Word Revolution, Part 2: YOU

You wordsmiths, you!  Thanks so much for reading last month’s blog and jumping in with your own suggestions.  I was thrilled with the words you posted – and dismayed at not having thought of them myself!  In an attempt to rectify the latter, I hereby revisit the word revolution issue.  Just to refresh your memory,…

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Word revolution

Here’s a fun exercise. But first, a bit of philosophy.  Contrary to many people in the news who use words to destroy, writers use them to create.  I love words – love putting them together in a way that paints an action, a sentiment, a hope or a dream.  I play with them endlessly when…

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Do you do crossword puzzles?

  When I was a child, I saw my father come home from work every night, sit down with the newspaper, and do the crossword.  I have grown up to be very different from him, but here is one thing on which we agree.  Crossword puzzles are the ultimate form of relaxation for someone who…

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But do you like my book?

And so comes the Monday after the first weekend you’ve all have with my newest book.  I sit on tenterhooks wondering, worrying, hoping. Sweet Salt Air  has actually been out and around for the sake of getting early reviews.  Part of the promotional campaign leading up to its publication entailed sending Advance Reading Copies to…

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Are you a typo freak?

Inevitably, when each of my books first comes out, I get notes from readers catching typos.  “ Doesn’t anyone proofread anymore?” they ask plaintively. The answer?  YES!  I carefully read through looking for errors, as do my editor, my agent, my assistant, and more people at the publishing house than I care to count.  And still, when the…

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Should grammar matter?

So I’m working on SWEET SALT AIR, rereading Chapter 6 for the umpteenth time, and I pause on the following paragraph: “By Oliver Weeks?” Charlotte cut in.  “Still?  What a character.  Major interview there.” Charlotte and Nicole are talking about ramekins that are hand-thrown by a ceramicist on Quinnipeague, but there is not one complete…

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