It's Time to Start Romanticizing Your Rewrite Process
nofilmschool.com – Thursday September 3, 2026
For many people’s scripts, the rewriting process can feel like Hell on Earth. Writer John Vorhaus recently sat down with Film Courage to talk about why he actually likes the rewriting process more than the initial draft.
Let’s talk about the tricks he does to feel this way, and a couple I’ve got up my sleeve as well.
Speedrun Your First Draft
This was actually something that took me a long time to get used to doing. I had heard this piece of advice a lot when I was writing my very first scripts, and despite all of the heroes of mine I was hearing say it, I couldn’t bring myself to do it. I was always an edit-as-I-go writer. It made me feel better about my work in the moment, but by the time I was actually done with a draft, my “final edits” from months ago were outdated already, and I had to start over anyway. This is super duper draining, and you should avoid doing it as much as possible.
No matter what, the first draft that you finish won’t be your last, so try your absolute hardest to just vomit all of your thoughts onto the page just to get something done with a through line. If there are any editors out there, think of it like an assembly cut for a film. Everything is on the table, and all you have to do now is cut it down and make it pretty.
A Beginner’s Guide to Arts Council Ireland and Words Ireland Funding for Authors
breakingac.com – Monday August 31, 2026
Breaking into the writing world is hard enough without worrying about how to pay your bills while you finish a manuscript. The good news for anyone based in Ireland is that there’s real, structured financial support available; you just need to know where to look. Two names come up again and again in this space: Arts Council Ireland and Words Ireland. Together, they form the backbone of financial and developmental support for writers, and understanding how they work is the first step toward building a sustainable writing career.
This guide walks you through both organisations, the funding options they offer, and how they connect to the wider landscape of book publishers Ireland relies on to bring new voices into print.
Why Funding Matters for Emerging Authors
Writing a book takes time often years. Most authors can’t simply quit their day job and write full-time without some form of financial cushion. That’s where public funding bodies step in. Arts Council Ireland exists precisely to fill this gap, offering grants, bursaries, and awards that let writers dedicate real time to their craft instead of squeezing it into evenings and weekends. A well-funded writer is also a more attractive prospect for book publishers Ireland has to offer, since a completed, well-developed manuscript is far easier to place than a half-finished draft.
The Desert Masterpiece: Why ‘Dune’ Is the Novel That Changed Sci-Fi Forever
parade.com – Monday August 31, 2026
Dune‘s place in literary history has been debated, but it is generally regarded as one of the first major science fiction epics. As reported by The Guardian, prior to Dune’s release in 1965, the sci-fi genre was mostly comprised of short stories, and Dune is anything but short. Perhaps as a result of its length, the novel is also credited as being the first sci-fi novel to do such extensive world-building and bring in more literary themes, such as social hierarchies, war and religion.
It’s not surprising, then, that Dune won the first-ever Nebula Award for Best Novel in 1965. It also won the Hugo Award in 1966 for Best Novel, which recognizes the best of science fiction (it tied with the book …And Call Me Conrad by Roger Zelazny).
The book is also frequently compared to Lord of the Rings because of its scope and detail. In fact, per The Guardian, when it was first published in 1965, the book featured this quote from science fiction writer Arthur C. Clarke: “I know nothing comparable to it except The Lord of the Rings.”
How to make a bestseller: insiders reveal the tricks of the book trade
theguardian.com – Saturday August 29, 2026
Think about the last book you bought. How did you choose it? Was it from a recommendation, a review, a TikTok video? Did the cover grab you, were you swayed by the quotes on the front, or did you just happen to spot it on an appealing table as you walked into the shop? Did you think about all the nudges that led you to that decision – by the publisher, the bookseller or that person you follow on Insta?
The reality is that our reading choices are directed and massaged at every turn. “It’s all about the art of persuasion,” says Philip Gwyn Jones, who was a publisher for more than 30 years and is now a literary agent. And who are the persuaders? They’re the booksellers, the supermarket stock buyers, the publishing houses and their ranks of marketers and publicists. And, more recently, persuasion often comes from BookTokers and online influencers, social media videos, podcasts and Instagram posts. How is all this changing publishing?
We all judge books to some extent by their covers, but did you know how much thought goes into finding just the right cover, colour, font and design? These covers are focus-grouped, shown to supermarket buyers and often changed at their behest, according to Jamie Keenan, one of Britain’s leading book designers. “That happens quite a lot,” he says. “If Tesco with commercial books, or Waterstones with literary stuff, don’t like it, they’ve got a tremendous amount of clout.” (Waterstones and Tesco declined to speak to me for this piece.)
When and How to Nudge Agents
janefriedman.com – Tuesday August 25, 2026
If you haven’t heard back from an agent and you’re starting to wonder if you ever will, you might consider sending the agent a nudge. These are short inquiries asking for confirmation that your query was received and if a reply was sent.
Before you nudge, first determine if it’s an appropriate time to do so. Start with the agent’s reply rate on QueryTracker (refer to the online tutorial at QueryTracker for details). If their reply rate is very low (20% or less), that means they rarely reply and there is probably no point in nudging. They probably abide by the implied rejection policy.
Check the comments on the agent’s QueryTracker profile to see if anyone else is also waiting, and what happened if any of them nudged. If others are nudging and not getting replies to their nudges, then you should move on to the next agent.
