Maureen F. McHugh
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From Sean Stewart, award winning novelist, author of PASSION PLAY, NOBODY'S SON and RESURRECTION MAN . Here are the 5 Most Useful Pieces of Advice I've Ever Received. They come with a money-back guarantee, too (although you better check the Ferengi print...) 1.) Always trust your negative instincts. If you think that it sucks, even though the first 2 readers you give it to say No no, it's fine!--it probably sucks. Especially noteworthy is the internal comment, "well, I'll just leave it like it is and see if anyone objects." A total red flag for me. 2) Every chapter should be a story. Learned this writing a great, big, floppy difuse book where I'd have a few events and then hi hi, time for a chapter break. *gong* 3) Put more of yourself on the line. (This one from my editor.) When in doubt, write something more personal, dangerous and painful and full of personal energy. 4) How does this incident relate to the themes of the book? Another editorial classic. The gill-withdrawal reflex in Aplysia is less automatic than this question from my #1 editor. 5) Look for the big powerful story.structural engines. This is like skipping the computer with the bells and whistles in favor of the one with the faster meaner chip. You will rarely go wrong with the Eternal Triangle (Morte D'Arthur, Casablanca, Star Wars, etc...) or the Two Couples (Middlemarch, Women in Love).
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