Writing Tips

Ten years ago today, on the 40th anniversary of Sandra ...

Finding a good literary agent - which is generally the ...

I am working through plotting issues myself and returned to ...

No Social Distancing Required for Fictional Friends Like many now, I'm ...

So much great news to share on my forthcoming novel, ...

The two books that made me dream of becoming a ...

I'm in Paris, working on a new novel, and just ...

It’s a rainy evening in Paris, just minutes before the ...

Just one more day for a prepublication copy of my ...

In celebration of Nanowrimo, I'm rerunning some of my favorite ...

For NanoWriMo month, I'm going to repost some of my ...

Pencil, from the Latin penicillus, meaning "little tail." Little tail? Not ...

I know -- and use -- Wikipedia on a pretty ...

On this day 100 years ago, 18-year-old Ernest Hemingway (yes, ...

I was saddened to hear the news last night that ...

Last year I started an effort to share a quote ...

I'm delighted to have as my guest this week Jennifer ...

Another bit of great writing advice from John Steinbeck: ...

This won't be an all-Steinbeck-all-the-time month, but I did find ...

Today is the first day of NANOWRIMO, wherein some crazy ...

Today marks the anniversary of the publication in 1940 of ...

Nobel- and Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Toni Morrison's novels include The ...

My guest today, Anne Michaud, is a veteran political journalist ...

For the first day of fall, from Nora Ephron: Don't you ...

Continuing to play catch up on my year of quotes ...

A great one from Nora Ephron, on the occasion of ...

Today's guest author, Ethel Rohan, has just released her third ...

If you've heard me speak, you might know this is ...

Well, it's been a tough couple months and I've fallen ...

Harper Lee would have been 91 today. Seems a good ...

Again, the amazing Nora Ephron, this one from "When Harry ...

If you don't know The Loft, it's an amazing resource ...

Today's quote, just because I like it: Writing is a process, ...

Last but not least at the luncheon table last week ...

I recently participated in Aaron Sorkin's online screenwriting master class, ...

I was blown away when Lalita Tademy, author of the ...

Well if today's quote, from the third side of my ...

Since I started this series, which I might call "Ladies ...

Today's quote, from Peggy Orenstein, will complete the first side ...

Another quote from a lunch companion: In the great design of ...

Happy St. Patty's Day! In honor of my Irish roots ...

I had the loveliest lunch yesterday, a gathering of nine ...

I'm looking forward to lunch today with some terrific authors ...

Horton Foote, American author, playwright and screenwriter, was born 101 ...

Today's quote, from the amazing Anna Quindlen: Books are the plane, and ...

I love this quote from Harper Lee:   I never expected any ...

One of my all-time favorite books is To Kill a ...

Today's quote, on reading, from Jane Austen: I declare after all ...

Today's quote, from Jane Smiley's Thirteen Ways of Looking at ...

It's International Women's Day today -- a celebration that we ...

My only advice is to stay aware, listen carefully, and ...

Our finger prints don't fade from the lives we touch."- ...

My last post in celebration of the Supreme Court upholding ...

Celebrating the 95th anniversary of the Supreme Court declaring the ...

Celebrating the 95th anniversary of the Supreme Court declaring the ...

Celebrating the 95th anniversary of the Supreme Court declaring the ...

My dear friend Harriet Scott Chessman's new novel, The Lost ...

Celebrating the 95th anniversary of the Supreme Court declaring the ...

Celebrating the 95th anniversary of the Supreme Court declaring the ...

Ninety-five years ago today, the Supreme Court unanimously declared the ...

Offering this one today, with an alternative: You have to write ...

I so loved the movie Hidden Figures that I am ...

Today's quote, from Elizabeth Strout's lovely Abide with Me. I suspect ...

I've just started reading Christina Baker Kline's brand new novel, ...

Today's quote: Writing is a job, a talent, but it's also ...

Celebrating Anäis Nin's birthday with one of my favorite quotes ...

Today's quote comes from my friend Ann Packer's latest novel, ...

Not sure what started me on this Emily Dickinson kick, ...

Today is Toni Morrison's birthday. In presenting her the Medal ...

Closing out the work week with great writing and life ...

Certainly the most poetic writing advice I know of, from ...

Did you know Emily Dickinson wrote her poetry on scraps ...

