You’re reading a novel. Great, good, indifferent; in any event, one that provides enough incentive to keep reading. And then you hit the chapter where the author lost track of what he was doing. This is not to be confused with the mere interesting controlled digression, like a red herring character in a murder mystery, […]
Mark Twain, who knew whereof he spoke, wrote that the difference between the right word and the almost-right word is the difference between the lightning and the lightning-bug. This is true, and it’s even more so with dialogue. You can get across what a character would say, and tell your story. Or you can, every […]
Letter enclosed with a signed copy of the first Gustav Gloom novel sent to a young fan who had a slow start reading but was able to claim that book as the first… novel she had ever finished and loved. Dear ___________: Your teacher has told me that you loved the first Gustav Gloom book […]
