My 10 Commandments of Writing

After an early draft of my first novel was gently ripped to shreds by my MFA advisor (and rightly so), I took the advice I’d been given to heart and rewrote my book into something I’m proud of. I will be forever grateful to my thesis advisor, Tod Goldberg, who gave it to me straight … Read More

KISS Your Manuscript

KISS: Keep it simple, scribbler. When I’m working with writers, I ask that manuscripts be submitted to me in Times New Roman typeface, 12-point font, double-spaced, with one-inch margins and a half-inch indentation at each new paragraph. Why? Well, yes, it makes my job easier–help me help you and all that. But most importantly, this … Read More

Buy a Dictionary

My dad would be the first to admit he wasn’t great at spelling. You’d never know it to read anything he ever wrote. At home, we had a Webster’s dictionary and a full set of the Encyclopædia Britannica. But that wasn’t good enough—my dad carried a pocket dictionary with him wherever he went. If he … Read More