When asked when I knew I wanted to be a writer, I usually say it was about fourth grade. That’s when, as a big fan of the feature called “Life in These United States” in The Reader’s Digest, I realized it made a big difference how a story was told. I began to appreciate humor,…
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What Makes a Keeper Book?
By Pamela Nowak There’s a big difference between an enjoyable read and a keeper book. For me, the keepers are those books that take me beyond light entertainment and involve me emotionally in the story. They are the books that make me feel as if I am in the story and make me gasp or…
Descriptive Power on Page One
By Karen Duvall Description often gets overlooked for the power it can have in a story. Some dismiss it as no big deal, just use the five senses and you’re good to go. Some avoid using it altogether because they think readers skip that part to get to the action. Some worry over excessive exposition…
Lesson Eleven –The Market –Big Press, Small Press, Self-pub
By Jeanne C. Stein We’ve reached the last lesson. I hope I’ve given you one or two nuggets to strengthen your writing. This lesson will increase your understanding of the business. The two go hand in hand. If you are truly serious about a writing career, it isn’t enough to immerse yourself in the creative…
Why the Itsy Bitsy Spider Is a Bad Metaphor
By Jeffe Kennedy Now that summer is here, I start my mornings by watering the potted plants on the patio, which always sets the spiders scurrying away. I don’t worry about them, because I know they’ll come back to their webs and continue spinning and weaving. I do worry about the finches, who love to…