundreds of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Write what you know . . .
How many times have you heard that piece of advice? A lot, right? It’s a simple statement, pretty easy to understand . . . after all, we wouldn’t want to write what we don’t know. But that oft-repeated...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Keeping the Action Onstage
A common mistake many beginning writers make is telling the reader about something important that happened instead of showing it in a scene. Case in point: most of you know that I teach various writing...
View ArticleClik here to view.
That all-important “C” word
In every class I teach, the subject of conflict is unavoidable. Truth is, no matter how knowledgeable or skillful the students, whenever there’s a problem with a scene, it’s almost always because...
View ArticleClik here to view.
I’ve Always Been a Writer
A little while ago I was reading a Facebook post by a former writing student of mine (she’s now a successful and wonderful romance author) and something she said made me start thinking about when I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The One Star Club
Today I’ve been thinking about reviews. Specifically, reviews of my books, but that led to thinking about the freedom we take for granted here in the USA — the freedom to say what we think without fear...
View ArticleClik here to view.
So you were rejected . . .
Not long ago a student of mine received a rejection from an editor that included the statement that the project lacked conflict. The student was confused because she felt she had strong conflict, and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Do you really want an honest opinion?
Over the years, I’ve sensed with a few of my students that I might have hurt their feelings and/or disappointed them if I’ve been less than totally enthusiastic about what they’ve submitted to the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
And what’s your book about?
Awhile back I was watching a program on PBS about the Jewish influence on Broadway musicals. The discussion turned to Fiddler on the Roof and its beginning stages. “What is this story about?” the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Five Ws
Having worked for a newspaper, I learned early on that it’s crucial to orient your reader. As soon as possible, we were taught, we needed to let the reader know who, what, when, where, and why. And if...
View ArticleClik here to view.
If only I had the time . . .
Many years ago, I bought the book Madeleine L’Engle {Herself}, Reflections on a Writing Life, compiled by Carole F. Chase. What Ms. Chase did was (from the front jacket blurb) put together hundreds of...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Write what you know . . .
How many times have you heard that piece of advice? A lot, right? It’s a simple statement, pretty easy to understand . . . after all, we wouldn’t want to write what we don’t know. But that oft-repeated...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Keeping the Action Onstage
A common mistake many beginning writers make is telling the reader about something important that happened instead of showing it in a scene. Case in point: most of you know that I teach various writing...
View ArticleClik here to view.
That all-important “C” word
In every class I teach, the subject of conflict is unavoidable. Truth is, no matter how knowledgeable or skillful the students, whenever there’s a problem with a scene, it’s almost always because...
View ArticleClik here to view.
I’ve Always Been a Writer
A little while ago I was reading a Facebook post by a former writing student of mine (she’s now a successful and wonderful romance author) and something she said made me start thinking about when I...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The One Star Club
Today I’ve been thinking about reviews. Specifically, reviews of my books, but that led to thinking about the freedom we take for granted here in the USA — the freedom to say what we think without fear...
View Article