Article Archives — Author

Making a Mess

by Jennifer Paros

A long time ago, before the purchase of my first computer, when I was still quite committed to my Smith Corona electric typewriter, I decided I wanted to write something “real” and so set to the task of writing a book. Without outlining, note taking or even bothering to “sniff around” the idea (as Roald Dahl once referred to ferreting out whether something was story- worthy or not), I set to work. As far as I was concerned, I was to put fresh paper in the typewriter, press the keys, fill the pages, and see what happened.

Jennifer ParosOctober 20, 2009Comment

Your Choices Reveal Your Characters

by Jason Black

Unless you’re writing Forrest Gump fan fiction, you probably want the characters in your novels to be both believable and smart. If either quality is lacking in your heroes or your villains, readers won’t stick with the story. Both qualities are strongly tied to the choices those characters make.

For example, have you ever encountered a novel where the good guy gets the drop on the bad guy, and yet doesn’t do a really obvious thing that would put an end to the bad guy’s villainy?

Jason BlackOctober 20, 2009Comment

First Time Writers: Why They Rock!

by Erin Brown

Oh, how I love working with debut authors. The excitement, the thrills! As an editor, it’s such a pleasure to be a part of the process—from reading a fresh voice to that first phone call telling the author that you want to see their name in lights; to sending the debut copy, hot off the press, to the author, who is waiting anxiously at his or her mailbox like an expectant parent. Editors love taking first timers through the ins and outs of the publishing experience, and good editors don’t even mind the endless questions about how it all works!

Erin BrownOctober 20, 2009Comment

Scratching – The Secret to Vivid Writing

by James Thayer

What’s the difference between these two sentences?

His arm itched.

He scratched his arm.

The difference is profound. His arm itched is telling. He scratched his arm is showing. Showing is almost always more vivid. Understanding the difference between showing and telling will instantly make someone a better writer.

James ThayerSeptember 26, 2009Comment

Who, Whom, Which, and That

by Cherie Tucker

There are two rules concerning these words when they are used to introduce descriptive information in a sentence. First, who and whom refer to people; which and that refer to things.

He is the man who sold us the bridge.
We have your signature, which closes the deal.
These are the times that try men’s souls.

Cherie TuckerSeptember 26, 2009Comment

The Process

by Bill Kenower

I always ask the writers I interview their advice for beginning writers, and often the advice they give boils down to this: it’s about the process. Not the publishing, the process. When I was younger and angrier I would hear this advice and think, “And when I’m published I’m sure it will be all about the process for me too.”

I am older and happier now and find myself in complete agreement with these men and women. The siren song of writing is publishing.

William KenowerSeptember 26, 2009Comment

True Genius

by Jennifer Paros

In a featurette for Spike Jonze’s movie of Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak praises the director’s adaptation of his children’s book and makes a point of saying of Jonze, “He’s not afraid of himself. He’s a real artist that lets it come through the work. So, he’s touched me very much …”

There is something magnificent about seeing someone fully and honestly express himself through his work.

Jennifer ParosSeptember 26, 2009Comment

The Query Letter and the Synopsis—What Makes Them Effective (and Why Writers Hate Them!)

by Erin Brown

I recently attended the PNWA Writers Conference as one of the official “book doctors,” and the one common denominator that each author remarked on was how much they hated writing their synopsis. (By the way, a good time was had by all at the conference. And most importantly, the continental breakfast served every morning at the conference center was deeeee-lish!) We didn’t even get into the query letter, but most clients I work with moan and groan about that one too.

Erin BrownSeptember 26, 2009Comment

Celtx Screenplay Editing System

by J. Malcolm Manness

The Celtx program is a truly amazing tool for writers of scripts.

Scriptwriters have a problem. There are very strict requirements for formatting, and these vary depending on whether you are writing for stage or screen. Properly setting the correct style, which can change almost line by line, can be tedious, and very distracting from the creative practice.

J. Malcolm MannessSeptember 26, 2009Comment

Seven Big Tips for Describing Characters

by James Thayer

Readers remember a novel’s characters long after the plot has been forgotten. We still love Lonesome Dove’s Augustus McCrae, but who can remember all that happened to him in Larry McMurtry’s 840-page novel? We still love Oliver Twist, but we have only a sketchy memory of all the ordeals Dickens put him through.

A vivid physical description helps make a character memorable. Here are some techniques to make your characters stick in readers’ minds.

James ThayerAugust 15, 2009Comment

Telling the Truth

by Laura Yeager

Are you a fiction writer struggling to publish your fiction, and no one is buying?

That was my situation five years ago. In 2004, I considered myself a dyed-in-the-wool fiction writer, but I’d sold only five stories in 20 years. (Granted, I landed my first published short story at The Paris Review in 1992, but I considered that beginner’s luck.) I had studied the art of storytelling in three of the best schools in the country, including The Writers’ Workshop at The University of Iowa, and I’d earned three degrees in the art of penning tales. I was even working as a fiction writing teacher at Gotham Writers’ Workshop.

