Author: Steve Parolini
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Conversation Between a Writer and His Reluctant Main Character
Main Character: Sorry, not going to do it. Writer: What do you mean you’re not going to do it? MC: I think that statement is abundantly clear. I’m not going to climb out the window and leap from the building. Writer: But you’re being chased. It’s the only option. Besides, it’s too late. I already wrote that scene. You…
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Proof of Life
I haven’t retired. And I’m not yet dead. So to answer the question you may be asking after noticing it’s been a while since I last posted: yes, I’m still editing. So why haven’t I posted recently (or much at all these past few years?) I used to post frequently (check out the archive), partly…
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That’s a Lot of Words
I’ve been editing for more than thirty years. Not the same book, mind you. That would be insane. When I was organizing a shelf yesterday (as one does when procrastinating), I decided to line up some of the books I’ve worked on. The picture here shows what I found. I don’t have much space for…
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Eleven
“I don’t want to grow up.” My granddaughter is excited about Christmas and eager to turn eleven, but this is what she’s thinking about right now. In the next hour, she will claim she is “very responsible,” despite piles of clothes on the floor in her room offering evidence to the contrary, then ask for…
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Nothing New Under the Sun
I used to be quite prolific in this space. I know that’s difficult to believe as you scroll down to find the most recent post is from February and the one before that is almost a year older and neither of them has a clever title like, “How to Write When You’ve Forgotten What Words…
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Something New, Soon. Meanwhile…
I’m working on developing a new service for all you writerly folks. My current editorial services are for novels that you’ve revised so many times words suddenly have no meaning and all those little letters on the page might as well be cookie crumbs or ants angling for cookie crumbs. (Note to self: Clean your…
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How to Be a Writer During a Pandemic
It’s been a crazy year for writers. For some of you, it’s been a curiously productive season, despite all the challenges introduced by the pandemic. Perhaps your writing success was prompted by the change to your routine, or the self-induced pressure to make something good out of something awful. Or maybe it was that “I’m…