If you haven't read Nicole Krauss's The History of Love, ...

More on the love theme for Valentine's Day, this time ...

Looking forward to Valentine's Day Tuesday, how about a love ...

I expect I could fill a whole year of quotes ...

More writing wisdom from Sylvia Plath today: “Some things are hard ...

For many years, I kept my rejection slips, although I ...

  “I write only because There is a voice within me That will ...

“Perhaps some day I'll crawl back home, beaten, defeated. But ...

Fair warning: I'm a Sylvia Plath fan and have been ...

From Virginia Woolf: Lock up your libraries if you like; but ...

I'm offering today's quote, from one of the contemporary writers ...

As it's Gertrude Stein's birthday today -- her 143rd -- ...

Today's quote, from Margaret Atwood, seems as important these days ...

My guest today is debut novelist Abby Fabiaschi, author of ...

More Wisdom from Nora Ephron, from her commencement address to ...

Closing out January with a last quote from Anne Frank: Again, ...

Today's quote, again from Anne Frank: Again, if you haven't done ...

Staying with the Anne Frank theme today, an important voice ...

I wrote this post on Facebook yesterday, which was International ...

Day #5 of writing in earnest, and a little humor ...

Day #4 of writing in earnest, and here is a ...

Day #3 of writing in earnest, and I'm offering a ...

Day #2 of writing in earnest: Make up a story... For ...

I'm buckling down to write in earnest this week, so ...

Love this quote and what it says about the term ...

I thought a quote from a literary great about women's ...

Another from my fave, Eleanor Roosevelt, whose "My Day" column ...

Today's, from Toni Morrison, for those of who, like me, ...

I do hope that as you enjoy this quote you ...

Staying on the dream theme for another day here: The size ...

We have a tradition at our house of spending a ...

For the second post of this Maya Angelou weekend ... There ...

To kick off a Maya Angelou weekend ... did you ...

Call this a J.K. Rowling 3-fer, which yes, may have ...

One of my 59 new things I'm trying to do ...

And on a J.K. Rowling streak to match my Jane ...

Today's quote, from Harry Potter fans: It is our choices ... ...

Keeping with the reading theme here for a few days, ...

On this day when I know it is snowy and ...

Today, even though I featured her here yesterday ... because ...

And of course I would be remiss if I closed ...

Today, wisdom from French writer Simone de Beauvoir: Change your life ...

Today's quote -- with an image! -- from American novelist ...

Today's quote comes from Nora Ephron, author of I Fell ...

Today's quote, from Erica Jong, author of a number of ...

Today's quote is from Malala Yousafzai, who was shot in ...

Today is both the 1st day of the new year, ...

I'm just back from the most amazing weekend, hanging out ...

Lucy Jane Bledsoe is the author of the just-released A ...

Handwritten Draft of The Great Gatsby "My spelling is Wobbly. ...

Ann Douglas is the author of numerous books about parenting, ...

I thought those of you writing crime fiction might like ...

One of my favorite writing books is John Garner's The ...

Micah Perks won an NEA grant and The New Guard ...

This week's 1 Thing Thursday: Consider entering a contest! I finally ...

Ruth Whippman is a British journalist, author and documentary film-maker ...

I'm delighted to kick off a new 1st Books feature--3 ...

This week's 1 Thing Thursday asks the question: How Long ...

Constance Hale is a San Francisco–based journalist probably best known ...

For today's 1 Thing Thursday, I offer you a charmingly ...

I love this post by this week's guest author, Aya ...

I decided when I was traveling to add what I ...

Since today is the 71st anniversary of the End of ...

My guest today, Marian Palaia, is a San Francisco (and ...

What makes people follow, favorite, click, and retweet? This post again ...

For her latest novel, The Things We Wish Were True, ...

When I first started this blog, I wrote a post (run ...

Did you know that Sunday mornings from mid-September through June, ...

For Memorial Day, five quotes from great writers about the ...

  Harper Books, which published my latest novel, has had it ...

I've been crazy busy lately, and sadly remiss about hosting ...

I've collected a few nice Irish quotes -- and two ...

I woke this morning to the news that Pat Conroy ...

To put you in a literary Valentine's Day Mood, 8 ...

Twice in the last week I've done what I used ...

