Writing can be a hard business, but like everything these days, the techy types who may or may not write are here with tools to help us out. Here are three …
Dear Mrs. Wharton, Dear Mr. James – a literary Friendship
On this day in 1900, Henry James first wrote to Edith Wharton, who had been angling to meet him since 1887, when she was a shy 25-year-old. He was moved to …
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In case you want to be jealous…
"A word after a word after a word is power." - Margaret Atwood, from "Spelling" In case you want to be jealous... You know those literary idols you're afraid to …
Signed Copies of Nightingale, Circling the Sun, and The Race for Paris for the asking!
I'm still touring -- in Minneapolis and Chicago this coming week -- but 1st Books will be back in action in just a few weeks. In the meantime, I've gotten …
5 Tips for Any Writing Career
Lisa Brackmann is the critically acclaimed author of the Ellie McEnroe four novels, including Dragon Day--in bookstores August 18. Booklist, in a starred …
Ain’t Nothing Like Him Nowhere
Writer Wins Love Lottery Because this is a writing blog, there is a writing angle here—perhaps the most important writing advice I can give anyone—but it's …
Booker Prize Finalist and PEN/Faulkner winner Karen Joy Fowler on Beginning to Write
Lucky all of us who love great fiction: a new edition of Karen Joy Fowler's Black Glass was released yesterday! This terrific short story collection won the …
5 Fabulous Literary Fathers, in Their Own Words
In celebration of Father's Day... You may think you have the best real dad in the world (I certainly do!), but I've pulled together some fictional contenders to …
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What Makes a Great Book Review, in 18 Words
(Or, how I spent my Sunday night on a virtual tour of the New York Times Book Review) I spent some time Sunday night watching a Book TV piece on the New York …
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A 6-Book Quiz: Match the Amazon 1 Star Reviews to the Classic Books they Describe
Match the Amazon 1 Star Reviews to the Classic Books they Describe Can you match the actual 1-star Amazon reviews with the books they were posted for? The …
