Words writers don't want to hear

In honor of the most overused words and phrases of 2012, (here's a link)

http://www.canada.com/entertainment/Gallery+most+overused+words+phrases+2012/7760091/story.html

I’ve come up with my own list of words and phrases that writers never want to hear again:

Simultaneous submissions not accepted

Entry fee

We regret to inform you

Agented submissions only

Not what we are currently in the market for

Doesn’t meet our needs

Do not contact us

Unfortunately, we cannot afford to pay

My wish for the new year is that we don’t hear any of these phrases in 2013!

Write soon,

Mary

Pseudo-fun!

What do porn stars and writers have in common?

They use pseudonyms! What did you think I was talking about?

Do you recognize these names?

1)     Anne Rampling

2)     Richard Bachman

3)     Victoria Lucas

4)     Currer Bell

5)     Charles Lutwidge Dodgson

6)     Eric Arthur Blair

7)     Mary Ann Evans

8)     William Sydney Porter

9)     Francois-Marie Arouet

10) David John Moore Cornwell

11) Sanuel Langhorne Clemens

12) Theodore Seuss Geisel

13) Edgar Box

14) Diedrich Nickerbocker

These may be a little more familiar.

1)     Anne Rice

2)     Stephen King

3)     Sylvia Plath

4)     Charlotte Bronte

5)     Lewis Carroll

6)     George Orwell

7)     George Eliot

8)     O. Henry

9)     Voltaire

10) John Le Carre’

11) Mark Twain

12) Dr. Seuss

13) Gore Vidal

14) Washington Irving

They are the same people (match the numbers).

Tell me, have you ever used a pseudonym?

Write soon,

Mary

So many books, so little time

Thousands of free e-books are available to you regardless of which e-reader you use. The Gutenberg Project at Gutenberg.org features the classics, as does OpenLibrary.org and ManyBooks.net. 

Free-ebooks.net is another valuable site, and don’t forget to search “free nook books” at Barnes and Noble (BN.com). Amazon.com also has freebies if you search “free Kindle books.”

Write soon,

Mary