Books as Structural Support
Today’s value-minded consumer wants products that exceed expectations. It isn’t enough that the television has a good picture. No, the TV also has to throw off some colored glow onto the surrounding wall. It isn’t enough that the GPS device shows the shortest route to Tifton, GA. No, the gadget also has to tell you…
continue readingUnderrated Writers
Syntax of Things continues to spread the word with the 2006 Underrated Writers List. This year, a number of litbloggers contributed their thoughts on 66 writers who deserve more attention. So while you’re completing last minute Christmas shopping, check out this list before you hit the bookstore. Do the guys on the usual “best of” lists really…
continue readingStill More on Hooks
A few days ago, I mentioned Miss Snark’s advice on crafting a great hook. Well now, she’s back with a hook-o-meter designed to offer criticism on hundreds of aspiring hooks. Looks like she’s up to #160 of reader-submitted hooks. As always, the Snarkalicious One offers succinct criticism and instruction.
continue readingHow’s This for Determination?
There is a fantastic quote in the January 2007 issue of Playboy that reveals the determination of a young aspiring author. In the On the Scene section of the magazine, the quote reads, “As things stand now,” a 21-year-old Hunter S. Thompson wrote in June 1959, “I am going to be a writer. I’m not…
continue readingAn Amazing Collection
The Washington Post reports: “Working entirely on her own, spending her librarian’s salary and later her Social Security checks, Mayme Clayton amassed one of the finest collections of African American history in the world — and stored it in her garage.” This amazing article explains, “By the time she died in October, at age 83…
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