Word for Words Blog for Writers

Prong, pavé, channel, bezel — how a diamond is set makes all the difference. It’s the same with the setting of a story. A setting isn’t ther...

A physician friend says the most powerful sense is the sense of smell. I’m not sure whether he’s right. I’ve heard that for women auditory i...

When I read for pleasure I usually choose mysteries, well-written stories like Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael mysteries, which are set in Eng...

Over the weekend I met with a local author who reminded me that creating deadlines is key to progress. I’m working on a new novel and had al...

The short answer is, don’t do it. I just got back from the Solstice Summer Writers’ Conference in Massachusetts, and boy did it help me get ...

I just read Life of Pi and found it interesting on many levels, not the least of which is the two-story concept—if you don't like how o...

This has been a tough week, as weeks go, with deadlines and drama at every turn, and I continually found myself thinking — oh, that I had th...

I have a wonderful book called Flannery O'Connor, Images of Grace that never fails to encourage. It's clear that O'Connor'...