How Not To Write

Tulipomania
This form of money madness takes the shape of fashion, the whim of the moment that creates a desire for something absolutely ridiculous. In this case, it’s the question of tulip bulbs. There are other manias of course. We see them every year at Christmas with the hot toy of the season. [...]

The South Sea Bubble
Having lived through the Internet Bubble, I read this particular case with interest. Again, we have a story about greed but in this case it isn’t inside information but mass greed. The South Sea Bubble deals with a scheme to pay off debt by granting a monopoly to a single [...]

Money Mania
Every age, every decade (heck, every year) some new financial scandal unfolds that first captures the wallet of the unwitting and then the ire and rage of the public once informed of the nature of the swindle. Mackay begins his book with three great scams that persist (as all great scams will) into [...]

Contemporary Plot Techniques
I’m going to break with my promise above to write 10,000 more words about plot and summarize the rest of this book in quick fashion. At this point, you’ve already read close to 11,000 words. If you’re not certain about the things Maass can teach you, there isn’t much else I [...]

High Moments, Turning Corners, Killing Characters
Mmmm. Puppies.
Ok, I’m not going to go on about the puppies, but really once that kind of thing gets in your head it’s tough to get it out again. Or as I said to two friends in a hotel room once, “There are some things you just can’t [...]