After playing with the Atlanta Braves for 12 years, Freddie Freeman signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Last month, he returned to Atlanta for the first time to play a game in his new uniform. And, according to almost every single account of the experience, he “got emotional.” Okay, now, one of your jobs as…
A friend of mine recently told me she has started writing in a whole new genre. It definitely wasn’t a career change I would have expected. Her previous books have been long, complex stories written in an elegant, almost literary style. Now she has decided to write in a genre that is much lighter and…
Would you rather: read the same book over and over for the rest of your life OR have to type out every book you read? Would you rather: publish your unedited middle school journals OR take a year of physical education as an adult? Would you rather: read your work in front of an audience…
When I write a first draft, I always give each chapter a title. Even something as trite as ‘How I Spent My Summer Vacation’ serves to focus and guide the writing. Think of each title as a separate tent into which you’re going to place a set of related ideas. When those tents are assembled…
Writing a compelling opening for your novel isn’t optional, it’s essential. That initial half-page of Chapter One is the first impression agents, publishers, and most important, readers get of your writing style and skill and often determines whether they’ll purchase your book or not. The good news is most people will give you a few…