Musings from the Pipeline with Jan Fix ~~I'm always looking for it. That one writing tip that will stick with me like glue, send me over the top to the finish line. My least favorite tips but most often heard: Write for 20 minutes every morning. Commit to 500 words a day. Cut something out of your life to make time to write. I don't know about you, but the regimens don't work for me. I must be inspired, moved, and...
Musings from the Pipeline - wordshaper Jan Fix (and an offer . . . read on) Today, Mother's Day, I wish to officially announce a project for which I am deeply committed, as if it were a child of my own, in fact. I have adopted a book, with the author's blessing of course, and couldn't be more passionate about this "baby." I have chosen to represent this book alongside the author Alva Harris for a number of passionate reasons. Born...
~~ Musings from The Pipeline by Jan Fix ~~ I met Alva Harris as a freelance editor through his ex-publishing company. I guess it's been almost a year now, and I continue to be enraptured by his charming character. From New Bern, NC, where all great authors seem to blossom (think Kenneth Capps, Sharon Phennah, and Nicholas Sparks), Alva Harris is a fine wine to be savored, as is his book Born on a Buzzard's Stump. I wrote the following blog on...
~~ By Editor Janet Fix ~~ A Pipeline Contribution I recently started this: http://nogoofs.blogspot.com/, a CONVERSATION CUBBY for editors and authors, in hopes to increase awareness of the needs of each other. In my current interactions in the industry, I see self-publishing taking a step back slightly and, instead, responsibility in writing taking a step forward. The inevitable bond that must take place between a professional editor and an author (new or not), I suspect, will contain many important elements for ultimate...
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Musings from The Pipeline by wordshaper Janet Fix ~~ I often vacillate between about the importance -- or unimportance -- of backstory in a novel, how much detail is too much or too little. Obviously it differs between books, but in general it is a greater challenge to exclude backstory or to offer the details more creatively than an "explanation dump." I'm curious to hear your thoughts on this subject. Do you find backstory a challenge one way or the other, and...
~~by Editor Jan (Part 2 in the "Guts" blog) Authors: Demand a reciprocity of your passion! Surround yourself with professionals who match your intensity for each written word in your manuscript; who look at things from new angles and will share those with you, respectfully and with good humor; and who enjoy the new flavors of innovation. This doesn’t have to be expensive, mysterious, or time-consuming. Be relentless and demanding in your selection of creative people who can assist you not just in...
