September 2009

My Fiction Debut

September 28, 2009

Writing for PG Holyfield’s Tales of the Children podcast anthology was a great experience, as I’ve mentioned in a previous post. Hearing my words come to life is a great experience, too! Tales of the Children: Episode 1 released this past Friday, featuring my story “Swimming Lessons”. It’s about a thirty minute file (the story [...]

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Dealing with Rejection

September 24, 2009

We all have a deep-seated need for closure in our lives. We like to know why people have made the choices that they’ve made, whether we’ve done something wrong to bring about that choice or whether acting differently could have somehow changed the outcome. In the absence of answers, we tend to analyze situations and [...]

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What not to Write

September 21, 2009

Just as important as how to write, is what to write. In a panel at Anticipation 09 in Montreal, editor David G. Hartwell said: “The sincere desire on the part of the writer to write the book will communicate to the reader. This is not something that is often said in public, but it is [...]

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Tips for Polished Writing – Words and Phrases to Avoid, Part I

September 17, 2009

Polished Writing – Words and Phrases to Avoid, Part I: Cause and effect, and avoiding passive voice. Obviously, when I talk about a polished manuscript, I’m not referring to any sort of literal shine or sparkle to the page. Polish is an abstract sort of quality, and it’s hard to understand unless you see it [...]

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Proper Channels

September 14, 2009

This may sound a bit obvious, but when you send a query, please send it to the correct address as specified by a publisher’s submissions guidelines. If a submissions address is listed for a publisher, whether it’s a physical address or an e-mail address, that’s the best address to which you can direct a submission. [...]

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The Elephant in the Room

September 10, 2009

If you’re in publishing, even if you’re not in New York City yourself, you probably know a lot of people who are–or have been–based there. Nobody talks about it much, especially not any more, but if you know people who’ve lived and worked in New York City for a while, you probably know at least [...]

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Plugs of the Day

September 7, 2009

Today’s plug is for Booksellers Blog. If you’re in writing, editing or the publishing industry at large, it’s an excellent resource. While geared toward independent booksellers, it’s full of advice that applies to one-person businesses like freelancers and authors. Recent posts cover themes like improving your professional blog, boosting your online presence, and using Twitter [...]

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Guest Blogger: David Sakmyster on The Joys of Research

September 3, 2009

Today’s guest post is written by author David Sakmyster. So you’ve got your character in a foreign country, in the midst of some ancient ruins, and suddenly you’re hit with what I call P-FU: Paralyzing Fear of the Unknown. What kind of bricks are these? Are those flowering shrubs or just exotic weeds? What kind [...]

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