May I recommend this interview -- Pulitzer-Prize winner Elizabeth Strout ...

Elizabeth Strout's new novel, My Name is Lucy Barton, returns ...

The best way I know of the celebrate the holidays ...

Writing can be a hard business, but like everything these ...

On this day in 1900, Henry James first wrote to ...

"A word after a word after a word is power." ...

Karma Brown is an award-winning journalist and freelance writer whose first ...

I'm so delighted today to be back at the 1st ...

I'm still touring -- in Minneapolis and Chicago this coming ...

Lisa Brackmann is the critically acclaimed author of the Ellie ...

Amy Reichert's debut novel, The Coincidence of Coconut Cake, was ...

Writer Wins Love Lottery Because this is a writing blog, there ...

This is how a literary friendship begins: on a train ...

Lucky all of us who love great fiction: a new ...

In celebration of Father's Day... You may think you have the ...

(Or, how I spent my Sunday night on a virtual ...

Lori Nelson Spielman''s debut, The Life List, became a #1 ...

Match the Amazon 1 Star Reviews to the Classic Books ...

Laura Nicole Diamond's debut novel, Shelter Us, is just out, ...

Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke write novels. Together. And they ...

10 Writing Tips from the Writing Masters: “Above all, a well-imagined ...

I'm celebrating the 7th anniversary of 1st Books this week ...

Bestseller Meg Donohue has a new novel, Dog Crazy, just out, ...

What makes people follow, favorite, click, and retweet? This post updates ...

I'm so delighted today to host fellow Marly Rusoff author ...

 Andrea Lochen's second novel, Imaginary Things, is just out from Astor + ...

When you want to write but aren't sure how to ...

My guest this week, Christine Breen hails from Kiltumper, Ireland, ...

Fitzgerald never lived to see The Great Gatsby acknowledged as ...

Barbara Stark-Nemon's debut novel, Even in Darkness, has been called ...

Bookworks in Pacific Grove CA When Mac and I first ...

The truth is the combination of dazzling on the page ...

Did you know April is National Poetry Month? The Academy of American ...

Anita Hughes's fourth and fifth novels are both coming out ...

I'm so delighted today to host one of the most ...

In case you need some good old Irish inspiration to ...

I am so incredibly delighted to host my dear dear ...

I have a two guests this week, so I'm doing ...

Tomorrow is International Women's Day, and yes, I can't resist ...

Cara Black is the New York Times and USA Today ...

Under her real name, Lynn Carthage was a Bram Stoker ...

Greer Macallister is a poet, short story writer, playwright and ...

Tatjana Soli guest posted here when her first novel, The ...

Those of you who frequent this blog know that my ...

One of the dearest and most generous writers I know, ...

Heavens to Betsy! I don't often like to talk about ...

Sandra Gulland's fifth novel, The Shadow Queen, is out in paperback, ...

Unless you're an editor willing to wrap up a book ...

I had the great fortune to read a galley for Ann ...

Elizabeth Enslin is a Stanford Ph.D who has done research in ...

Diane Drake, my teacher for an online screenwriting course I'm ...

My guest author today is my friend and fellow Bay ...

the books aren't shelved alphabetically, but the booksellers can find ...

Désirée Zamorano's novel The Amado Women is just out from ...

Liz Rosner has not one but two books coming out now ...

Delighted to host Elena Mauli Shapiro, who first appeared here ...

I always love hosting debut novelists here, and ones who ...

Debut novelist Shelly King is a Silicon Valley social media strategist ...

If you think you have an excuse not to write, ...

A Pinch of Ooh La La by Renee Swindle just released ...

It's not just about the running. I've been a runner since ...

I am SO delighted to host my SheWrites.com pal, Cassandra ...

Robin Black’s debut novel, Life Drawing, is an Indie Next pick for ...

Ellen Sussman - my longtime writer-pal (since before either of ...

No guest today. Just me, since it's my paperback publication ...

Tracy Guzeman guest posted here when her debut novel, The Gravity ...

Julia Fierro is the author of Cutting Teeth, which was ...

This week's guest authors, Liz Fenton and Lisa Steinke, have ...

The 2014 Bailey Prize winner (formerly the Orange Prize) for ...

April is National Poetry Month, and today -- the one ...

Kelly O’Connor McNees guest posted here when her first novel, ...

