Author Archives: John Robin
Reading our way out of prison
I came across a great quote on the importance of reading, through James Clear’s weekly newsletter. It is from inventor and writer Lin Yutang: “Compare the difference between the life of a man who does no reading and that of … Continue reading
My new piano adventure!
*This post is based on the newsletter I sent out today, so apologies to those subscribers who also follow this blog. I’m excited to share something new! While I have continued to work on Blood Dawn every weekend now since … Continue reading
A Covid-19 Writer’s Routine
I’ve always thought my writing routine boring to most people, so I just don’t talk about it. But as social distancing now nears the end of its 2nd week, with perhaps many more weeks to come, I see many people … Continue reading
How to copyedit a book: a checklist for a copyeditor
I know I promised no more “how to write” stuff. Well, I promised no more rules about what I write about, so that means there’s no rule saying I can’t write about writing when that’s what I want to write … Continue reading
Blogging out of the box
Thank you to all who have followed this blog. I started blogging in late 2014, unsure what I was doing with it. It’s been over 5 years, and I’m still as uncertain. Thank you not just for following me, but … Continue reading
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How to do a developmental edit: understanding how it works before you hire an editor
You’ve likely heard the term “developmental editing” tossed around. The term will vary from editor to editor, much like how “hot yoga” can mean a lot, depending on which studio you go to. This is because editing has become the … Continue reading
Checklist before you publish your book
You’ve just finished your book and you’re ready to self-publish. You don’t have a lot of money, so hopefully you can do most things yourself. If you had a dream checklist that would help you feel more confident, what would … Continue reading
Time in, words out: a writer’s tug-of-war
How do you measure progress at the keyboard? Many writers like to use word count. A good day’s work is measured based on how many new words you write. Some writers prefer page count. This is the same as word … Continue reading
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Tagged word count tracking, writing productivity
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The art of rewriting: getting the most development mileage from your edits
I work with an amazingly talented writing client. Every week for 39 weeks now, he’s submitted his novel-in progress, usually 10-20 pages each week. We’ve made it through draft 1. We took a short break where I did an analysis … Continue reading
