Susan Swan's Blog, page 14
May 14, 2012
A P.S. on Agents Next Week
Sunday Morning Writer’s Blog There is always lots more to be said about agents so I’ll be blogging about them again next Sunday. Check my blog on the long week end for more information. I’m currently out of town.
May 7, 2012
What You Should Know about Agents:
Sunday Morning Writer’s Blog: First of all, most agents are too busy to regularly submit short stories and poetry to magazines on your behalf. They will likely place a piece of fiction or non-fiction for you at the time of your book’s publication, but for the most part, your shorter submissions are your responsibility. And [...]
May 2, 2012
No Sunday Morning Writer’s Blog–Back Again Next Sunday
The Sunday Morning Writer’s Blog will resume next week. Due to dental surgery, I’ve had to cancel this week. Thanks for your patience.
April 25, 2012
Heroines of the Sexual Gothic and Where Do Writers Get their Ideas?
Sunday Morning Writer’s Blog Readers and journalists are forever asking writers, where do you get your ideas from? This is a hard question for writers to answer. Sometimes ideas arrive like the ping of an email dropping into your computer. Other times they develop gradually, like an obsession that gets bigger and bigger the way [...]
How to Write a Cover Letter to an Agent or a Publisher
Sunday Morning Writer’s Blog Cover letters should be short (one page or a page and a half) and to the point. They should shake the agent or publisher awake and make them want to read your book. In other words, write “tight and bright.” Avoid over-writing (flowery or elevated diction, too many adjectives and adverbs) [...]
April 8, 2012
James Wood and the Breezy, Free, Indirect Style
Sunday Morning Writer's Blog I'm still recovering from the news that the publication date for The Western Light has been moved up to August 2012 because my publishers are enthusiastic about the novel. It's what one hopes for and I'm superstitious enough not to want to talk about it. In the meantime, let's look at James [...]
April 2, 2012
In the Voice of the Non-Bleeders
Some Moments of Clarity in the Final Stages: I said I would report back on how I decided to use the present and past tense in the revisions of my new novel, The Western Light, which shares a heroine with The Wives of Bath. The story in my new book is mostly told from the [...]
March 26, 2012
Why I Picketed with the Library Workers
There was something glorious yesterday about feeling the enthusiastic grassroots support for Toronto librarians at our "book-in" in the spring sunshine. About 250 to 300 people showed up carrying their favourite book by a Canadian writer and we're holding them up in the above photograph. Ironically enough, Greg Hollingshead, chair of The Writers' Union of Canada, [...]
March 25, 2012
Susan Swan Pickets with the Toronto Library Workers
There is no Sunday Morning Writer's Blog today because the author is out picketing with the Toronto library workers. The librarians' contract is being renegotiated unfairly by Mayor Rob Ford and his allies. A blog will appear later in the week.
