With NaNoWriMo looming ever nearer, I would like to hear your best tips, tricks, habits, and techniques for staying chained to the keyboard. [more inside]
posted by BitterOldPunk on Oct 22, 2009 - 26 answers

How often are the stories of a comic, novel, play, TV series, movie, or song conceived by the writer's friend, relative, acquaintance, neighbor, mailman, dog, etc? [more inside]
posted by TheSecretDecoderRing on May 28, 2009 - 14 answers

What is the best author interview you have found? [more inside]
posted by Dumsnill on Mar 28, 2009 - 19 answers

I need some new favourite writers! Please recommend some ones that I'll love as much as Mark Kurlansky and Italo Calvino, etc. [more inside]
posted by troika on Nov 17, 2008 - 30 answers

Are there any reasonably well-known (or even famous) writers who are truly multi-genre? [more inside]
posted by wackybrit on Nov 10, 2008 - 54 answers

Women writers like Neal Stephenson, are there any? [more inside]
posted by exceptinsects on Oct 5, 2008 - 18 answers

In your opinion, who are the best female science fiction authors? What are the best scifi books written by women? [more inside]
posted by taz on Feb 8, 2008 - 106 answers

Is there any resource online that lists fiction (and possibly non-fiction) authors by age? [more inside]
posted by aclevername on Dec 29, 2007 - 5 answers

Smallish bunch of creative writer-types (who've met up in person a couple of times) would like somewhere to hang out online: please suggest what kind of website might suit us best. [more inside]
posted by freston on Nov 28, 2007 - 5 answers

I just found out that the dystopian/futuristic movie Children of Men is based on a novel by P.D. James. It made me think of the excellent short story The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster. It made me wonder: are other examples of mainstream authors experimenting with speculative fiction? [more inside]
posted by nanojath on Apr 22, 2007 - 36 answers

Help me to let go of my bias against women's fiction. What fiction books written by women would a "real" man like? [more inside]
posted by Xurando on Feb 13, 2007 - 77 answers

How to (tactfully and successfully) get some major names to look at some of my writing? Of course there is [more inside]
posted by exlotuseater on Jul 18, 2006 - 18 answers

After reading this fascinating thread, I'm curious: How many published authors are among our number? I'd love to see who's here and what kinds of books you've written.
posted by Vidiot on Dec 28, 2004 - 46 answers

Friends who write books: My question is simple. If a friend has had a book published (not their first by any means) by a well-known publisher and one notices several typos in the text, is it best not to mention them? Or is it polite to commiserate with said friend over the lack of thoroughness on the part of the publisher? I don't want to be rude, but I want to show that I really have read the book.
posted by different on Dec 10, 2004 - 16 answers

I recall reading an article critizing some of today's popular writers (Clancy and King were two I recall) for being bland or suffering from too much Strunk and White. What then are some modern writers who gush with their own, unique style? [more inside]
posted by grefo on Nov 29, 2004 - 36 answers