Patrick

I was a sophomore at USC (the one in South Carolina, not Southern California) when I took a fiction writing class. I knew that I wanted to write professionally one day, and had already contemplated taking one of those novel...

A novelist friend of mine recently wrote me a letter -- not an E-mail, mind you, but an actual letter...on paper...sent through the postal service!! What a concept!! -- to update me on her novel writing. She says her latest...

Here's one of those online quizzes where the results seem to match what I'm writing...at least this time around. I have a sort of techno-thiller in mind for my second novel. My third idea is more of a suspense/mystery. Maybe...

Tobias Buckell did a great post on advances for first novels. His entire post should be read by all aspiring writers and it's right here.The average advance for a first time novel in the sci-fi/fantasy genre is around $6300. I'd...

John Scalzi, author of "Old Man's War" recently wrote about why he started writing in his blog, "Whatever." After giving the reasons that got him started, he adds:"I suspect I was born with a gift for writing; I don't spend...

This has been floating around Blogland for a week or so...one of those happy little quizzes that we can't resist doing. Those who already have failed to resist its charms will have to forgive me for just having caught up;...

The "Ten Things" thing has been floating around Blogland as well...the premise is to list ten things you've done that most other people probably haven't.I lead a dull life...so I'll do the best I can:1. Gone backstage at "The Price...

In her blog One Writer's Window, Joan Esherick recently discussed a problem writers will face sooner or later: Intent vs. Understanding. In her situation, she wrote a sentence that made reference to "Pollyanna." She assumed that it would be interpreted...

I am often asked why I would want to even try to write a novel, much less go through the painstaking process of building a plot with well-developed characters, organizing the action into a timeline that is hopefully compelling enough...

February Sweeps is down to the final five days, so be sure to watch lots of television between now and Wednesday and keep us promo people employed until May! In any case I'm back with six more questions to entertain...

Let's get at this racism thing another way...Let us assume that a number of women complain that they have been burned while cooking dinner. They complain that the design of a certain brand of stove should be improved to make...

Armand wrote a piece on Hillary Clinton's efforts to re-grant voting rights to felons. This is an issue of particular interest to Democrats, some argue, because a disproportionate number of convicted felons are black males, who often (but not always)...

Here are some pairs of words that are often confused. If you've ever written about someone facing a "nerve-wracking" experience or someone who's gotten his "just desserts," (and I've written both!) then you may be interested in these: AVERT/AVOID -...

February Sweeps is well underway...but I'm taking time from my busy schedule to post another set of questions, and this time before I fall asleep on the couch surrounded by cuddling dogs!! But first... Donna was the first to play...

I had planned to post these at my usual time, but when I got home, one of the first things I did after walking the dogs was to light a fire in the fireplace. Then, I thought, I should sit...

Can't we writers just get along? Apparently not. I was reading a journal called Paperback Writer, which is written by a published novelist with 26 novels under her belt. A new entry complains about a fellow author's blatant propaganda on...