I am loving the writing tips. Keep 'em coming.

The reading out loud is a good way for me to find some of my more common mistakes (awkward phrasings, infelicitous repetitions, etc.)

The best thing for me, though, is to let things sit for about a week and then go back and read through. That tends to give me enough distance to notice places where what I wanted to say didn't come through clearly, but not so much that I wonder "what the hell was I trying to say/imply/hint at" here?

Neat little exercise in coming up with a plot:

[link]

Though the link to the sf cliches is dead. Google works, though.

Its not ethical to ask for a blurb from someone who has not read the book is it? Even if someone they trust has read it, liked it and is willing to say so? No, I thought not. Sigh.

Its not ethical to ask for a blurb from someone who has not read the book is it? Even if someone they trust has read it, liked it and is willing to say so? No, I thought not. Sigh.

Depends on what the blurb says. I would think

"I heard it was pretty good from a guy...what was his name?...we were both on that panel about...what was that about? Fuck. I gotta stop hangin' in the hotel bars at cons, man, you know? Just way too much trouble. But then I get bored all alone up in my room and spend way too much on hotel pay-per-view porn...

...anyway. Yeah, somebody said it was okay. So, uh...read it."

...would be perfectly acceptable.

...

In some respects.

Readers:

Insent.

Gar, can you send them a copy of the manuscript in email?

They've had a copy for two years. They don't have to time to read it. I now know the particulars (which I did not when I last posted), and they have an ongoing family tragedy, and simply will never have time to read it. I'm just going to have to do without their blurb. I knew even asking for a blurb for a book they will never rad would be wrong, but I was so fucking tempted to ask, because a blurb from them would pretty much ensure publication.

I can't speak for anyone else, but sometimes I really feel the impulse do something I know is wrong. Rather than wrestle with alone, I find it helps to say it out loud to friends. Sometimes the result of that is a verbal kick in the ass when that is exactly what I need.

I still think I will get this published. And if not, well there are a whole lot worse things in life than never being published. I now know why a particular person is not reading my book - it is because he is going through one of those things; all I can do is wish for the best possible outcome for that particular family, knowing the best possible outcome is still pretty awful.

Oh that's heartwrenching.

I think everyone feels the impulse to do things we know are wrong. I'm not sure we'd be human if we didn't.

Yeah, that's tough.

But I really do believe in your book, Typo, and I think there's a serious market out there for it, especially these days. Keep at it. You already know that getting published is a long road, but hang in there.