There’s a new contest running over at Save the Contemporary, courtesy of Smart Bitches and Dear Author. They only run these contests for books they really love. I’ve just read the review on Smart Bitches for Julie James’ Something About You, where Sarah gave it an A-. Pretty impressive! If you’re interested in contemporaries, or… Continue reading Save the contemporary . . . again
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Why men suck at childbirth
There’s a documentary series running on Channel 4 that I’m slowly becoming obsessed with. The makers of One Born Every Minute stuck a bunch of cameras in a maternity ward in England, and sat back to let the good times roll. I watched the first episode two weeks ago, when my husband was away on… Continue reading Why men suck at childbirth
Making your writing stand out in a crowd
When does your writing fit a genre, and when does it just pander to the lowest expectations of that genre’s readers? I’ve written before about the importance of using interesting language and avoiding clichés. What happens, though, if you overdo one of those things for the sake of the other? One of the most difficult… Continue reading Making your writing stand out in a crowd
“Said” is alive and well
My eighth-grade English teacher had us all chanting “Said is dead.”* It’s a good thing that was at a Christian school, where I learned resurrection is possible. I remember reading Stephen King’s On Writing yonks ago. The one piece of advice that stuck with me is that “said” is the best of dialog tags. On Joanna Bourne’s… Continue reading “Said” is alive and well
10 rules for writers
Since we’re on the subject, and since I seem to be doing anything to avoid housework, today’s Guardian’s Review section has a feature where writers give their 10 rules for writers. I don’t think any of them are radical, but the way they express them is a joy. My favorite is from Elmore Leonard: Never… Continue reading 10 rules for writers