High stakes yield high success. Donald Maass If you’re working to write or edit a book, you naturally want to know how you can improve the read. In all the books I edit, I try to serve as a careful reader and one of my primary considerations is always whether the story has enough of a sense of danger
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Lighthouses don’t go running all over an island looking for boats to save; they just stand there shining. Anne Lamott When you set out to write, you’re designing the read for a certain type of reader – you. So the question is, What inspires you? As I mentioned last week, powerful writing comes from powerful editing. So when you edit and when
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The greatest of divides…is between those who regard the visible world as being of primary importance…and those who do not. Dallas Willard There are so many challenges to writing a story that works, let alone that can capture readers’ hearts and imaginations to get talked about and shared. And so few people who talk about writing never will for
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For nearly six years, each week I’ve posted my best teaching on writing and editing for motivation and practical help. I’ve taken a break or two, but the archive of several hundred posts prove it’s a priority for me–and it’s largely because I need to keep the wind in my sails and the breeze at my back. I write to myself to remind myself of
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Of course, there are too many writing problems to count… It’d be foolishness to think we could narrow it down to one. Or would it? For the benefit of everyone–including your future readers–I’m going to try. As I sat down at my writing chair last night to consider what I haven’t shared yet over the years of writing these little thoughts, first as an
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