Helping to Change the World…Word by Word
The Steve Laube Agency
Helping to Change the World Word by Word
I totally would have done this to my daughters if I had thought of it.
It is also a bit of a metaphor for clarity in our writing. If the reader misunderstands it whose fault is it? The reader? The writer? Or simply blame the editor, that nameless person who labors in the shadows. Even better, blame the literary agent!!!
Thanks for the link: Trissina Kear (my daughter)
Last week we talked about the hook, the sound bite, or the ability to "say it in a sentence." One reader asked for examples so I thought I'd give you a few.
Below are the short pitches of proposals that have caught my eye over the years from debut authors. Please realize that the sound bite is only one of many factors that goes into a great proposal. Ultimately it is the execution of the …
This video gives mind-blowing facts about linguistics. In particular, how pronunciation has changed over time. Thus, if you are writing a historical novel, be careful in assuming the words you use meant the same in your era and that they they were pronounced like they are today. Made me think of older poetry or song lyrics and some rhyming couplets. No wonder they sometimes don’t rhyme when …
Today, November 11, 2019, is the 101st anniversary of Veterans Day, celebrated in the United States. Originally known as Armistice Day, it was set to honor the end of World War I, which happened on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. It became a legal holiday in the U.S. in 1938 and was renamed as Veterans Day in 1954. It is our opportunity to thank and celebrate all those who …
This video is what you need to go outside and do today. If not literally, do it imaginatively. It’s important to take the proverbial happy break. And what better way than in a pile of leaves? The last bit of the video is an illustration of finding the “needle in the haystack!”
Can you present your book idea in one sentence?
Can you present that idea in such a way that the reader is compelled to buy your book?
What motivates someone to spend money on a book? It is the promise that there is something of benefit to me, the reader.
Books are generally purchased for one of three reasons:
Entertainment
Information
Inspiration
If your book idea can make me …
A video about an unusual intern’s visit to Penguin Random House. I bet they were paid like a typical volunteer intern, except a little fishier! Enjoy! Makes one wonder what publishers like Blink, WaterBrook, Cook, Tyndale, Lion, Orbit, or Skyhorse could do with this idea!
by Steve Laube
On June 26, 1956, C.S. Lewis replied to letter from an American girl named Joan with advice on writing:
Always try to use the language so as to make quite clear what you mean and make sure your sentence couldn’t mean anything else.
Always prefer the plain direct word to the long, vague one. Don’t implement promises, but keep them.
Today’s video describes when a Tuba player is having too much fun. Reminds me of hearing that a writer produced 15,000 words in one day’s work. Enjoy the world-record for fastest performance of “The Flight of the Bumblebee” … on a tuba!
Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson is my “book of the month” for every writer. Andrew Peterson is a well-known musician, songwriter, and author. He’s won the Christy Award for best YA novel and WORLD magazine’s Children’s Book of the Year. Over ten years ago, he founded a ministry called The Rabbit Room which encourages and cultivates a vibrant Christian arts community in …
