I looked at the first paragraphs of more than 1,000 novels to make this list. The first paragraphs below are the ones that shocked, surprised, and delighted me. The paragraphs that made me want to read the rest of the book, the paragraphs so memorable that I would dream about them. Writers, learn from these first paragraphs. […]
There are lots of articles with practical tips on how to find a literary agent. Make sure your manuscript is great. 9 Tips on how to write a cover letter. Research an agent to find out who they represent. You’ve probably heard most of those before. But what I’m going to give you is much more than […]
If you want to learn how to publish your first novel, and if you want to pick up some key writing tips along the way, keep reading. This is an interview with Lindsey Lee Johnson, whose debut novel The Most Dangerous Place on Earth is getting rave reviews from the likes of: New York Times Publisher’s […]
Dixit How to play: 1. The storyteller picks a card from their deck and describes it any way they want to. 2. The other players choose a card that they think also fits that description. 3. The cards are turned over and the players must pick the card that they believe to be the storyteller’s. How it […]
Donald Trump plans to cut the funding for the NEA, the National Endowment for the Arts. The budget for the NEA is $150 million annually. To the average person, $150 million a year sounds like a lot of money. But since $150 million is actually only .006% of the annual budget of the federal government, it’s actually quite […]
As a writer, I’ve attended my fair share of writing conferences: AWP (many times), Bookexpo, Squaw Valley Writers’ Conference, and many more. So this year I decided to attend a business conference instead, and it was a wise decision. I attended the GO Summit by Fastermind, an intimate, 100-person conference, and it was revolutionary. In fact, […]
Welcome to the New Year! Have you made your writing goals yet? Writing goals are one of those things most writers either shy away from or slouch into. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Let’s look at 3 typical writing goals, and I’ll show you why they’re bad goals and how you can improve […]
Looking for a great gift for a writer in your life? Look no farther. This post offers ideas for bookends, writing software, books about how to write, magazine subscriptions, professional editing services and more! (and some are affiliate links — thanks for supporting Bookfox!) Each category comes with at least 4 or 5 suggestions for […]
Writers, as a group, are usually bad at taxes. That’s because we’re not numbers people. But you’ve got to get better at your taxes, because it’s costing you a fortune. Writers pay about 30% of their income for taxes. And that’s after an agent takes 15%, or after several publications don’t pay you for freelance […]
So much of our culture stokes our desire and our greed, because that’s what fuels the economy, not thankfulness and gratefulness. The books below are defiantly counter-cultural, because they will help you to feel satisfied and whole. Sure, there’s longing and striving inside these books, but I think overall the reader will walk away from […]
