News — writing

If you are like me and grew up in the 1970s, 80s, and early 90s in the US, you probably remember the ABC After School Specials. If not, or if for some reason you were entirely unaware of this phenomenon (which spread to multiple other networks), here’s what Wikipedia says:

The American Broadcasting Company coined the term after school special in 1972 with a series of made-for-television movies, usually...

Technically, the last third of National Novel Writing Month doesn't start until Wednesday. But who's counting?

My son runs cross-country in the fall. (That's him in the picture above. He's a tall, skinny white boy wearing a purple and white school uniform, running across a stretch of grass, with cars and trees in the background.) For varsity and JV, this is a 3-mile run (5k), usually through a town park. The terrain can be anywhere from nearly flat to multiple steep hills, open fields to dense trees. Running doesn't stop just because of...

Everyone's heard "show, don't tell" at least once. It gets passed around in workshops, classes, and critique groups. It takes other forms, too. Sometimes it's labeled as "spoon-feeding" or "info-dumping," depending on the genre. It's probably the most common piece of writing advice ever given.

It's also the most meaningless.

"Show, don't tell" has a somewhat unfortunate history. It may be anti-communist propaganda, and it definitely has

There's been some furor (and some confusion) over the recent 4Chan-initiated "drop the B" fake campaign. While this particular time there isn't a real initiative to eliminate bisexual from the LGBTQIA+ lexicon, it's evoked a lot of feelings.

It would be easy to laugh it off and dismiss it as right-wing trolls being their usual haterly selves if it weren't for some hard reality. The truth is, that campaign was borrowed from the actual experiences of bisexual people.

The fake campaign rested on the premise that bisexuality is inherently...

Last week, I offered tips for authors on working with their editors. This week, I'm addressing my fellow editors. I've really enjoyed working with my clients, and developing a mutually satisfying relationship is the key to success for both parties. It's not one-sided. All editors have had clients who drive them bananas, but editors aren't immune from being difficult to work with.

1. Choose your words carefully.

I've made the mistake of saying things more harshly than I meant. Fortunately, it was with clients who already trusted...