By Patricia Stoltey Yes, I’m piggy-backing on Mary Gillgannon’s excellent Friday post called “Your Book…Or Your Editor’s?” She raised some important points about picking your battles and keeping an open mind about suggested editorial changes. Going into a book contract without a little flexibility along with confidence in your story and characters is a risky…
Category: General Interest
Your Book… Or the Editor’s?
By Mary Gillgannon A writer recently posted a question on the RMFW site about working with an editor and whether you have to make all the changes an editor suggests. I faced a similar situation a couple of years ago. Here are some ideas on how to deal with difficult editing situations: Do you have…
Guest Post: Don’t Fight the Feeling – Kim McMahill
By Kim McMahill Who hasn’t heard the phrase, “show, don’t tell,” in conjunction with writing instruction and advice? It may be basic guidance, but it is the most critical component of crafting a compelling story. Despite sounding like a simple concept, the skill is more difficult to master than one might think, requiring conscious effort and…
Just Submit, Don’t Quit … by Terri Benson
I recently submitted presentations for a conference, and just heard back that mine weren’t accepted. I also submitted full reads to two editors who requested them at a conference last year. One turned me down, the other still hasn’t responded, although he acknowledged he’d gotten it. I submitted chapters on-line to a publisher and an…
Finding Your Words Through Passion
By Liesa Malik This is so embarrassing that I hate to see the word in print–BLOCKED. I’ve been blocked. I know that professionals do not allow themselves to succumb to such a silly and amateur problem, but I’ve been stuck in the quagmire of “my writing sucks–I have no ideas–why did I ever want to…