The decision to use lie or lay can bring my editing to an abrupt halt. Which one is it? They both sound right. Should I refer to song lyrics for the answer? Once I learned the present-tense usage for each, I was then faced with the hurdle of transporting each into the past. I added Grammar Girl’s Quick and Dirty Tips Lay versus Lie page to my […]
Author Archives: Jacinda Little
Wanted: Fiction Ghostwriter
I’ve been contacted by a few people recently about ghostwriting their novels. I’d like to take this opportunity to give a loud and collective, “No, thank you,” to anyone who is looking to have this type of work done, and if you read on, you’ll learn why. It has been assumed that I won’t ghostwrite […]
My Heart is a Book
I’ve written more than one book review about Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief, so doing that again and adding to the gargantuan web pile of reviews might be redundant, if not ridiculous. So instead, I’d like to share a bit of what I’ve learned about the author. I’ve been to two Zusak speaking engagements, one […]
Nothing to Write with
If I disjoint my vision, bid it stop searching for a glimmer in the blackness or a curvature on which to land, I’ll see. If I can stop my panicked ears from grasping out for some sound, any tumult, no matter how small, I’ll hear. If I take away food, if I allow my mouth to cleave […]
Do Writers Get Days Off?
Is a writer permitted to make lots of elementary mistakes in arbitrary written communication? Surely. Do others (no matter their credentials) have the right to correct grammatical errors made by an unsuspecting, off-duty, writer? Definitely. Should either do either? No. Before I piss a whole bunch of people off, allow me to make one thing clear: I make […]
Naked Public Recycling Cures Bone Valley Hauntings
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Ghost writing doesn’t haunt its ghost writer. Once a project is finished, it’s sent off with its new owner and the ghost writer can free his or her spirit from the piece. There are no remnants, no bones left behind. If the customer is satisfied, the work is finished. Often, the ghost writer is bound […]
Bright’s Passage: Slipping Toward Josh Ritter’s Light
After learning about Josh Ritter’s debut novel, Bright’s Passage, from a versatile blogger, I simply had to crack it open. I read comments like “lyrical allure” and couldn’t resist. I wasn’t disappointed. The eye and the mind slide through Ritter’s musical prose with ease, reserving plenty of room in the noggin for scene painting, theological wondering, and bittersweet […]
Writer Inspiration through Vicarious Creation
If I’m ghosting for a week, writing articles about the side effects of antiquated amitriptyline or the evolution of human teeth, I find it nearly impossible to settle into writing a short story or even a simple journal entry. Conversely, if I’m on a sleepless reading jag, chest-deep in poetic prose and an old, revered story, I […]
Third Person POV Mystery
I’ve just closed the cover on a romance/mystery/family drama (not my usual choice, but I needed something light), and I’m left with a mystery of my own. The point of view utilized for telling the story was third person, no doubt, but as scenes changed (which happened every page or two), the specific point of […]
Adopting The Emperor’s Children, with Proviso
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In Chapter One of The Emperor’s Children by Claire Messud, a concept is introduced using a reference to a sign in a grubby-looking NYC Chinese restaurant. The sign reads, “Our chef is very famous in London.” This serves as an utter admittance of the fact that things aren’t going well in the Big Apple. The irony is thick; so […]
The Creative Ghostwriter 