Only nudge if other people are receiving replies. But before you do, make sure enough time has elapsed. You certainly don’t want to nudge too soon and frustrate the agent.
To determine the appropriate amount of time to wait before nudging, check the agent’s website to see if they state a projected reply time. Then check the agent’s typical reply time on QueryTracker. Take whichever is longest and add two weeks to it. Only after that time has elapsed should you consider nudging. If you want to be extra sure, give it a few more weeks still. Agents are often several weeks behind on getting through their queries.
After Editing Two AI-Assisted Manuscripts, I Rewrote My Client Agreement
janefriedman.com – Thursday August 13, 2026
Having worked on thousands of manuscripts as a freelance editor, I’ve developed a pretty reliable instinct for what makes a project difficult to edit. That said, I have never priced my services according to a manuscript’s overall perceived “quality” or the level of “effort” required to offer feedback (as these judgments are extremely subjective).
Recently, AI-generated writing has entered my inbox, and this has made me rethink what editors are being asked to do, how, and how to charge for operating in this new world.
Earlier this year, I unknowingly accepted two AI-assisted novels back-to-back. Why? Well, I didn’t ask … and the clients didn’t disclose their chatbot use. Now, this article isn’t an ethical argument about AI. Writers will make their own decisions about where and whether these tools belong in their creative process, as will the industry at large. This is, however, an article about how editors should protect themselves accordingly from AI “scope creep” with new contracts and even fee schedules.
Why Your Book Description Feels Flat—and How to Fix It
janefriedman.com – Wednesday August 12, 2026
Every good blurb takes readers on an emotional journey—a sort of miniature version of your story. You’re creating a series of emotional beats that guide readers from:
Curiosity > Interest > Action
If this progression is missing, your blurb will feel flat and directionless. Your blurb should move through three stages:
- Who is your protagonist?
- What is going on with the plot?
- Why should I turn the page?
Your “who” should spark curiosity by establishing your protagonist’s unique situation. Your “what” covers the problems your protagonist is facing. Your “why” convinces readers to click “Look Inside” or make a purchase. This could be an unanswered question, an impossible choice, a major threat, or a promise of transformation.
How a Debut Self-Published Novel Earned Five Figures in 10 Weeks Without Kindle Unlimited
janefriedman.com – Wednesday August 12, 2026
When I made the decision to self-publish my historical novel Emmaline, I had little knowledge about book publishing. But having spent 25 years in journalism and marketing, I understood enough to know that publishing was both art and business. I suspected the same marketing principles that I used to help organizations communicate with audiences would also serve me in this new endeavor, even if I had to learn the business side of book publishing from scratch.
Emmaline is an adult historical novel primarily set during the 1856 Mormon handcart migration. It follows a 14-year-old girl who escapes a forced plural marriage. The book explores themes like grief, religious coercion, polygamy, and the struggle for personal agency. But at its heart, Emmaline is a character-driven story about resilience.
Defining the goal
I started by asking myself the question I have asked marketing clients over the years: What is your goal? I don’t believe there is one perfect marketing strategy for anything. Start with your goal and work backward to get there.
Some indie authors simply want to have a book printed for family and friends. Others want to publish frequently and build a profitable backlist. I didn’t want either of those things. I wanted to produce a novel that could stand alongside traditionally published comps and be taken seriously. None of these goals is right or wrong. But each leads to a different set of publishing decisions.
AI-generated stories rated better quality than human-written ones, study finds
theguardian.com – Thursday August 6, 2026
Researcher says simpler writing by AI is easier to read and digest, but this does not mean human authors are obsolete
From Homer’s Odyssey to Agatha Christie’s crime fiction, humans have produced plenty of tales to grace the bookshelf. But research suggests artificial intelligence may now be providing some competition.
In a study published in the journal Judgment and Decision Making, 1,682 adults were asked to read one of six short stories, three of which were written by humans and three by ChatGPT. Each AI story had a similar theme to one of the human-authored works.
The team told participants whether their story was written by a human or AI, but this information was not always correct. The researchers then asked participants to rate how absorbing and engaging they found the story, and its quality.
Participants who read an AI-generated story rated it as more absorbing and of higher quality than those who read a story written by a human. However, participants gave higher ratings to stories they had been told were written by people.
David Baldacci in Conversation at Theakston’s Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival
on-magazine.co.uk – Sunday August 2, 2026
He’s the superstar author with a movie star’s megawatt smile, a former lawyer whose novels have been translated into 45 different languages, selling around 130 million copies of them have been sold around the world.
Having had such success, coupled with his slick look, you might expect David Baldacci to be an over-confident, brash individual, but not a bit of it. Instead, he exudes old world charm and humility and, 30 years on from the publication of his first book, he remains as thrilled as ever by the writing process.
As a result, he was as pleased as punch to receive the Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction award at Harrogate’s Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival on Thursday evening.
“It means everything,” he claims. “When I say that British crime writing is the gold standard, I really mean that. And being rewarded by your peers is an amazing thing. They know how the sausages are made and that they’re not always pretty!
“I’m just thrilled that we have 20,000 people attending a writing festival somewhere on the planet. That’s incredible. I’m going to go home and tell everyone about it.”
It’s not his first visit to the event – that came in 2011, but it was a whole different ballgame back then: “There were no tents, that I can tell you. There were still thousands of people, but nothing like this.”
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