misc.
Meg Rosoff
The lure of the bad boy.
Remember Ricochet? The horse a three-year-old could ride? Well, I’ve been riding him for nearly a month now and I can safely say I wouldn’t let a child anywhere near him. Not that he’s bad. Oh no. He never puts a hoof wrong. Never. Except when he does. But here’s the strange thing. He’s started [...]
The role of the editor in book publishing.
A few years ago, this blog would have been a no-brainer. The few-years-ago editor might have helped to shape your book, offering an objective, educated opinion as to why the orthodox Jewish dragon wasn’t moving the plot forward, why the 300,000 word sex scene might be overtaxing the average ten-year-old, whether an entire novel narrated [...]
More crazy feminist rant from yours truly.
Here’s the story so far. Forty-thousand women in the UK have had breast implants that contain silicone that has not been approved for medical use. That number is approximately 1/10th the number of women around the world who have had this particular type of breast implants. In America, more than 5% of teen and adult [...]
A Pile of Paper Covered With Wrong Words
I posted Dorothy Parker’s telegram to her editor last year, but she bears reposting for all the dark nights of the writing soul that lie ahead for 2012. Happy New Year to all my writing and reading friends.
How To Write A Book
1. For your first book, have no idea whatsoever until the very last minute, then sit down and write it effortlessly in three months (before, during and after work, and after your small child has gone to bed). Do very few revisions. This book will be a bestseller. 2. For book two — have a [...]
Surefire last minute Christmas presents.
Give your parents the gift of serenity. Tell them you’ve decided not to write that misery memoir after all. Your editor doesn’t want expensive perfume. Why not write a bestselling series a la Harry Potter instead? It will cost you nothing and bring years of happiness. Christmas is a time for embracing thine enemy. Wrap [...]
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