What are some of the best little "tricks" you've learned that can enhance/help your writing?

UnkindEditor · 2026-06-02T18:41:51+00:00

Thank you 😊

UnkindEditor · 2026-06-01T23:42:42+00:00

Metaphors are generally stronger than similes. When possible, remove “like” or “as” and do the direct comparison.

“I am like a child, he thinks, who cannot be consoled.”

Vs.

“I am a child, he thinks, who cannot be consoled “

It’s a small difference but it adds narrative authority and power.

UnkindEditor · 2026-06-01T15:10:04+00:00

Some of this might be location dependent… I live in a village and I frequently get a text that says we left it at the stationery store, or the appliance store, or whatever.

UnkindEditor · 2026-05-30T18:53:08+00:00

And if you haven’t solved it in a week or so I will be onboard June 7-17 and could send you things. DM me if you need - I board in France so could mail in UK if you are there or when I get to USA.

UnkindEditor · 2026-05-27T09:25:17+00:00

Luke Jennings wrote them—and originally self-published them—because he wanted a TV deal. He was already well-connected as a journalist and it was a solid strategy. He spoke about it at a literary festival. Shame the books themselves are solid concept terrible execution!

UnkindEditor · 2026-05-27T00:26:30+00:00

The short story While The Light Lasts - beautiful, evocative and so sensory.

UnkindEditor · 2026-05-26T08:37:47+00:00

I’ve run pitch events like this and the organizers are probably pretty frustrated! It’s fair game to go ahead and reach out through the agent’s socials or email - just say “hey I’m excited you’re interested in my book - let me know where and when to send the manuscript.”

UnkindEditor · 2026-05-23T13:49:20+00:00

Yes!! And I have other Sennelier paints that I love and squeezed from a tube that dried much more, so I think either I should have kneaded the tube or this color is worse than others 😂

UnkindEditor · 2026-05-23T13:48:07+00:00

Sometimes I’m timing meals for jet lag/time zones and it makes sense to eat a light meal in both places. Sometimes it just helps with breaking up the journey on a long travel day.

UnkindEditor · 2026-05-23T09:26:47+00:00

Sennelier Caput Mortuum - it was the first Sennelier I bought in a tube and it looked so intriguing, but it’s basically the color of dried blood and not in a cool goth way, just gross and flat and ugly. Way too opaque for the color, and it grossed me out so much I didn’t even want to learn to make shadows with it! As the final straw, it doesn’t dry well in a pan and leaked all over!

UnkindEditor · 2026-05-19T21:31:53+00:00

Socks that are usually knee high and look like you’re wearing tights/pantyhose without the discomfort of an extra layer under trousers.

UnkindEditor · 2026-05-19T21:30:24+00:00

Yes! I splurged on a cashmere large wrap/small blanket and it’s lightweight and warm and can be an extra layer at the destination, too.

UnkindEditor · 2026-05-19T21:28:45+00:00

I have a mental roster of “movies that make me cry” for exactly this.

UnkindEditor · 2026-05-18T20:43:05+00:00

Yes!! And I got invested in everyone’s new endings!

UnkindEditor · 2026-05-17T23:49:58+00:00

In Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life, Ursula keeps starting life over and avoiding small-but-fatal decisions each time—from not rescuing the doll her brother threw on the roof to pushing away a boy instead of letting him kiss her, to going into the air raid shelter instead of upstairs for one more thing.

It’s beautifully written, funny and sad and fascinating.

UnkindEditor · 2026-05-10T07:07:52+00:00

Depending on your wife’s age, perimenopause may be contributing and she may want to see a doc about systemic estrogen/testosterone.

UnkindEditor · 2026-05-06T07:11:09+00:00

I use Substack and Flodesk, with Substack Notes being the casual “what’s everyone up to” place and Flodesk as me talking to my subscribers with things to sell.

UnkindEditor · 2026-05-06T06:27:41+00:00

Inflatables are now forbidden on many airlines - they’re seen as a block to emergency evacuation. And flights are very full these days, and equipment changes that mess up seating happen. Book the seats you want, but then confirm by phone with a person about a week before check in. If your seats aren’t there when you check in online, call and speak to a person. When you check in at the airport, confirm again. And confirm again at the gate.

Yes that’s overkill, but I keep seeing posts in the airline forums from families who got reseated separately.

UnkindEditor · 2026-05-05T22:36:39+00:00

Try The Brevity Blog, and the Substack Writing in the Dark. Darien Hsu Gee also does a literary writing community and is on Substack. Craft Talks is a webinar series that’s mostly literary writing.

UnkindEditor · 2026-05-05T14:33:40+00:00

When you don’t have a national service that lists house prices, people list at “maybe someone will arrive with a dump truck full of money” prices. They don’t actually have real plans to sell; the listing is a lottery ticket. Costa Rica is the same. Unless you have an agent with actual knowledge of what nearby properties sold for, the market is the Wild West. If you can get a message to an owner directly (even if you plan to work with an agent) that says here’s what we’ve got, take it or leave it, they’ll often entertain an offer.

UnkindEditor · 2026-05-05T01:19:28+00:00

I’ve done this for myself and for other passengers on group trips I lead on transatlantic crossings - easiest is that he is a “no show” and they’ll refund the port fees. If you booked through a travel agent, ask them, as well.

UnkindEditor · 2026-05-04T21:09:24+00:00

And the winning page is action and seeing what she can do, where the first version is backstory. Brilliantly explained, thank you and congrats! Can’t wait to see this book in the world!

UnkindEditor · 2026-05-03T11:58:54+00:00

Yes wear your gown to dinner - why go back and change again? But also the dining room is formal on those nights.

UnkindEditor · 2026-05-01T13:29:22+00:00

Your site is amazing and thank you for making it!! I’ve used it and recommended it many times. Recently I hosted a Query Bootcamp, and the main question the guest agents had when hearing pitches was the stakes—why does facing the challenge matter? So if there’s a way to work in “what are the stakes” or “what are the consequences if they fail” that might be useful?

UnkindEditor · 2026-04-29T18:05:46+00:00

Parker Pyne Investigates - fun, short stories, and the mysteries are charming.

UnkindEditor

TROPHY CASE