Writer Unboxed

Kathleen’s blog post yesterday about Cornwell’s The Last Kingdom got me thinking about beginnings in general and tied into something I’ve been doing for the last week or so: judging an “opening chapters” writing contest. I enjoy judging for several reasons–not least of which is reading new authors and later learning whether my opinion of […]

There’s a reason why Bernard Cornwell is one of the best writers of historical fiction around. With 37 novels to his credit, including the popular Sharp series, it’s fair to say he knows a thing or two about how to craft a novel. His books are scrupulously accurate and insanely readable. When […]

Tomorrow is Chinese New Year, the official beginning of the Year of the Dog. Woof.
Now I’m Italian and Irish, so the whole 12-animal rotation thing is mostly lost on me, but I’ll “celebrate” with some Chinese takeout. Love my chicken with broccoli, extra spicy, but I particularly look forward to the fortune cookie. I could […]

I hate so-called reality shows, but Bravo’s Project Runway has me hooked. Why? Because the producers of this show know how to tell a story. Boy, can they tell a story.
Those who think reality shows have any basis in reality would be disillusioned quickly after a three-minute conversation with anyone in the […]

Sometimes there just aren’t enough words. Like when you practically pierce your knee against a table’s edge and would like nothing better than to spew a dump-and-a-half’s worth of verbal filth while the pain crescendos, but your toddler–who’s learning about 800 new words a day–is staring up at you, just waiting for you to spill […]

Over at Publishing News, our friends across the pond discuss the current state of publishing in this ominously titled article:
Random House addresses future with agents
RANDOM HOUSE IS holding a series of meetings with agents to discuss a wide range of issues pertaining to the current and future state of the industry. CEO Gail Rebuck […]

Salon’s advice columnist Cary Tennis always gets the best letters. Dear Prudence or that chick who replaced Ann Landers have nothing on the guy. Who can resist reading about the stockbroker dude who banged the nanny and now the nanny is preggers and SO IS THE WIFE, and they’re due within weeks of […]

Do you remember high school English class when the teacher would call on people at random to read sections of the latest assigned novel–Lord of the Flies; The Great Gatsby; Alas, Babylon; The Count of Monte Cristo? I always liked reading aloud. There was something about the rhythm of the words in my mouth that […]

Thank god Miss Snark has derailed the increasingly boring discussion of fabulist James Frey and his “con” (which some consider bloody good publicity). Now we can break out the numchucks, because this is going to ignite a storm. Says Snark:
E-books are so not-viable that it annoys the crap out of me that publishers even […]

Did you know that Mozart will be 250 years old on Friday? Party time in Vienna!
Groundbreaking writers and musicians have repeatedly been tagged with History’s Blue Ribbon prize—acclaim that endures even after death. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Jane Austen, Freddy Mercury, Margaret Mitchell, L. Frank Baum, Stevie Ray Vaughan and J. R. R. Tolkien all have […]

If you’re here, chances are you’re a writer. If you’re a writer having a hard time coming up with fresh ideas, then chances are you’re boxed. Outside of the box are your best concepts, intriguing story solutions and eventually publication. Don’t believe us? Stick around; we’re here to prove you wrong and make you successful.
So […]