Read it out  loud. Read it backwards. Take out every word ending in “-ly.” Review every use of “was.” Spell check. And though it  may be politically incorrect, every editor says it: “You’ve got to kill   your babies.” In other   words, edit your work. Writing 500   words a day for the past year, you...Read More

April 26, 2013 By Mary Hutchings Reed     We’ve been writing together for a year now, and, if you did the page-a-day thing, you’ve got a manuscript ready for editing. I’m guessing, though, that a page a day — while a worthy goal — is too ambitious for a first-time novelist who is also...Read More

Publishing makes a writer an author March 29, 2013 By Mary Hutchings Reed This is my 12th column in this space, the month when those who’ve been following the page-a-day program are finishing your first drafts (you are, aren’t you?) and dreaming of your appearance on Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 and The New York Times Best...Read More

      Is the storyteller an expert witness? In other words, of the right age, intelligence, level of awareness or perspective to tell the story? Who is telling the story? Is the storyteller otherwise reliable? Does the storyteller have an engaging voice? Do we get to know the storyteller through his/her observations?  Read More

March 1, 2013       If you took my advice from my last column and are thinking of attending a workshop or writersconference this year, I donʹt want you blindsided by a subtlety of craft that trips us all up from time to time — point of view. Editors are very attuned to this...Read More

      Non-Billable Hours By Mary Hutchings Reed February 1, 2013 We’ve been writing together since April and have written past any blocks; returned to the path fromdiversionary research frolics; and been inspired by the writings of our favorite authors. But even as the manuscript grows, we might be feeling a bit of insecurity....Read More

       December 21, 2012By Mary Hutchings ReedIf you’re a lawyer, you’ve honed the skill of interviewing clients and deposing witnesses. You know how to ask the same question a dozen different ways to clarify an answer, and you know how to ask a leading question, even if the objection will be sustained. But do...Read More

      Write what you know,” is one of the most common pieces of advice given to new writers, but not one that should be taken too literally, at least not in a factual sense. I don’t know a lot more than I do know, and if in order to write a novel I...Read More

IOctober 19, 2012 f you’ve been with us since April and been diligent about your writing on a daily basis, there is a good chance that you have at least 80 pages by now. Isn’t that remarkable? Yes, it is! You may deserve a break today, but I’m here to caution you not to take...Read More

Have a new date for the publication of “Warming Up” by She Writes Press, now set for March 1, 2013. This gives me some additional time to make a plan for promotion of this, my second novel to reach print. Promotion is essential to publication, because publication by itself is an empty reward.  Without distribution and...Read More