by AnnSheybani | May 9, 2017 | Life, Writing
On occasion, I’ll take on a complete manuscript and work with the author to identify what ails it, suggest a better structure (or even genre), pinpoint what’s missing, what generic tidbits need to be cut. Often, I have to sit with it a bit before the... by AnnSheybani | Apr 25, 2017 | Life
“I’d like two six-minute hard-boiled eggs,” I said, enunciating each word carefully. The young man who had assisted me with the very same order the day before nodded, then darted off to the hotel kitchen. Weaving in and out of the crowded breakfast area, I took my... by AnnSheybani | Apr 17, 2017 | Life, Writing
I was browsing LinkedIn this morning when I came across a Steve Chandler quote. (If you don’t know Steve, you really should.) It went something like this: Discipline has nothing to do with personality, it has to do with practice. In other words self-discipline... by AnnSheybani | Apr 9, 2017 | Writing
Lately, I’ve had my head in manuscripts just rife with purple prose. Purple prose, for those of you unfamiliar with the term, is writing that’s so extravagant, ornate, or flowery, it breaks the flow and draws excessive attention to itself. Purple prose is... by AnnSheybani | Apr 3, 2017 | Writing
ADVICE TO WRITERS by Billy Collins from Sailing Alone Around the Room (Random House) Even if it keeps you up all night, wash down the walls and scrub the floor of your study before composing a syllable. Clean the place as if the Pope were on his way. Spotlessness is...
