Ray Bradbury's ZEN IN THE ART OF WRITING

Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury is the best book on writing I have ever read.

The advice Bradbury gives? Sit down and start typing. If you don't have an idea, just tap the keys at random. Sooner or later, you will form words, sentences, and paragraphs.

Get in the flow, the zone. Eventually, you will have written a short story or a novel. It's simple, but it works.

Writer's block doesn't have to happen. Engage the gears in your brain, and good things will happen.

All the time. Really.

Writing Celebrity Memoirs

Writing memoirs for celebrities, politicians, and CEOs is interesting an enjoyable work.  It can also be extremely challenging.  Celebrity autobiographies are usually very long, and those who have gained fame or some level of notoriety or accomplishment in their lives usually want a full accounting of their lives and how they "made it."  Who can blame them?  To become an actor, senator, or CEO is not easy, and the climb to the top usually comprises the first hundred pages of the book.

It takes a great deal of interview time to sort through the anecdotes, relationships, and accomplishments of celebrities and then organize them.  Even more important is the need to give the autobiography the genuine narrative voice of the celebrity.  This requires consummate writing and interviewing skills.  One has to "nail" the expressions and linguistic flow of the client.

Is it always fun?  No.  Sometimes celebrities have a bit too much attitude and attempt to micromanage the writing.  But it's always interesting.  And a ghostwriter or collaborator learns quickly that these famous men and women are humans like the rest of us.

~ William Hammett

Index of Articles

Children's Nonfiction: It's Now More Popular

In the juvenile market, children's fiction has always dominated the genre.  Picture books, early readers, middle readers, and young adult novels occupied most of the children's section at the bookstore for the past fifty years.  A few nonfiction titles were crammed near the dictionaries and encyclopedias, and what child really wanted to go near them?

In 2012, nonfiction sales in the juvenile market rose by 5%.  This is encouraging.  With the digital age impacting books and the popularity of e-readers so profoundly, children are now beginning to read more nonfiction--and read more in general.  Topics related to sports, geography, social studies, science, and biography are starting to sell.

Educators are enthusiastic about this trend since they believe, and rightly so, that it might better prepare students for college, giving them greater reading and writing skills in addition to a wider base of knowledge by the end of high school.  Publishers are naturally excited about the trend because it means more sales.  It's a win-win situation for both groups.  It's an even bigger plus for literacy and learning.

~ William Hammett

Index of Articles

Believe in Your Work
Children's Nonfiction: It's Now More Popular
The Craft of Writing
Daily Transit Public Ridership
The eBook Revolution
Fifty Shades of Boring
George Clayton Johnson: Fictioneer by Vivien Kooper
Ghostwriting: The Decline of Professionalism
How Long Does It Take to Write a Novel?
Is Journal Writing Worth the Effort?
Literary Agents
Kindle Direct Publishing (Select)
The Novella is Back and Thriving
Print-on-Demand
Promoting Your Book
The Quest for Literary Representation
The Rewards of Being a Writer
Short Fiction
Smashwords
What Is Developmental Editing
Why Do People Write?
Writing Celebrity Memoirs
Writing a Novel
Writing as a Full-time Job
Writing as a Mystical Process
You Own the Copyright to Your Literary Property
Zen in the Art of Writing