“ The Puffer Fish: Wherein the author flaunts his vocabulary. His father was IRA and his mother was Quebecois, and they had reliquished their mortal coils in the internecine conflagration that ended their conjoined separatist movement, IRA-Q. The appellation he… — Howard Mittelmark Copy Share Image
“Overuse at best is needless clutter; at worst, it creates the impression that the characters are overacting, emoting like silent film stars. Still, an… — Howard Mittelmark Copy Share Image
“Do not think us as traffic cops, or even driving instructors. Think of us instead as your onboard navigation system, available day or night,… — Howard Mittelmark Copy Share Image
“Giving a reader a sex scene that is only half right is like giving her half of a kitten. It is not half as… — Howard Mittelmark Copy Share Image
“Alice in Lapland. Any undue interest in or physical contact with children will set off alarms. If you do not want your reader to… — Howard Mittelmark Copy Share Image
“The male author unthinkingly creates a world in which every single member of society is male except—hey presto!—when the protagonist feels like getting laid.… — Howard Mittelmark Copy Share Image
“Authors often say that their novels are like their children, and you want your novel, just like your children, to reflect well on you.… — Howard Mittelmark Copy Share Image
“...This particular blunder is known as deus ex machina , which is French for "Are you fucking kidding me?” — Howard Mittelmark Copy Share Image
“ The Puffer Fish: Wherein the author flaunts his vocabulary. His father was IRA and his mother was Quebecois, and they had reliquished their… — Howard Mittelmark Copy Share Image
“Gregor Samsa awoke one morning to find himself turned into an enormous symbol.” — Howard Mittelmark Copy Share Image
“...This type of ending is a special instance of deus ex machina , known as the folie adieu , which is French for "Are… — Howard Mittelmark Copy Share Image
