I found this video about the man behind the paper props you see in movies fascinating. The attention to detail for something that is only there for a split second is quite extraordinary. (five minutes in length)
Every Word Counts
The popularity of last week's post on the phrase counter set me on a journey to find something that would do the same sort of "counting" but instead focus on single word usage instead of phrases.
Use this link to the Word Counter web site and run your WIP (work in progress) within its walls.
Fun Fridays – May 10, 2019
Today’s video is of three professionals against 100 school children. Someone said, “This shows some sort of publishing metaphor just waiting to get out!” (The first two minutes are enough to get the idea.) What do you think this is showing as it relates to the pursuit of publishing? HT: Dan Balow
Would You Buy Your Own Book?
When I ask a room of writers if they would buy their own book if they saw it on the shelf at a major bookstore I am met with a variety of reactions. Laughter. Pensiveness. Surprise. And even a few scowls. How would you answer that question?
But the question is meant to ask if your book idea is unique. Whether it will stand out among the noise of the competition.
It is not a question of …
Fun Fridays – May 3, 2019
This video shows what an author will always do upon hearing they have received a contract offer. They can do it on one leg too!
What Makes You Click?
Below is a visual representation of some astounding statistics regarding Internet usage. A little more than twelve years ago I wrote a chapter for a writing book on how to use the Internet for research. I re-read that article recently...umm, Google didn't even exist back then (founded in September 1998), much less Wikipedia (where the jury is still out if is a reliable source for verifiable …
Fun Fridays – April 26, 2019
Today’s video features Victor Borge at his concert-conducting best. One of the finest musical comedians of all time.
Criticism Is an Unhappy Part of the Business
I would like to tell you about a most enjoyable day. Our agency's guidelines request that unsolicited manuscripts come via the post (I know it's old-school but it works for us), but we still receive e-mail submissions. I spent an entire morning going through that particular in-box, having an assistant send standard e-mail rejection letters, since none were anything our agency could/would …
Even the Best Get Rejected
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I've written about rejection before and yet it is a topic that continues to fascinate.
Recently Adrienne Crezo did an article on famous authors and their worst rejection letters. I thought you might enjoy reading a couple highlights of that article and some additional stories I have collected over the years.
George Orwell's Animal Farm was rejected by Alfred Knopf saying it …
Fun Fridays – April 12, 2019
For those among the thousands who were snookered by my April Fool’s Day post last week, imagine if your 4th grade teacher gave you a spelling test like the one in this video. It would have been fun if he had thrown in a real word like floccinaucinihilipilification. The word’s definition is “the action or habit of estimating something as worthless” – sort of like this …