Marc D. Baldwin

5 Tips for Beating Writer’s Block

Some of us suffer from writer’s block. In my case, though, it can’t really be called suffering, since I end up doing all the fun stuff I’d rather do instead of writing. OF COURSE I can find time to hit the coffee shop or ice cream counter!! Even Solitaire... Read >

5 Ways to Write Like a Modernist

Modernism was an artistic, cultural, and even philosophical period from approximately 1885-1935 or so. Why should that matter to a writer? How could knowing a little bit about Modernism help you write a better novel or story? Because knowing the history ... Read >

How to Write a Classic Novel: 5 Elements That Will Turn Your Book into a Masterpiece

Want to write a novel that doesn’t just sell well but is also a classic, one that people are reading 100 years from now? Who doesn’t, right? Well, if you have some talent and try to include these 5 elements, your words—if not you yourself--might become im... Read >

How to Write Real Characters

If you think to the books that most stand out in your own mind, you will probably remember the ones that have the best, most memorable characters. Although a plot brings the reader along, creating that demand to know “what happens next," a good sense ... Read >

Writing Plots for the Ages: Keep Them Turning the Pages

When we have a story to tell, we usually have the plot in mind and a plot is actually a very simple thing:   • A young man quits his job.   • A ship captained by a driven man pursues a white whale   • A prince seeks revenge for his murdered father.  ... Read >

Writing Description: The John Updike Way

Perhaps the most important piece of advice a writing teacher can give is “show, don’t tell." Often, as writers, we have a very clear idea in mind of who is saying what where when something is happening. However, creating that same image in our reader’s mi... Read >

5 Tips for Getting your Scholarly Book Published

It’s no secret that venues for scholarly publication, especially in the humanities, have constricted in the last twenty years. Fiscal pressures have compelled many academic institutions to retrench. The upshot has been a reduction of operating subsidies f... Read >

Writing Tips from Alexis deTocqueville

It’s not often you get writing advice from one of the world’s greatest political theorists. But Alexis de Tocqueville wasn’t just a great thinker, he was a great writer. Furthermore, he was a great writer who worked hard on his writing. In his notes, he o... Read >

Top 12 Tips in Writing a Dissertation

Very often, when doctoral candidates complete their dissertations, they seek an editor to give them guidance on the structure and organization of their writing. Such guidance can range from the document or chapter level to the individual clause level and ... Read >

4 Ways to Deconstruct Writing: Are Your Words Yours or Are You Theirs?

Deconstruction is a radical critical theory popularized by the French philosopher Jacques Derrida. He and others after him took the analysis of language and communication deeper than it had ever gone before. In essence, they took words, sentences, pieces ... Read >