Posts tagged as:

manuscript

Kill Your Darlings

Writing Tips

Last week we discussed the ten commandments of writing.  This week we’ll move on to another topic inspired by Mr. King  with his phrase “Kill Your Darlings”.
Imagine you’re finished. Finally finished.  You’ve typed “The End” on the last page of the novel you’ve been working on for the last year.  You’re elated.  After all of [...]

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Song Lyrics Can Harm You

Writing Tips

I love Blue Oyster Cult.  Always did. I remember being 14 years old and rushing to the record store to buy Fire of Unknown Origin the second it hit the shelf.  I still have that copy.  The corners are a little dog-eared and the shape of the vinyl record (what’s that??) within can be seen wearing [...]

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My Relationship with Query Letters

Selling Your Work

I love to write.  I hate to write query letters. 
Hate is a strong word.  Maybe despise would be better.  I can create characters, towns, and unique situations, but when it comes to selling my work I fall flat on my face.  Why is that?  For someone like myself who deals in fiction for the most [...]

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No Second Chances

Selling Your Work

There is a commercial that states that you never get a second chance at a first impression. This is never more true than when you submit your work to a literary agent.  Your goal is to pique their interest to the point where they will want to see the rest of your book.  Typically an agent will [...]

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Self Editing For the Masses

Writing Tips

Read this sentence:
“the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh?”
If you could read the above sentence then imagine how difficult it is to edit an entire manuscript written in this manner. The sentence above was inspired by a supposed Cambridge University study that the [...]

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