Writing – Page 4 – Nick Owchar

Want to Write a Book? Here’s a Reality Check

December 27, 2017December 27, 2017 by Nick Owchar, posted in Publishing, Writing

Not all pictures are worth a thousand words, but this one certainly is. It captures the point of this post better than any words. Why do you want to write a book/book(s)? There are writing coaches who want their clients to be clear about the story, but I also want them to be clear about … Continue reading Want to Write a Book? Here’s a Reality Check

Would cutting 400 pages make it a better book?

December 17, 2017 by Nick Owchar, posted in editing, Hideo Yokoyama, Los Angeles Review of Books, Publishing, Writing

By page 300 of Hideo Yokoyama's novel Six Four, I was getting weary. "Where's the editor?" I kept thinking. "Didn't someone have the courage to tell this guy his story isn't working? The questions of a book critic and a manuscript editor are sometimes the same ones. It was true as I prepared my review … Continue reading Would cutting 400 pages make it a better book?

Haunted by Ghostwriting: Richard Flanagan

December 3, 2017 by Nick Owchar, posted in Books, editing, ghostwriting, Writing

Truly, ghostwriting is a gift. An ability to inhabit another’s voice and speak as if it were your own. The fact that the little word “ghost” is attached at the front doesn’t change one fact: This is real writing. Difficult writing. Just like any writing. When it works best (as in Andre Agassi’s memoir … Continue reading Haunted by Ghostwriting: Richard Flanagan