What Does It Mean to Be “Happy”? Hedonism vs Eudaimonism
People talk a lot about happiness. It’s even enshrined in the United States Constitution: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among … Continue reading
Should You End a Sentence With a Preposition?
In English grammar, a preposition is a word that typically comes before a noun or pronoun and expresses a relationship between that noun/pronoun and another word in the sentence. Prepositions indicate location, time, direction, manner, or other relationships. Here are … Continue reading
Do You Write for Yourself or Your Reader?
If you’re a writer, or indeed any type of artist, who are you working for? Yourself or your audience? There are many people who assert that every artist—writer, musician, painter, filmmaker—should follow their own muse and create what’s meaningful to … Continue reading
The Truth About “Show, Don’t Tell”
I don’t know who thought up the writing axiom “Show, don’t tell,” but I believe it causes endless confusion and misery for writers who already suffer from poor self-esteem and are ready to bow their heads to an imagined High … Continue reading
Be Nice to Your Reader!
I may be wading into treacherous waters here, but in my humble opinion too many literary novels that are highly praised by critics are in fact nearly incomprehensible to the average adult reader; and I get the feeling that too … Continue reading
Why I’m a Happy Ghostwriter
There seems to be a lot of interest in ghostwriters these days, perhaps spurred by the recent “Gathering of the Ghosts,” a one-day convocation in New York of around 140 successful ghostwriters. They came together, it seems, mostly to complain … Continue reading
Your Novel May Not Be Real, But It Must Be Believable!
In storytelling and novel writing, there is a big difference between what is objectively real and what is believable. This is the two-part rule: 1. Nothing in your story needs to be real. 2. Everything in your story must be … Continue reading
Best Selling Business and Leadership Books Often Tell Stories
If you’re thinking about writing a business book (or hiring a ghostwriter to do it for you), you might assume that you want either expository writing or persuasive writing. Expository writing is when you explain a concept or share information, … Continue reading
Great Books Allow – And Even Invite – Repeated Readings
When I read a book, and I like it, I’m inclined to read it again. And again. Just like you’d listen to a favorite record over and over, until the grooves are so worn you have to buy another copy. … Continue reading
In Defense of “Take Action” Instead of “Act”
AI-powered grammar checkers and proofreaders such as Grammarly have become ubiquitous. To be fair, for the routine review of typos, spelling errors, and other obvious writing defects, these tools can be useful. Once in a while, a valued client will … Continue reading