Warning: This isn't an in-depth, academic poetry analysis full of symbolism and themes. This is a more practical look at what E.E. Cummings' style can teach authors about writing. E.E. Cummings is well known for playing with words, putting them together in unconventional ways. He also used unusual grammar for a wonderful dramatic effect. These … Continue reading What fiction writers can learn from E.E. Cummings
The present tense is a controversial subject among writers. You’ll hear people who love it and people who vow never to read anything written with it. If you write present tense, however, you’re not keeping bad company. Haruki Murakami, John Updike, and Margaret Atwood have all written wonderfully in present tense. They’re not the only … Continue reading Should writers use the present tense?
I’ve often heard people who give writing advice say “don’t write a prologue.” If I were someone qualified to give writing advice, I’d say, “don’t write a bad prologue.” The prologue at the beginning of Patrick Rothfuss’s The Name of the Wind is a beautiful and necessary part of the novel. If The Name of … Continue reading On beginnings: The prologue to The Name of the Wind
Stephen King has some wonderful first lines, that both hook the reader and skillfully capture the essence of the book. There's a lot to be learned from his technique. Here are four of my favorites. The Gunslinger The man in black fled across the desert and the gunslinger followed. This sentence sets up the story’s … Continue reading On Beginnings: Stephen King’s first lines
The beginning of any novel is critically important, and it can be daunting to write one. In this series on beginnings, I’m going to dissect some of my favorite opening lines and passages, and hopefully find some strategies for starting a book. One of the best beginnings I’ve ever read is from The Windup Girl … Continue reading On beginnings: The Windup Girl and constructed chaos
Welcome to the third part of my series of articles on literary agents. Over the last few weeks I've talked about finding literary agents and researching them. Once you've got a few likely names, it's time to write that query. Here is a very basic overview of the six steps to a successful query for your … Continue reading How to write a query in six easy steps
If the ink is dry on the page and your book is ready to step out into the cold, cold world of publishing, you’ll need to consider which publishing path to take. For some paths, a literary agent is a helpful and/or necessary ally. Finding the right literary agent and sending that perfect query is … Continue reading How to find a literary agent
Sarah Kay Moll 