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Solving problems

My wife recently described my writing process like this: You approach writing like you approach life: As a problem solver. You create complex and elaborate problems for your characters, and then, after you’ve gotten them into trouble, you find ways to solve their problems. I think this is why you enjoy writing so much. You…

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Second review!

The second review of Something Missing was forwarded to me today, a starred review (the highest praise a book can receive in this publication) in the June 1 issue of Booklist Magazine.  Even more positive than the first! BOOKLIST Issue: June 1, 2009 Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2003)…

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First review

My first review came out today in Publisher’s Weekly. Though it contains some criticism which I will attempt to process over the coming days, the review is quite positive and very exciting. Something Missing Matthew Dicks. Broadway, $14 paper (304p) ISBN 978-0-7679-3088-8 An expert thief unexpectedly finds himself aiding his victims in Dicks’s charming if…

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Latest adventures with my book club

I’m a member of a book club that I enjoy very much. We are currently reading Death with Interruptions by Jose Saramago. It was chosen by my wife, Elysha, who views her opportunity to choose a book as an intense and weighty process that involves research, analysis, and great deliberation. She scans websites, reviews lists…

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Much improved

Just after complaining about my ability to write dialogue, I receive an email from a friend who just finished reading a draft of Unexpectedly, Milo: “Finished the book last week.  It’s a good story – well written, and you’re a very good dialogue writer.  The dialogue between Emma and Milo is excellent. Even though I…

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New Yorker insider

Dan Baum has been twittering about his brief career as a staff writer at the New Yorker, and it is fascinating for anyone interested in the literary world and learning more about how freelance writers earn a living. In addition to my job as an elementary school teacher, a mobile DJ, a secular minister, a…

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Two. Period.

In the recent debate over how many spaces should come after a period, I unequivocally come down on the side of two. In the words of this blog’s author, “Taking the extra space away from a period strips it of its dignity.” Unfortunately, it appears that forces are mounting against this belief, including the Associated…

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Bad dialogue

Each time I sit down in front of the laptop, one of my goals is to craft crisp, well-paced, realistic, and original dialogue. A daunting task depending upon the day. I’m much better at this than I used to be. The first draft of SOMETHING MISSING contained almost no dialogue, and though not intentional, I…

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Abbreviated

Another amusing Twitter application: Converting classic novels into 140-character tweets. From the Guardian comes an article about this new medium and this treatment of Pride and Prejudice, one of my wife’s favorite books: Woman meets man called Darcy who seems horrible. He turns out to be nice really. They get together. Or how about this…

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