Nathan Bransford - The Forums

I love S&W--but it shouldn't be the only grammar book you read--there are lots of others...some of the new ones are written in a fun, accessible style. Check out reference section of your bookstore.

s's is the correct way. You only use s' if it's a name like Jesus or Moses

I always worked on the query while I'm writing the ms--tweaking, changing as the ms changes etc. And having it semi-ready comes in handy when there's a contest like this one. I wouldn't send it to an agent...just in case they like it and want to see the full right away!

I put this book down after reading about 2 chapters and never picked it up again.

I'm reading THE IMMORTAL LIFE OF HENRIETTA LACKS by Rebecca Skloot (nonfiction). So far it's fascinating. here's what Amazon says about it From a single, abbreviated life grew a seemingly immortal line of cells that made some of the most crucial innovations in modern science possible. And from that ...

If you're talking about typos, grammar, etc, it is the publisher's responsibility to clean it up. After the editor has gone over it and has decided it's ready for production, it goes to a copy editor who is supposed to fix this stuff (the author gets to see what changes the copy editor has made and ...

I think if Mom is coming everyday and all seems well, I wouldn't change anything. She chose to put her nest there for a reason... maybe it's safer from predators this way. But I'm not an expert...you might want to ask over at RabbitWeb, too...http://www.rabbitweb.net/discuss.asp

Publishing time is different than ordinary time. You have to be incredibly patient. That your agent had enough confidence in your work for an auction is a great sign. Once he/she finds an interested editor, you might have another long wait for the contract. When I published my nonfiction kid's books...

Good news to hear on a sad day for me...the last day of my local bookstore (B&N). I went up there today and gave it one last look...rumor has it's being turned into a Walgreen.

I been reading this blog for about a year. I de-lurked after your agent-for-a-day contest, then began reading your blog every day. I also read other agent, editor, and aspiring writers' blogs. I started my own blog (partly because of a guest post here), etc. I think I'm trying to scale back on my co...

I'd have to agree with the others. The name doesn't really appeal to me. It sounds a little like a skin condition. I've had to change my MCs names--I know how one gets attached to them, but you may want to consider another name.

I'm definitely overuse eyerolling--it's so useful! One of my mss had an overabundance of sighs. But I'm not really using these so much in my new WIP. But I'm not sure why. I think I'm trying to get across those feelings through dialogue and a beat--ie, a little extended action between dialogue rathe...

II'm not much of a re-reader, but I guess I've read THE GREAT GATSBY a few times. I read it on my own and liked it, but I read it again with a good professor and loved it even more. As a kid, I loved THE LION THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE and read it a few times. I've read THE SECRET GARDEN a few times...

I agree with you that blogs (tweets etc) are a great way to stay connected and to get attention for one's book. I also enjoy reading agents' and editors' blogs (both anonymous and not anonymous). But I have a hard time with my own blogging--maybe because my husband works in publishing. If I get too ...

I'm trying to de-gadgetize my life. I don't think I need it for anything...and it's expensive too...

My husband and I are addicted to MAD MEN. other contenders: Some episodes of THE OUTER LIMITS are classics (like "The Sixth Finger") Ditto TWILIGHT ZONE ("Talky Tina" etc) THE PRISONER (British TV) FAWLTY TOWERS (British) guys in my house love STAR TREK: TNG (we have boxed sets o...