Artificial Intelligence
by Bobbie Christmas (and AI) Q: What are your feelings about using artificial intelligence to write a novel? A: I’m intrigued with all the discussions about AI. My opinion is…
Ask the Book Doctor
What Agents and Publishers Want
by Bobbie Christmas Q: I just received an encouraging response from an agent I queried regarding my manuscript of fiction. The agent is requesting, among other things, a description (approximately…
How to Handle Numbers
by Bobbie Christmas Q: When am I supposed to write out numbers or use the numeral? Do I use the actual number, for example, 5, or do I write five?…
Author Intrusion
by Bobbie Christmas Q: Someone online the other day inquired about a quick, easy way to look up questions about writing. People suggested The Elements of Style by Strunk and…
Style Issues
by Bobbie Christmas Q: What does it mean when a magazine says, “No serial commas, except to avoid confusion.” What are serial commas? A: Also called the Oxford comma, a…
All About Titles
by Bobbie Christmas Q: I’ve written five short stories for children compiled in one book. Each short story has a title and subtitle. The book has a title and subtitle.…
About Expletives
by Bobbie Christmas For some reason I’m seeing more expletives than ever in the manuscripts I edit, so rather than a Q & A today, I’m going to address expletives…
Formatting a Manuscript
by Bobbie Christmas Q: How important is the format of my manuscript? If I don’t follow standard manuscript format, can my book get rejected? A: I can’t speak for every…
Tight Writing and Voice
by Bobbie Christmas Q: There is someone in my current critique circle who keeps saying, “Write tight.” Is he just being incredibly critical, or is he just trying to say…
About Agents and Publishers
by Bobbie Christmas Q: I just received an encouraging response from an agent I queried regarding my fiction manuscript. The agent requested a description (approximately one-page summary) and a synopsis…