The Kindness of Neighbors

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We are in total passive mode: the news needs to flow to us. While some might think this is another ode to the Beauty of RSS, it’s actually more of a warm fuzzy to those who have kept up with the world while we, and this is not a joke, found out the secret, true name of the movie commonly known as Paperback Romance. So anyway, these two girls walk into a blog. The first one says: I’ve been thinking of what you said to me the other night on the telephone about us being veterans of the same war– […]

Books/Mags/Blogs

More Shameless Bloghopping

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Sure we could be coming up with scintillating original content* (or we could be reading a really cool book…stay tuned!), but we’re taking advantage of the hard work and effort others. Like The Elegant Variation. In the midst of major party preparations, Mark found three minutes to talk to David Francis. We found fun quotes. Talk about your win-win. First, Francis makes an entrance: Jane [Smiley] stops mid-sentence and decides to introduce me to her audience as I fumble for somewhere to be. She starts talking about my new book and its U.S. release and blahdy blah. Then she asks

Square Pegs

Editors Can Be Lovely People, Too

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For the eight or nine people out there who didn’t have the copy of the email forwarded to them: Kate Seaver is leaving Dorchester for Berkley. Leah Hultenschmidt will replace Seaver (meaning someone will soon replace Hultenschmidt in her current role). As we have learned from said forwarded emails, Hultenschmidt is a lovely person. We are not sure why this is critical information, but there you have it. For what it’s worth, Seaver is also a lovely person, especially if you like your loveliness on the practical side. Dorchester Publishing Berkley Books/Penguin Group

Publishers and Editors

Getting Into A Rhythm

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We are dashing around this morning so this article on routine which we’ve been saving for a free moment is especially apt. To quote: Most artists work as the rest of us do, incrementally, day by day, according to their own habits. That most art does not rise above the level of routine has nothing necessarily to do with the value of having a ritual. As we have long suspected, our daily practice of stumbling around bleary-eyed until the coffee maker shudders to a stop and then staring blankly at our monitor until our fingers begin to move is part

Tools and Craft

Waiting Tables? Officially Not Cool

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There are far too many links for us to follow, so we’ll let LA Observed do the work. Long story short: man has idea, needs hook, creates website, interest ensues, movie deal follows. Sequel: well, if you’ve spent more than five minutes as a screenwriter in Hollywood, you know what happens next. Still, we hope for the best. Truly. As long as there isn’t a gratuitous love interest. Website sells a script

Square Pegs

Hope For The Next Generation

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We are going to throw out a few not-so random quotes. Tell us if you recognize the pattern: “It gets to the point that I have to tell the math teacher to take (her) books away,” the mother shrugged. “You know, because she’s reading them in class.” “Ten o’clock, you come in (to their bedrooms) and there they are with a flashlight and a book.” Many of the parents who came out last Friday to root for their children brought books with them. And more than a few younger siblings – too young yet for this competition – found quiet

Square Pegs

On Building Writerly Skills

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“Whack away at everything pertaining to literary life – mechanical part as well as the rest. Learn to set type, learn to work at the ‘case,’ learn to be a practical printer, and whatever you do learn condensation.” Walt Whitman’s advice: don’t become a poet

Quote of the Week

The Reality of Writing

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Though we would never admit this to anyone, there is a major flaw in Firefox: things open in tabs remain available for reading all day long. Tabs don’t close themselves in disgust. Sometimes we take that step for them, but often we watch with sick fascination, wondering what we’re going to do with the article we clicked on in a moment of vague interest. Chances are, we’ll move on (this sometimes takes days, which would normally worry us, but we’re distracted at the moment). Unless the article grows on us. Like this New York Times story about authors living the

Square Pegs

The Font Is Not The Story

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Let us suggest that HelenKay Dimon is a nice person. She does stuff like warn people before she offends them. We do not pause for such niceties, meaning we’re going to leap right in to the best method for word count we’ve heard this week*. Here’s my new answer: You actually have to count each word. Every damn one. Then you have to count the punctuation and spaces, do an excel spreadsheet setting out the number of each, have it bound and attach it as an exhibit to the end of your submission. If you don’t, the editor will automatically

Tools and Craft

Quick Guide To Deciphering A Book’s Content

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GalleyCat has come to the rescue of those looking for detailed plot information, but unwilling to take that extra step and read the cover copy. Yes, you can judge a book by its cover (it’s always worked for us). . .especially if you know the shorthand. BECAUSE MUCH MORE THAN A BOOK’S CONTENT IS PRONE TO UNORIGINALITY. EPISODE 5: LEGS, FEET, SHOES

Books/Mags/Blogs
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