Beatrix Potter's Moss Eccles Tarn, Near Sawrey, England Can you ...

Harpers calls Katie Hafner’s sixth book, Mother Daughter Me, “an ...

Sandra Gulland's fifth novel, The Shadow Queen, "will remind readers ...

Eva Stachniak is, I'm pretty sure, my first guest author ...

My very dear friend M.J. Rose has a new novel, ...

Amy Tan calls the just-released memoir of today's guest, Jenny ...

Cara Black, the New York Times bestselling author of the ...

When Cathy Marie Buchanan asked if I’d read her new novel, The Painted ...

My guest author this week, Elizabeth Scarboro, is the author ...

I'm just delighted to host Ariel Lawhon, whose debut novel, ...

Happy New Year, everyone! I'm kicking off 2014 with a ...

When my husband and I first got married and his ...

  1st Books will be back in 2014! Enjoy the holidays! ...

I'm ever curious how the New York Times editors' book taste ...

an amazing Colorado indie now at the airport, in case ...

Unless you're an editor willing to wrap up a book ...

I first hosted New York Times bestselling author Allison Winn Scotch’s on 1st ...

After I read in the New York Times that The ...

I am so delighted to host Harriet Scott Chessman on the occasion ...

Today's guest author, Sara J. Henry, is a LONGtime friend. We were ...

I'm delighted to be hosting my friend Ellen Kirschman, a ...

The House Girl author Tara Conklin did a wonderful post here about the ...

Tatjana Soli guest posted here when her first novel, The Lotus Eaters released. ...

To celebrate the paperback publication of Dan Chaon's story collection Stay ...

My guest this week, Kathleen McCleary, is a journalist and ...

I had the great fortune to get to read Ann ...

On this autumnal equinox - the perfect balance of day ...

Early in my writing career, I had the incredible good ...

Agatha Christie was born 123 years ago today--an old bird ...

Just in case you haven't heard, Jamie Ford has a ...

I'm delighted to welcome Nick Taylor back to 1st Books. ...

My guest this week, Constance Hale, wrote "probably the hippest ...

I heard on NPR this morning that Elmore Leonard passed ...

My guest this week is the wonderful mystery writer and ...

I had the absolute delight of introducing the absolutely delightful ...

A cool bookstore--in so many ways! I was just on tour ...

I grew up reading Agatha Christie, and mysteries remain my ...

Willoughby cutting a lock of Marianne's hair before they ...

Warwick's knows books, and luncheon menus, too! When I was told ...

No guest today. Just me, since it's my publication week! ...

Sign marking the Coffin Route in the English Lakes Wordsworth ...

It's always a pleasure to host debut authors on 1st ...

"The fells are never twice alike." – Beatrix Potter, from ...

Nina Schuyler's first novel, The Painting, was nominated for the ...

Today's guest author, Leslie Lehr, is the author of the ...

"Some of the walls were four feet thick, and there ...

I first connected with Sally Koslow when I was asked to read ...

Just a few of my favorite literary quotes about fathers, ...

If you don't know where the English Lakes are, pull ...

This week's 1st Books guest, Marybeth Whalen, is the author of ...

...

When I first met Sarah Jio - at the Pulpwood Queens ...

I know, I know. Caramel. Crunch. Or maybe it's the ...

I first "met" today's guest author, Amy Sue Nathan, when ...

an old-style bookstore with as many books as will fit, ...

Joan Steinau Lester's second novel, Mama's Child released yesterday. Alice ...

So much good news to smush in to one post, ...

The New York Times Modern Love column had already turned ...

On this last day of National Poetry Month, I'm keeping ...

Book Passage at the Ferry Building If you're in the ...

Having only recently learned to size my Timeline photos 403x403 ...

Allie Larkin is the internationally bestselling author of the novel ...

Poet Joan Gelfand is chipping in for the 1st Books ...

Rydal Water, where Wordsworth walked and wrote Can I resist ...

Of the many wonderful moments in National Poetry month, my ...

Elizabeth Benedict is the author of five novels, including the bestseller ...

Mary Mackey and I belong to a San Francisco Bay ...

I'm delighted today to host Caroline Paul, whose Lost Cat ...

Elizabeth Block is a poets who has also received national ...

