Author: Cynthia MacGregor

So I was supposed to do a booksigning and reading—two picturebooks from two different publishing houses (neither one from Roundtable)—and I thought I had all my ducks in a row. Since the books weren’t returnable, the bookstore that was the venue for the event said I would have to pre-purchase and bring the books in...

If you’re a fellow author or thinking of becoming an author, I hope you’re comfortable doing public speaking. The two kind of go hand in hand. That’s not as true for short-form writers as it is for book authors. But book authors often do public readings from their books to help get the word out...

I don’t remember now where I read it, but I just recently read somewhere a comment on the memoirs of two famous people of the past. It seems that one “invented” a boat that didn’t really exist, while the other left out any mention of numerous sexual affairs he had had.

Variety is the spice of life—and I definitely like my life “spicy.” I would hate to have a career in which I did the same thing over and over all day, every day, day in and day out. “But, Cynthia—you write and edit. All day, every day, the same two things,” I can hear you...

Today is February 14—Valentine’s Day. So I’m sending love to all you readers out there. Where would we writers be without our readers? We’d be “playing to an empty house,” to borrow the vernacular of the theatre. If nobody read our books (and articles and poems and essays and miscellany), we’d soon be out of...

A connection that may or may not be real occurred to me recently, and I thought I’d run it by you. How much truth do you think there is in this statement: Many people who are dissatisfied with their lives prefer reading fiction over nonfiction because through fiction they can escape to alternate lives. Many...

“It must be wonderful to do nothing but write all day. No boss, no job, work in your pajamas, just sit at the keyboard and write.” Thus sayeth many people. But they’re wrong. Yes, the life of a writer IS wonderful. But it’s not what you imagine. Let’s take it from the top. First: Many...

So you think you’re too young to write your memoirs? Think again! Just as your life is a work in progress, your memoirs can be a work in progress too. If you’re 30 or 50 or even 70, and you’re not facing a dreaded illness, you probably have no reason to disbelieve that your life...

Much of the nation suffered through a cold spell last week, with blizzard conditions in the Northeast, snow in northern Florida, where such an occurrence is rare, and misery widespread. It was good weather for staying home and curling up with a good book. With many places of business closed due to life-hazardous conditions and...

The publishing world recently celebrated—or for the most part failed to celebrate—a milestone: the 205th anniversary of the publication of CHILDREN’S AND HOUSEHOLD TALES, first published on December 20, 1812, still in print, but better known today as GRIMM’S FAIRY TALES.