Laura YeagerAugust 15, 2009Comment

The Verbing of Nouns

by Cherie Tucker

Someone once said, “There is not a noun that cannot be verbed.” Consider these gems from actual writings. A student in my Practical Grammar for Editors class at the UW submitted a beauty about a shaving gel for women that has been “lotionized.” A letter told a client his meeting had been “calendared” for June 15. A restaurant stated it was “menuing salmon today.”

Cherie TuckerAugust 15, 2009Comment

Stuck Where We Were

by Jennifer Paros

Several years ago we had Venetian blinds in our living room that were old and had deteriorated to the point where they could no longer be opened and closed using the handle. Instead, we would fuss with the remaining nub at the top corner of the window frame in order to adjust them. One day I began daydreaming that I was in our living room struggling to open the blinds.

I stopped, aghast that I was daydreaming broken blinds. I was so used to their broken state, that even when I had the ability to experience them as working (in my imagination) I did not take it.

Jennifer ParosAugust 15, 2009Comment

The Finest Place You Know

by Bill Kenower

One of the first pieces of advice a writer looking to find an agent will receive is to pay very close attention to the beginning of his or her novel. If the opening doesn’t grab the agent it won’t grab the editor, and it probably won’t grab the reader. So polish and polish those first five pages, we are told, and then scrub that first paragraph until it blinds you with its reflection.

Yes, yes, and yes. You must have a grabber opening, whatever that means for your particular genre. The opening is your invitation to the reader, so it needs to be as accessible and interesting as possible.

William KenowerAugust 15, 2009Comment

The Do's and Don’ts of Submitting to Agents

by Erin Brown

Do Find an Agent Who is Actually Interested

First thing’s first. Do your research and find an agent who is passionate about your type of book. Savannah’s Broken Heart and Subsequent Bonding with Her Ten Bestest Girlfriends will probably not find a fan with an agent who exclusively reps science fiction. So even though your fellow writer told you the name of a huge agent at William Morris, make sure that he or she actually reps the type of book you’ve written.

Erin BrownAugust 15, 2009 Comment

A Lesson from Your Dog

by James Thayer

Dogs offer vital lessons for writers, including turning around three times before lying down and chewing a shoe with proper etiquette. But the most important lesson is their namesake attribute: doggedness.

Ah, to be brilliant and fruitful, to have the words spill out, the perfect story gushing forth like water from a pipe. To be Eleanor Hibbert, who—writing as Victoria Holt and Philippa Carr—would sit on a sofa, no paper in sight, and dictate her novels, her words taken down by secretaries.

James ThayerJuly 12, 2009Comment

Top Ten Ways to Increase Your Chances of Getting Published

by Erin Brown

1. Be a Good Writer and a Good Storyteller

“Well, duh, stupid,” you might be thinking. Everyone has to be a good writer! (And don’t call me stupid.) But many people forget that an author has to be both a good storyteller and a good writer. What’s the difference? Well, I’ve edited many novels that had great plots and characters, but the author couldn’t write their way out of a paper bag (sure, that metaphor doesn’t make much sense, but I like the sound of it). There are also many brilliant writers who can’t create or move along a plotline to save their lives. The key is to learn how to do both seamlessly—the result is pure gold.

Erin BrownJuly 12, 2009Comment

My Eleventh Novel

by Robert Ferrigno

My eleventh novel, Heart of the Assassin, is being published on August 11, and I'm more worried about it than I am about my retirement (ha-ha) account. I should be happy. My editor is happy. My agent is happy. Heart is the third book in a trilogy of political thrillers set forty years in the future. Sales of the first two books of have been good. Publishers Weekly gave this third book a starred review. Happy. Happy. Me, I'm nervous.

Robert FerrignoJuly 12, 2009Comment

I Wish You Like This: Hippo-mo-potomuses and other right mistakes

by Jennifer Paros

Around many of the holidays, historically, my sons have come home bearing gifts made in school and overseen by their teachers. These are often craft projects (some of which I haven’t completely understood) with pre-formulated pieces, which the child constructs and writes on or decorates to personalize. I enjoy receiving these, regardless of what they may be, and due to my sentimental nature, find even the most standard re-cycled phrases pleasing.

Jennifer ParosJuly 12, 2009Comment

Showing Emotion

by Adam Nichols

Charles was upset. “I’m so upset,” he hissed at Annabelle, “that I feel like throwing up.” His fists were clenched tight and his face was twisted up. He was really, really upset.

Not hugely convincing, is it?

The problem here, in part, is the old ‘show don’t tell’ issue. We are simply told that Charles is upset — the classic novice writer’s blunder.

Adam NicholsJuly 12, 2009Comment