One of the cardinal rules pounded into writers, especially new writers, is “Write about what you know.” I call bullshit on that.

On the heels of my interview with Troy Fohrman two weeks ago, I had the novel idea to interview myself this week! Here it goes. Q: You write these blogposts every week and have had a number of books published by Roundtable, but who are you? A: I’m a multi-published full-time freelance writer/editor, with over 100 published books to my credit. Q: Roundtable doesn’t have anywhere near that many of your books. You have other publishers, then? A: Quite a few. My very first book, a children’s activities book written for parents, was published by one of the New York...

In junior high school, I was one of Miss Kellogg’s “Library Helpers,” and it was definitely work that I loved. We Library Helpers checked books in and out, shelved books, and occasionally worked with the card catalog. (Are you old enough to remember card catalogs?) We also did such tasks as putting protective library covers on books. I loved being in the library, whether it was the school library or the public library, and whether I was there working or borrowing books (or, in the case of the public library, borrowing records).

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 be the best cat who ever owned me. Anyhow, reading that acknowledgments page made me think about people I should acknowledge—not in my books but in real life. And that somehow led me to thinking about Kadeem, who gifted my daughter with this wonderful cat,...

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 think I made a new friend. (Hi, Steve, if you’re reading this.) Steve and I have a lot in common. So do Steve and my S.O., though they haven’t met each other yet. They will Sunday, when I’ve invited Steve and his S.O. to come...

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 friend this week. Cancer claimed her. I am very sad. I loved her for the wonderful, dear friend she was. And yet I never met her face to face. Penny Adams was first an editor, later a publisher. I met her while I was “wearing...

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 you a plotter or a pantser?”

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 to assist him in writing his memoirs.

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 career.