Word Magic
I’m a big fan of short fiction. If you’re a new author, publishing short stories gives you a boost in confidence. Myths about short fiction abound. “Readers won’t read short stories,” my students tell me. Not so. Many readers love short material. Readers are willing to pay and invest 30 minutes in a story, but will baulk at investing hours … Read more
I’ve received several questions about revising fiction from authors who are readying last November’s NaNoWriMo novels for publishing. An author reported that his beta readers said that they were “confused” about the plot. This can mean that you’ve lost the plot (pun intended.) You may have: An unclear story question; or You may need to look at cause and effect. … Read more
If you’re looking for writing tips, Medium is a great place to find them. Back in December, I wrote about a three-month experiment: writing on Medium. December?! What was I thinking? Predictably, I got busy, then even busier, and my experiment sorta, kinda… died. I felt guilty because I like Medium. Moreover, I think the site has good potential for … Read more
I get lots of questions about developing a writing process. Specifically, do you have to write every day? Usually I respond with something like—it’s easier when you do. Many people have been credited with this quote, from Franz Liszt who said it in 1894, onwards: “If I miss one day’s practice, I notice it. If I miss two days’ practice, … Read more
I gave a talk to a writer’s group recently. Several writers asked whether they should get a literary agent or go the self-publishing route. They were rightly concerned about how much time they’d have to put into self-publishing. You know that I’m all-in with self-publishing, but their questions forced me to think about whether self-publishing is still a viable option … Read more