During our weekly Books & Such staff meeting last Friday, I mentioned that there are two books that should be considered a must-read for all of our clients. I confessed that for thirteen or fourteen years I reread these books …
E.B. White
The Perfect Place to Write
Blogger: Wendy Lawton
I have a book that I love. It’s The Writer’s Desk by Jill Krementz. Krementz is the wife of the late Kurt Vonnegut and is considered one of the century’s great author portraitists. The book feels like …
The Self-Editing Myth
Blogger: Wendy Lawton
One of the best writing books of all time is Self-Editing for Fiction Writers by Browne and King. I’ve devoured that book multiple times. I used to read it, William Zinsser’s On Writing Well, and The Elements …
Learning to Write from the Masters
Blogger: Janet Kobobel Grant
The other day I read one of my client’s manuscripts and came to the conclusion that the opening paragraphs were convoluted, forced, and confusing. I wrote to him to suggest he delete those first paragraphs; the …
Characters–Human or Not?
Blogger: Etta Wilson
Location: Books & Such office, Nashville
Weather: 65 and spring rain
Do protagonists have greater appeal to readers if they are human, or is it more important that a character simply exhibit some human characteristics? Animal characters …