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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.
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Writing Tips

August 2, 2019 By Elizabeth Leave a Comment

Write What You Know

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 too boring to write about that. I would much rather have had the sort … [Read more...]

Filed Under: The Writing Process, Writing Tips

January 17, 2019 By Elizabeth Leave a Comment

What If?

Photo by Kaique Rocha from Pexels What If? is the title of a terrific book on writing by Anne Bernays and Pamela Painter. The book contains plenty of worthwhile advice and prompts, but I love the title alone: What If? Those two words can be the start of numerous inspiring prompts. To give you a real-life example, consider the song “Taxi” by Harry Chapin, the song that launched his successful … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Writing Tips

January 8, 2019 By Elizabeth Leave a Comment

Mostly Agree with Hemingway

While cruising the internet recently, I found this: http://www.openculture.com/2013/02/seven_tips_from_ernest_hemingway_on_how_to_write_fiction.html My thanks to Open Culture for putting together this list and explanations of Hemingway’s advice. I mostly agree with Hemingway. But hey, put ten writers in a room and you’ll get twenty different ideas of the best way to write. So, where do I agree … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Writing Tips

February 10, 2018 By Elizabeth Leave a Comment

Adventures in Research

An oft-repeated piece of advice for writers is “Write what you know.” That advice, strictly followed, could result in boring books. There might be a few experiences in my life, maybe a couple of people I’ve known, that can be fictionalized and sensationalized enough to warrant being the catalyst for a novel. By and large, though, my imagination is sparked by things I don’t know. I often develop a … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Writing Tips

December 19, 2017 By Elizabeth Leave a Comment

Songs That Tell Stories

Back in the day, when I lived in New York in the 1980s, a new singer songwriter was getting a lot of attention—Suzanne Vega. I bought her first album as a cassette tape, and then had to buy it again because I wore out the tape. Eventually I bought the CD, which I found recently when I was reorganizing my music collection. I immediately played it, and aside from being transported back to that other … [Read more...]

Filed Under: Writing Tips

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