I hate working on deadline. So I avoid it. No, that doesn't mean that I don't take jobs with specific delivery dates. I just make sure to finish the work well before it’s due so I don't have to experience that deadline pressure. A lot of writers aren't like that....
Have you ever been told by an agent or publisher that your idea was interesting but just didn't seem big enough for a book? Or perhaps editors have stated that your articles were just too long for their magazines. Those two problems may just wind up being a saving...
Being assaulted by TV commercials that are always louder than the program you're watching is bad enough. But do we really have to suffer through an assault on grammar at the same time? The following is the most egregious offense I've heard lately. This comes courtesy...
Grammatical mistakes are a funny thing. Some go almost unnoticed and really don't matter in the grand scheme of things. Others seem like daggers ripping at the very fabric of the English language. The most common of those has to be the overuse of the word I. Most of...
I seem to be writing more and more media releases these days, what with writing coach clients launching their books and businesses needing to promote themselves. Between my background as a journalist and my years of writing, I know how to attract an editor's...
Why do we write? Certainly not because it's easy. The only people who think writing is easy haven't written much—or at all. No, most of us write either because we have something we need to say or because we have ideas we want to explore. And for some, it's all about...
Go to the movies and you know you're going to see half a dozen movie trailers before the feature begins. Why? Because the studios know that trailers effectively promote new releases. With the advent of the Internet, trailers aren't just for movies anymore. Book...
I always advise my writing coach clients to work in phases. Start with the big picture by making sure that a book's structure is strong. Once the material has been properly positioned, look at what's missing. That can be character development when dealing with novels,...
As a group, we writers may just have the worst posture on the planet. That would be bad enough, but all that slouching over a computer can also cause pain. And that's really not good. But there are ways to eliminate writing pain. My favorite new stretch to counter...
So you really think that new cookbook you just ordered was actually written by Rachel Ray, Bobby Flay, Paula Deen or Martha Stewart? According to one of today's cookbook ghostwriters, you need to think again. And while you're at it, don't assume that your favorite...
