Commercial nonfiction has always been a foreign animal to me. For one thing, I wonder why books about banal topics, like a woman’s move from house to house, should be reviewed in all of the major newspapers and magazines...
Read MoreHypergraphia is the overwhelming urge to write, and it is a trait/malady which I have, yet lately, it’s been dropping off. I used to be constantly writing things down. My purse was full of scrawled-upon napkins and scraps...
Read MoreThe fee for contests seems to be its own closet industry. I remember listening to Joyce Carol Oates speak many years ago, and she said that there were no contests that were not fixed. I found that so cynical and depressing...
Read MoreWhat a great question. One of the most common remarks I make on manuscripts relates to weaving more threads through the book (which really means, keeping track of your threads).Novels in progress can be overly ego-centric via...
Read MoreWhen my husband and I dine out, we often order appetizers, which we find to be the most inventive and interesting dishes on the menu. The other night, at a restaurant known for its creative chef, we were hungry enough to ignore...
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