I love writing. I love teaching. I love teaching writing. I love listening to writers talk about their manuscripts. I love problem solving with writers. I love the delicacy and boldness of writing. These tips are things I’ve learned over the years that have held me in good stead and kept me going through the hard dry times. I hope they help you.

And hey, they are only one minute long. Click here.

When to cut? When to add? In my critique group recently, we were questioning a moment in a manuscript when the deputy character was arresting his mother. Given the tone of the ms, it didn’t feel right. In our discussion, though, what became apparent is that the arrest could be part of a larger motif. It could be part of the mother/son relationship. I usually lean toward cutting something that doesn’t work but sometimes, it needs to be more developed and woven into the fabric of the whole manuscript.