Are you excited to wake up every morning and hear the news? Do you believe all is right with the world, everything is on track, and we are all one big happy family? [Rhetorical questions.] As an antidote, I thought I'd share some entertainment. No politics, musing about the world of book publishing, or existential... Continue Reading →
Doggy essence hinders novel’s progress
You can’t teach an old dog new tricks. Nature trumps nurture. [Insert cliche of your choice here.] You get the idea: it’s difficult if not impossible to change your beliefs, attitudes, temperament, essence, and—most significantly—your actions. That doesn’t stop humans from trying. Billions go into self-help and self-improvement every year. Many of these dollars produce... Continue Reading →
Stacked—or, the reader’s dilemma
No, I don't mean that kind of stacked. (Perhaps you have grown accustomed to following the The Write Transition and now expect all writing blogs to effortlessly---and humorously---combine discussion of bodily functions and body parts with writing wisdom.) I'm talking about a stack that rises on the nightstand to a ridiculous height. Okay, maybe we... Continue Reading →
Everything I know about writing I learned from watching TV
[If you're here just for the ROW80 update, skip to the bottom. Otherwise, enjoy.] "Everything I know about writing I learned from watching TV." This may sound odd coming from someone who watched very little TV as a child. (Really. Walt Disney's Wonderful World of Color was it.) Nor is the statement 100% true. I... Continue Reading →
Get out the flak jacket, here come the big guns
I first wrote this post over the weekend, in, shall we say, the heat of the moment. I went back to it several times to make sure that it was more than just the cri de couer of a wounded author. After several edits, I think I have turned it into something reflective rather than... Continue Reading →
AUDREY KALMAN 