We’re not doing it for the money … apparently
Here’s another in a series of alerts that writers are getting screwed. That is, nobody wants to pay them for their work. Writer/academic/activist Yasmin Nair goes into great depth here, … Continue reading
John Gardner’s ultimate how-to for budding novelists
This isn’t a book review so much as a nostalgic reminiscence. The book? John Gardner’s On Becoming a Novelist. Vintage 1983, and I can practically remember the day I bought … Continue reading
Can’t a girl catch a break?
Man, I just stumbled on a chart via Amazon Author Central, which shows graphs of your book sales, and I’m sad to report that poor old Occasional Soulmates has settled … Continue reading
Even the best writers need a good editor
Originally posted on WHAT THE HELL:
A quickie ‘cuz I’m swamped today, but this is fascinating: Gordon Lish’s edits on Raymond Carver’s “What We Talk About When We Talk About…
Garbage in, garbage out: hire a good editor, not a cheap one
Partly, this is a reminder to you indie writers out there who might be needing a copyeditor/proofreader as you steam toward self-publication. I’m ready, willing, and able to help, and … Continue reading
Why does fiction eschew modern gizmos?
In my interview with Blaise Lucey last week, he raised an issue I’ve been thinking a lot about myself. Has fiction lost touch with reality? Blaise meant, specifically, that novelists … Continue reading
Blaise Lucey interview: Part 2
Yesterday I ran Part 1 of an interview I did with author Blaise Lucey, who, among other things, is currently serializing a novel on Instagram called Luxury Coops. You can … Continue reading
A novel on Instagram? Author Blaise Lucey tells a story through pix and captions
Why didn’t you think of it? A novel on Instragram? For that matter, why didn’t I think of it! Author Blaise Lucey thought of it, though, and his experiment in … Continue reading
Is that MFA worth the time and trouble?
Every now and then I like to rail about the MFA industry and how, in many respects, it’s a self-perpetuating racket. I’m surprised Trump hasn’t established his own program, to … Continue reading
More bad news about Harper Lee
This saddens me. There won’t be a mass-market paperback edition of To Kill A Mockingbird anymore. Why? Greed. Whoever is in charge of Harper Lee’s estate is unbelievably tone-deaf. Or … Continue reading