Five Writing Truths That Should Be Obvious but Aren't... And a Happy New Year!

<!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cochin; panose-1:2 0 6 3 2 0 0 2 0 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Cochin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cochin; mso-bidi-font-family:Cochin;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-page-numbers:1; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </style> <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ljlmdow86nM..." imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="108" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Ljlmdow86nM..." width="200" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 150%;"> Hope everyone had<span style="font-size: small;"> (or </span>is having) a good holiday break. The new year is just a few days away and, as I look ahead, I realize I’ll soon cease to be a debut novelist—the publication of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Time-Incide... Far Time Incident</a> is just around the corner (early April, more than three months from now, <i>is</i>considered just around the corner in the world of publishing.) I’ve learned many practical things since <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Regarding-Ducks... Ducks and Universes</a> came out, like where to order business cards (I like <a href="http://us.moo.com/products/business-c...) and how to make a p...</span></span></span></div><!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cochin; panose-1:2 0 6 3 2 0 0 2 0 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; mso-layout-grid-align:none; text-autospace:none; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Cochin; mso-fareast-font-family:Cochin; mso-bidi-font-family:Cochin;} a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed {mso-style-noshow:yes; color:purple; text-decoration:underline; text-underline:single;} @page Section1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-page-numbers:1; mso-paper-source:0;} div.Section1 {page:Section1;} </style></style>