Ask the Book Doctor

by Bobbie Christmas Q: I have lots of ideas for books, but I get started on one book and stop to work on another. How can I stay focused on…

by Bobbie Christmas Q: My new editor is fussy about the “show, not tell” axiom. Everything has to be as if it is played out on stage. If I have…

by Bobbie Christmas Q: I do not feel very productive in the way I write. How do you keep writing the rough draft without getting bogged down in revision or…

by Bobbie Christmas Note my addendum regarding the capitalization of animal breeds, at the end of this month’s column. Q: I’ve written a cookbook. I do not have any pictures…

by Bobbie Christmas Q: Because the completion of editing for my book is drawing near, I have been looking into agencies to represent it. I am a little disheartened by…

by Bobbie Christmas Q: Which of the following sentences do you think is better?       I was so frustrated that I gave up my quest for a gown.      I…

by Bobbie Christmas Q: If the wording following a colon can stand as a complete sentence, is it necessary to capitalize the first letter following the colon? A: It depends.…

By Bobbie Christmas, Book Doctor Q: Today’s “word of the day” was “verbicide,” but the definition left much to be desired. Will you give us some examples? A: Verbicide refers…

By Bobbie Christmas, Book Doctor Q: : Is there a time when self-publishing is a good idea? A: Yes, at times, but the answer is not simple. I give an…

By Bobbie Christmas Q: My daughter is a teacher, and she told me I should write about my travels to places such as Yellowstone National Park, Death Valley, and the…