If anyone is interested in the world of writing and publishing, let me highly recommend, indeed urge upon you, The Untold Story of Books, by Michael Castleman.
One of the key tools a writer has is memory. In particular, it’s not unusual for those who write for young people to have engaging — and meaningful — memories of their own childhood.
From 1983 until 2011 — twenty-eight years — I worked with the late Richard Jackson as my editor. If I count correctly, I believe we created some twenty-five books together.
Commas and periods weren’t always present in written texts. The practice of using them evolved to make reading easier.
In my writing process, I don’t specifically seek out ideas, so much as I come upon them, serendipitously. But once I come upon the germ of an idea I do my research, mostly exploratory reading.
The coming of the new year always brings me a renewed sense of time, of moving forward. But there was a moment — one New Year’s Eve — when I experienced being lost in time.
I have absolutely no idea when I first heard it, but I can’t recall a time when I ever forgot it. For me — as for countless others — it represents the essential saga of Santa Claus and Christmas Eve.
You said you read Dickens’ A Christmas Carol every Christmas. Why? I have no idea when I first read A Christmas Carol. Perhaps it was read to me.
The question of book reviews is vexing for many writers. Over my years of writing the world of reviewing has changed radically.
I may have told this book story here before, but since it happened exactly thirty years ago…