My fellow 85 Broad, Shannon Huffman Polson, has a first ...

It's April, National poetry month, and I'm delighted to have ...

What are you doing to celebrate National Poetry Month? I subscribe ...

I've been using social media interfacing software for some time ...

Barbara Walters broke the glass so many times in her ...

I could not be more delighted to be hosting Ellen ...

Nichole Bernier's fabulous The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D - ...

great fiction at the front of the store, and terrific ...

I've just added The Company of Writers by Hilma Wolitzer to ...

Monica Wesolowska's first book, Holding Silvan, was decades in the ...

If you want to be a writer, or any kind ...

What makes people follow, favorite, click, and retweet? And does ...

To take a slightly different slant on the famous Virginia ...

Since there is no way that I know of to ...

6 fabulous stores in Sonoma and Napa countiesHave you been ...

Several times over the course of the San Francisco Writers ...

The Murderer's Daughters author, Randy Sue Meyers, has a new ...

A box of the early reader copies of The Wednesday ...

I read a poem last night that was both lovely ...

Do you have a favorite quote about love? Or one ...

This week's guest author, Julie Kibler, began writing Calling Me ...

my bookstore the summer I became a fanatic readerI just ...

I did a panel on writing dialogue at the San ...

There are so many reasons I am absolutely delighted to ...

I sent a tweet to my friend Caroline Leavitt yesterday ...

The Wednesday Daughters galley pages have arrived! Is there a nicer ...

Two wonderful authors who've posted in the past for me, ...

This little heart I was so proud of Friday garnered ...

A friend who is heading for a writers' conference next ...

This week, I'm rerunning two previous posts, one to celebrate ...

In case you haven't been watching, the ALA awarded the ...

Earlier this year, when Cathy Marie Buchanan asked if I'd ...

I met Leah Stewart at the Sewanee Writers Conference years ...

An easy to-do for anyone with a personal facebook page ...

I recently posted on my Huffington Post blog a Twitterature ...

I'm SO delighted to host Melanie Benjamin this week - ...

I stumbled across a piece on the Andrew Lownie Literary ...

Last year, when I read Courtney Sullivan's take on An ...

I'm delighted to host as my first guest author of ...

Nice people with common sense do not make interesting characters; ...

he essential impulse in working is to allow what ...

...

Fire and Ice by Robert Frost Some say the world will end ...

As I am deep in the details of the grammar ...

Want to enter the comma lottery? I just got exactly what ...

Where is human nature so weak as in the bookstore?” ...

What is straight? A line can be straight, or a ...

The Random House Publishing Group (my happy literary home!) just ...

the true story of the flood If you're looking for signed ...

How sad that this wonderful book image, which I found ...

Who knew Cape Cod had so many great bookstores and ...

Growing up, I was never a big fan of dressing, ...

Tara Ison is the author of the novels A Child ...

Today (horray!) is the publication date for My Bookstore: Writers ...

Maybe it's just that I'm waiting for copyedits on The ...

Today's guest author, Linda Herman, is the author of Parents ...

Because this election is so important for the economy, women's ...

When my editor asked if I had any ideas for ...

Juliette Fay’s Shelter Me was a 2009 Massachusetts Book Award “Book of ...

I'm in that wonderful place for a writer: between reviews. ...

The San Jose Mercury News calls Indian Voices: Listening to ...

Just got an email about Lit Camp, the Bay Area's ...

I was just about to tweet the E.B. White quote ...

Have you discovered Wordle.net yet? It's a site that will make ...

Charming suburban Chicago bookstore with smart booksellers and great events When ...

Kelly O’Connor McNees guest posted here when her first novel, ...

I like to have a Martini, two at the very ...

You're still here? Hey, why don't you go read a ...

My teenaged bookstore I have a sentimental attachment to The Book ...

Debra Dean’s bestselling debut novel, The Madonnas of Leningrad was ...

Today kicks off National Breast Cancer Awareness month, and as ...

Today is the first day of Banned Books Week, and ...

I'd love to get lost in this very cool book ...

I met Victoria Brown at the fabulous Christamore House Guild ...

A new bookstore in my old home town My best writer-pal, ...

Does it get tastier than this? Well, maybe if there ...

From the Harper Voyager Website:For the first time in over ...

