Advice for Writers—Eat Your Writing Peas!

by Crystal Bowman

Like many children, I was a picky eater and I especially hated peas. My mother told me to eat my peas because they were good for me. The only way I could tolerate them was to push them into a roll and eat the roll. 

At a recent writers’ conference I was meeting one-on-one with an aspiring young writer. As I gave her advice based on my years of experience, I realized that many of my words began with the letter P. She noticed it too and we laughed. As we ended our meeting, I said, “Eat your peas!”

Is 'Write What You Know' Really Good Advice?

by Henry McLaughlin @RiverBendSagas

“Write what you know” is a piece of advice that just about every aspiring writer has heard. At first glance, it sounds really wise and profound. Until we try to apply it.  If we adhered to this maxim, very little would get written that would be worth reading. Because, when we get right down to it, we don’t know very much.

A much better way to put it is to know what you write, but even this doesn’t go far enough.

What Goes into Choosing a Book Title?

by Warren Adler @WarrenAdler

You can’t judge a book by its title.

You’ve heard the saying forever, mostly in reference to book covers. But the real issue concerns the title that cleverly describes the contents that lie within the covers.

  

To be authentic it must have the ring of truth, but the ring should be so piercing and articulate that it makes a serious reader take notice.