People have asked me before if real people influence my characters. I would say yes, but to a point. No single person impacts a character. If anything, many people morph together into one character. Two or three people may become one. If I copy and paste a real person into my novel, that's not a … Continue reading People and their characters
Tag: books
Inspiration to busy creators
Sometimes the world may be against you. Everything may seem to fall apart as if you can’t get anything done. But even writing down three words is progress towards a goal. Three more strokes of a painting. Three more pages of a book. A little bit a day can go a long way.
Bad book reviews
I've noticed recently that I haven't reviewed a book that I don't like on this blog before. I have a few reasons for avoiding that. I'm afraid of being too negative. I don't want to trash a work of art that I know the writer spent years on. I don't want to act as if … Continue reading Bad book reviews
Book review – What Editors Do (Spoiler Free)
"Being an editor is a lifelong apprenticeship: the books you read, the jobs you have, influence your approach to any given text. Yet in a sense I'm the same editor I was at the beginning of my career, an idealistic former literature student who took pleasure in books whose form and content I understood to … Continue reading Book review – What Editors Do (Spoiler Free)
Difference in success
At an English Major panel, I got advice for success in life-after-graduation. It was a cozy room, stuffed with English nerds. Afterwards, I talked with a professional author. One of the first sentences she said was, "I don't agree with what she said during the panel." She pointed towards a CEO in the publishing field. … Continue reading Difference in success
Recommended books by professionals
During an English major panel I attended, professional writers and editors recommended different books. Those books were: Chicago Manuel of Style Elements of Style The War of Art These books are important to the writing field. I've used the Chicago Manuel of Style many times before. I enjoy the online edition the most because it's easier … Continue reading Recommended books by professionals
Author interview with Brian H. Peterson
I got the wonderful opportunity to interview Brian H. Peterson. Brian is a multitalented artist that writes books, takes photos, plays music, and more. I wrote a book review about his book earlier this month. Thank you, Brian, for this lovely opportunity. What inspired you to write this book? Was it an event or did an idea … Continue reading Author interview with Brian H. Peterson
Common query mistakes
At my new internship, I got to see what was in the bottom drawer: rejected queries. For over an hour, I read query after query. The rejected queries all had repeated mistakes. Here's some of the most common ones: Misspellings One writer wrote "aknolegments" instead of "acknowledgements". Spelling, especially in the writing career, is essential. … Continue reading Common query mistakes
Book review – I Give My Eyes… (Spoiler Free)
“I think that’s the best gift a teacher can give—not imparting knowledge per se, but just saying “I see something in you. Maybe even more than what you see. I see it, and I love what I see in you.” – Brian H. Peterson Title: I Give My Eyes… Author: Brian H. Peterson Genre: Nonfiction … Continue reading Book review – I Give My Eyes… (Spoiler Free)
Book review – Yesterday I Was the Moon (Spoiler Free)
it only takes a second or two to look into their eyes and decide whether you're home or at just another perfectly decorated house Title: Yesterday I Was the Moon Author: Noor Unnahar Genre: nonfiction, poetry Pages: 160 Publication date: March 27th 2018 Publisher: Clarkson Potter Publishers I got Yesterday I Was the Moon as a birthday gift … Continue reading Book review – Yesterday I Was the Moon (Spoiler Free)
