In his introduction to the sixtieth anniversary edition of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, Neil Gaiman lists three phrases that inspire works of science fiction/speculative fiction: What if . . . ? If only . . . If this goes on . . . Fahrenheit 451 is a “If this goes on . . .” story…
Author Tips
Tips for entrepreneurial authors.
Immerse Yourself in Your Genre
Many successful writers offer the same and simple advice to new writers: read a lot and write a lot. It isn’t just the act of reading that is important though. To make that reading time as effective as possible, you need to read and reflect on what authors are doing well. This will help you…
Which is correct: Best Seller, Bestseller, or Best-seller?
Once your book sells very well, what do you call it: best seller, bestseller, or best-seller? As is the case with so many things in the English language, multiple versions are acceptable. Look, for example, at the names for the following lists: The New York Times Best Sellers Wall Street Journal Best Sellers Barnes &…
Which is correct: simpler or more simple?
Many years ago I took a two-day course on Chicago Manual of Style. It was a great review of high school English classes and I learned much more than I expected. The lesson that stood out to me the most was that grammar and usage is, for the most part, a relative science. There are…
Neal Stephenson’s Advice for Writers
“I have a pretty simple piece of advice to writers of science fiction or any other kind of literature, which is to just keep writing.” Neal Stephenson Author of Snow Crash and Seveneves While this advice seems to be universal wisdom from successful authors, Stephenson points out two common reasons authors convince themselves to stop…
