Writing | Writing
Jun.14.2008
This interview was conducted in May for the Maryland Writers' Association Conference.
INTERVIEW WITH THOMAS F. MONTELEONE
1) What was it like when you published your first book and how has the industry changed since then in terms of how authors are getting their books sold, both to publishers...
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Jun.14.2008
Confidence sits in the precarious place between self-doubt and egotism. Having faith in yourself takes work.
Yesterday my daughter called from her college campus. With exams, projects, and juried performances right around the corner, she was understandably stressed. The subtle catch in her voice...
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Jun.12.2008
There are seven reasons why manuscripts are typically rejected by publishers. The first of these is The Hookless Beginning.
1) All writings have a beginning, middle and end. Each of these has a job to do. The job of your beginning is to hook your readers (and that includes editors, who are your...
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Jun.12.2008
Today's is Readerville's 8th birthday -- and I wanted to thank Karen Templer for creating a wonderful writers and readers community online. I joined Readerville about 5 or 6 years ago, a year before the publication of my novel, ON A NIGHT LIKE THIS. At that point in time, I knew very little about...
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Jun.12.2008
I visit wharves and gaze out to sea.
It is a pleasure which took hold of me some ten years ago. I don't know why, for I certainly had experience with oceans and coast long before that. For some things it seems its time just comes.
I prefer small working ports, gritty and smelling of fish and...
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Jun.12.2008
Words. Books. I was looking at my bookshelves the other day, astonished at how much I've read in my life. You'd think I'd be wiser, more intelligent, as peaceful as Buddha reading and rocking in a hammock on a summer's day. When did I fall in love with books? I don't exactly remember, but I...
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Jun.12.2008
Last week I finished a first draft of my second novel. Two days after writing the last line, I turned to the first chapter. I had planned to give the whole draft a rest, but about month or so ago, I read that Joyce Carol Oates writes the last chapter and the first chapter of her works-in-progress...
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Jun.11.2008
It's been a long time since I've blogged here, mainly because I've been writing a book that's due September 1.
I signed a new, two-book deal with NAL/Obsidian for a new mystery series. By writing this new series, I'm violating that tried and true rule of Write What You Know.
The new series features...
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Jun.11.2008
Rejection. The word connotes so many things to so many people. Unrequited love, bad break-ups. Broken hearts, missed opportunities. Unattainable goals. But to a writer, it means only one thing. Someone has decided that your hard work and effort isn’t enough. Ouch. The good news is we’ve all been...
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Jun.10.2008
Today I am stopping by Midlist Writer (Literary Purgatory -- I love that!) to talk about my start as a writer and success at the middle.
The guidebook industry is changing. A lot of travelers carry a general guidebook and one that's more specialized in region or subject. This new niche for...
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