R. Michael Phillips's Blog, page 6

Have you hugged an editor lately?

It takes talent, patience and a skilled editor to make a good book great. This is a friendly reminder in an age of POD and the "you can't get it out there fast enough" attitude. Don't let the enthusiasm to see your name in print allow you to sidestep these three elements. Getting it out there fast might satisfy your ego, but the last time I checked, egos don't buy books.

Here you are, two years of your life spent compiling the pages of your first novel. Think about all the research...

The Story Behind The Art

I'm an artist by trade and the urge to write came quite by surprise. I've dabbled in it a bit before but nothing as monumental as writing a mystery novel. Writing, I found, and very much to my surprise, was just painting with words. With a brush I can gently stroke indigo blue or vermilion onto a canvas to shadow a face in remorse. The same can be said of the words I brush across a page to project that same face, slowly drawn down into the collar of a borrowed, wool coat that was shiny from...

Reading between the lines.

Just a quick thought on those meanings behind the words. Writers take up pen and write for many reasons. In the same respect, readers pick up books and read with the same ideas in mind. Some to get a better insight on a person or event, some to escape the the realities of life and others purely for relaxation or entertainment. I read to relax and broaden my knowledge, which includes the subtle, sometimes hidden agenda found in some works of fiction. When you read between the lines you will fi...

Write what you'll know about tomorrow.

I was participating in a conversation recently about motivating young adults to write. Someone mentioned when they address young writers on this subject they suggest they only take on subjects they know, and not venture into unfamiliar waters; siting the fear of discouragement as the reason. I was quite surprised at this, especially coming from an author. My argument was that a young writer should never limit themselves to only what they know. The whole idea seemed preposterous to me. How...