by Linden Gross | May 28, 2026 | Uncategorized
When people tell me they loved a novel, they rarely say, “Wow, that plot twist was brilliant!” More often, it’s: “I couldn’t stop thinking about the character.” And usually, what they’re really responding to is the character arc—the way an oh-so-human character...
by Linden Gross | May 21, 2026 | Uncategorized
We writers are fantastic starters. We have more beginnings than a stack of unplanted seed packets—novel ideas, essays, poems, children’s books, half-built worlds. Finishing? That’s trickier. Somewhere between the rush of inspiration and the final period,...
by Linden Gross | May 14, 2026 | Editing, Language, Writing
Every writer has a natural tendency to sprawl. We fall in love with words, we hedge our statements, we add “just,” “really,” and “very” as if they were seasoning. But as Jack Smith noted in The Writer magazine’s article “Lean and Clean,” writing gets stronger when it...
by Linden Gross | May 7, 2026 | Writing Life
After more than 25 years of having pups in my life, I have largely figured out how to make that work. The two operative words: Being prepared. Before we go on a walk, I slip Moke’s ear protection—think stretchy headband with ear pockets—over his head. “Do...
by Linden Gross | Apr 30, 2026 | Writing
Books need chapter hooks. Whether you’re writing a novel, memoir, self-help, or investigative journalism, each chapter must make the reader think, I’ll just read one more section. A hook is not a gimmick; it’s a promise—a reason to keep turning pages. You earn that...
