going south & 3 lines

two interesting essays on writing:

Going South / Tim Hallinan
reflections from "There are three things that tell me when I'm in trouble on a book.."
to "So what should I do when everything goes south?.."
coming with this great quote: "Annie Dillard once said that writing a book was like taming a lion – every day you stay out of the cage, it's more dangerous to step inside."

Wednesdays mean marketing / your book in 3 lines
"One of the first and most important pieces of information you’ll need in order to market your book is a quick two-to-three sentence spiel about your book. While this seems like an easy thing to do, it’s not as easy as it seems. I liken the process to Hollywood. Everyone there wants to hear the synopsis of the next blockbuster in as few words as possible..."