- Sep 6, 2019
- 3 min
Getting Someplace while Going Nowhere: Two lessons about writing that I learned from stationary swim
Let’s start with the obvious question: What in the world is stationary swimming? It is just swimming while using a contraption—basically...
- Jul 29, 2019
- 4 min
Go Ahead. Give Up: Why letting go of a goal is sometimes the right choice
Writing is hard. Building a career out of writing is even harder. That’s why people are always telling writers not to give up. You don’t...
- May 30, 2019
- 4 min
Write On!: Why “debut novel” isn’t synonymous with “first novel”
You’re writing your first novel and dreaming of publishing success. It’s hard work and you’ll take encouragement wherever you can get it....
- Apr 18, 2019
- 4 min
Quitting Time: The top four things that will make me put down the book I'm reading
There was a time when I would force myself to finish every book I started. (Though, I have to admit, even in those days, I quit Moby Dick...
- Jan 4, 2019
- 4 min
You're Not the Boss of Me: Why a developmental editor won't tell you what's "wrong" with your book
Most writers agree that hiring an editor to find the errors in their book before they publish is a good idea. But when you start talking...
- Nov 27, 2018
- 4 min
Time After Time: Common grammar errors when writing in past tense
It’s been a while since I’ve written a blog post about the most common grammar errors I find while editing. In this post, I’m going to...