Words Fly Up

Books and writing are the core of my life. I edit books, write books, and teach writing. I love this work, and will be happy to provide any editorial or writing service you need.

Why you need an Editor

Why You Need an Editor

Whether you’ve written a five-hundred-page novel or a one-page piece of flash fiction, a professional editor’s review of your work will make it better. With so many stories and books clamoring for attention, you need to present your very best work.

Ready to Take Flight

Why You Need an Editor

There is more to publishing a book than just writing the book. You have to craft a query letter if you want to find an agent or independent publisher; and if you are self-publishing, you will need to consider so much more.

Online, Not Off the Cuff

Why You Need an Editor

Blog posts may seem casual and easy to toss off, and websites may seem to be more about tag words and good graphics than the text. But good writing is never that simple, no matter how effortless it may seem.

Writing Resources

Writers create in solitude, but that doesn’t mean they don’t need outside inspiration and advice, and a supportive community. Here I try to provide some of the former, and offer links to help you find the latter.

My Blog

As a teacher, I love discussing all aspects of writing and how to become a better writer. As a reader, I love talking about books. And as I writer, I love posting in my blog about these topics and anything else that inspires me.

Testimonials

I worked as an editor for major publishing companies in New York from 1981-1998, and have been a freelance editor since 2003. Here is what some of my clients have to say about my services.

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– – – Latest Posts From the Blog – – –

Building Characters

I was reminded in class the other day of a writing exercise that I call Building Characters. The idea came to me from a chapter in a student’s memoir, about a bus trip her family took in Great Britain and Western Europe in the early 1960s. The group was an intriguing collection of characters—starting with […]

“I’m Doing the Best I Can”

For my birthday last year, a friend gave me a book, one that I probably would not have bought for myself because it’s a memoir. I don’t tend to read memoirs. But I loved the title: All the Way to the Tigers. Who wouldn’t be intrigued? And the author’s name rang a bell—Mary Morris. I […]

Revisions

Some writers have told me they dread revisions. They love the initial creation of a work—a poem, essay, short story, novel; that rush of excitement as the ideas flow, as the words pour out effortlessly and they seem to enter an out-of-body state. Revisions aren’t like that. Revisions can mean staring at the screen or […]

Pile of Books

I enjoy making an attractive pile of books as I contemplate which book to read next. This particular pile is comprised of books I got for my birthday last month. Well, all except that big Harry Potter book on the bottom. All of these are books I asked for as gifts. The top one, Draft […]

The Creative Walk

I walk. It’s a defining characteristic, a must-do every day. These are not long walks, they rarely qualify as hikes, but for me a walk is frequently–maybe always–a creative walk. I read this article about walking about a year ago. I nodded in agreement through most of it, but was certainly surprised to learn all […]

Write What You Know

“Write what you know” is one of the more confounding pieces of writerly advice. It can, unfortunately, be interpreted as “write what you have experienced.” I say unfortunately because, for most of us, that would result in deadly dull fiction. I used to complain to my mother about having been raised in white-bread suburbia. Way […]