Karen Brown's Pins and Needles received AWP’s Grace Paley Prize for Short ...

I came across the very funny "How to Chat Up ...

David Abrams' debut novel, Fobbit, is one of the most ...

Tatjana Soli guest posted here when her first novel, The ...

Today's friday fun comes from Seòras' photostream on Fickr, which ...

a book store with exceptional warmth and charm Kristina McMorris, author ...

My long-time friend Rayme Waters has just published her debut ...

"If you can't stand your own company alone in a ...

an indie store on Harvard Square We're headed to the east ...

A former indie bookseller, The Map of Lost Memories author ...

And if so, what? I'm glad to see I'm not ...

my son's favorite hangout When I visited Cambridge, Massachusettes this February ...

This wonderful sheet is a collaborative art project done by ...

My baby brother, who lives in Berlin, Germany most of ...

This week's guest, Seattle novelist Heather Barbieri, has published Snow ...

Four years ago this month and just a couple weeks ...

To borrow from the good Dr. S: Congratulations! Today is your day. You're ...

To celebrate the paperback publication of Silver Sparrow by my ...

I came across this lovely bit in Nancy Pearl's Book ...

I've known Thaisa Frank since about the time my first ...

warm and cozy, with walls and tables filled with books, ...

I was just asked, for the I-don't-know-how-many-eth time, how I ...

How unlucky can a day be when it inspires words ...

Katharine Britton was by one measure fifty years to getting ...

better than a winery tour, and at author events you ...

An email from a reader this morning reminded me of ...

a little bookstore with an amazing selection, and even more ...

These tights singlehandedly inspired me to start a new occasional ...

My dear friend and guest author this week, Catherine Brady, ...

"Grocery Stories" Perhaps the only place more special than a good ...

Do you want to hear how it works from the ...

I met Claire McMillan through Twitter, in part because we ...

I'm not generally a big fan of writing contests with ...

I first connected with Sally Koslow when I was asked ...

Joshua Henkin wanted to be a fiction writer when he ...

One really stressful prospect for authors is that we will ...

President Obama, in presenting the Medal of Freedom to Toni ...

Last year I had the pleasure of hosting debut novelist ...

I just heard that fellow WOMBAtista, Rock Bottom Remainderer, writer, ...

Today's guest author, Sandra Feder, has just published the chapter ...

Because I'm a book person who loves film (even though ...

Before writing her debut novel, Prosper in Love, Deborah Michel ...

Of the many wonderful moments in National Poetry month, my ...

Lynda Rutledge's path to publishing Faith Bass Darling's Last Garage Sale - ...

I first connected with Andi Buchanan on Readerville.com years ago, ...

where Anais Nin, Henry Miller, James Baldwin, and Ernest Hemingway ...

Since April is National Poetry Month, I've been looking around ...

How friendly are you, really? Do you have enough followers ...

I met Carolina De Robertis at a book club mixer ...

M.J. Rose - whom I've known since before my first novel ...

Cara Black's twelfth Aimée Leduc mystery, Murder at the Lanterne ...

I came across a delightful interview of Garrison Keillor today. ...

This week's guest author, Maria Espinosa, is the author of ...

I read the most extraordinary poem yesterday, "what you'd find ...

Randy Sue Meyers is an online writer-pal, and author of ...

It's the dirty little secret none of us likes to ...

Sara Gruen calls this week's guest author, Alex George "a ...

Have you read Eleanor Brown's The Weird Sisters yet? She's ...

Dickens Quotes for Writers, on the Occasion of his 200th ...

I came across a great Wall Street Journal piece on ...

Sarah Pinneo celebrates the publication of her debut novel, Julia's ...

Terry McMillan calls this week's guest author, Meredith Maran, "a ...

The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award Contest is open for submissions through ...

Edith Wharton, the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize ...

“A word after a word after a word is power.” - ...

"You start into it, inflamed by an idea, full of ...

Years ago I was a finalist for the Barbara Kingsolver-founded ...

...

Before I started writing, I imagined published writers were folks ...

On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love gave ...

My dear friend Julia Flynn Siler was my second guest ...

Was it Baudelaire who said, "Always be a poet, even ...

Which writing friends are you particularly thankful for this Thanksgiving? For ...

Todays guest author, Tamar Cohen, comes from London, and is ...