Articles from September 2004

Says It All

September 30th, 2004 · Comments Off on Says It All

We could paraphrase and pull out favorite thoughts, but sometimes it’s better to just let you read for yourselves. A Sense of Vocation

File Under: Square Pegs

Celebrate in Your Favorite Way

September 30th, 2004 · Comments Off on Celebrate in Your Favorite Way

We know you’re not counting on us to remind you about Banned Books Week — which is good because somehow it’s Thursday and we just took our first glance at a calendar this week (which is not to say we haven’t seen calendars on the preceding days…we just happened to spend our hours poking and […]

File Under: Square Pegs

Separating Fact from Fiction

September 30th, 2004 · 1 Comment

If you are to poll women about men in fiction (which you don’t have to do, because, helpfully, this has already been done), you will find, not surprisingly, a large number of votes for Mr. Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. Cherry Potter, writing for the Guardian, thinks this confuses modern men — and perhaps modern […]

File Under: Books/Mags/Blogs

Yes, Yes, We Understand

September 29th, 2004 · Comments Off on Yes, Yes, We Understand

It’s rather embarrassing to admit, but we had no idea that Rona Jaffe wrote a novel. Our exposure to her was through celebrity profiles. It’s always cool to learn something new about someone you have put into a slot. Suddenly, they don’t fit and you get to change all sorts of things around in your […]

File Under: Square Pegs

It Was Going So Well, and Then…

September 29th, 2004 · Comments Off on It Was Going So Well, and Then…

So the weather wasn’t perfect today, but it was nice. Not too hot, not too cool. The type of day where sitting outside is a true pleasure. Great lunch, crazy hummingbird dances, and the daily paper. And then we hit the sentence: It seems that under every mystery writer’s skin beats the heart of a […]

File Under: Square Pegs

Let The Reality Shine

September 29th, 2004 · Comments Off on Let The Reality Shine

Have we mentioned how important it is to understand this business of writing? Good, then we won’t waste anybody’s time with a short lecture on paying attention to the art and the business. You’re already doing that. At MoorishGirl, author Terri Brown-Davidson celebrates the release of her first, well, first published, novel (Marie, Marie, Hold […]

File Under: Square Pegs

Be Nice To Edward Wyatt Day

September 29th, 2004 · Comments Off on Be Nice To Edward Wyatt Day

We’ve read several articles on the lawsuit filed against the U.S. Treasury Department on behalf of American publishers. What we have learned is that the law appears to be, in the words of a former boss, intentionally vague. Which is great if you want everyone to agree and pass it, but not so great when […]

File Under: Square Pegs

If You Can Cook, You Can Write

September 28th, 2004 · Comments Off on If You Can Cook, You Can Write

Want to be a successful writer? Then go with genre fiction. If you can follow a simple recipe, you can write bestsellers. Just mix the ingredients, pop into the mail, and sit back and watch the money flow. No tricks, no gimmicks — just easy-to-find ingredients (available everywhere) and a few steps…this isn’t fancy French […]

File Under: Tools and Craft

Is Honesty Even The Goal?

September 28th, 2004 · Comments Off on Is Honesty Even The Goal?

Better minds than ours have sliced and diced the Kirkus paid reviews decision. Questions like are they crazy, won’t this destory their hard-earned reputation, and is this an ethical approach have been debated and answered. We won’t bother with our thoughts. Okay, we will. Is it our fault we were born with an opinion on […]

File Under: Books/Mags/Blogs

Lost in Translation?

September 28th, 2004 · Comments Off on Lost in Translation?

We can’t explain how it happened, but, when we were in Japan, we found ourself without anything to read. Clearly, someone miscalculated the number of books to pack — it is not a myth that you will find yourself awake in the middle of the night (and the Tsujiki Fish Market, while interesting, isn’t the […]

File Under: Square Pegs