Author: Cynthia MacGregor

This blogpost results from two different occurrences converging at the same time in my life: (1) I read the Acknowledgments page at the front of a book I was just starting to read, and (2) I thought of an old friend of my daughter’s who once gifted her with a cat who turned out to...

I enjoy “talking shop,” and I like helping others, so it figures that when a writer, or a friend of a writer, asks me to help that writer with some aspect of his or her career, I’m delighted to oblige. I’ve met a few good friends that way. (Hi, Tricia. Hi, Shirl.) And Tuesday I...

The internet is a wonderful thing—and so is the publishing industry. In my many, many years as a writer and editor, I’ve made the acquaintance of a great number of wonderful people. But that includes many I have yet to meet in person…or, as we write on the internet, “f2f.” I just lost one such...

I honestly forget what the title of the song is that the line I’ve used for my title of this week’s blogpost comes from. In fact, that may even be the title. I really don’t know. But it relates well to the topic of this week’s post, which I originally was going to call, “Are...

I believe I’ve written in this space before about writing your memoirs, but it’s time to revisit the subject. What brings it up is one of several new clients I’ve recently signed up. As many of you know, besides writing books I also do other writing and editing. And this particular client has hired me...

In various cities across the nation, and in the county in which I live, there are programs that encourage the citizens to all read the same book during the same period of time. Of course, not literally ALL the residents participate, but a goodly number do.

In the children’s book CHARLOTTE’S WEB (and the subsequent movie based on it), the spider, Charlotte, shows how important being a good writer is: She saves the life of Wilbur, the pig, through her use of words. Your child could take a lesson from Charlotte—even if he or she doesn’t see herself pursuing a literary...

Maybe you can’t afford to vacation in the Amazon River Basin, the heart of Africa, the mountains of Nepal, or the Polynesian islands, and maybe you are as sad as Alexander the Great, who wept when he thought there were no new worlds to conquer. But you can still be an explorer—and explore a lot...

It’s not too early to start writing your memoirs—even if you’re only in your early thirties. (And if you’re in your fifties, sixties, or beyond, what are you waiting for?!) You may think, “I haven’t led an interesting enough life for people to want to read my story.” And you may well be right—but I’m...

Well, here I am back in the hospital. This is getting ridiculous. Another five-day stretch of discomfort, boredom, little sleep, none of the comforts of home except my computer…but who can work in these surroundings?