I can finally put a big red checkmark next to my latest rewrite of The Deepest Breath. It’s taken me two months longer than I anticipated, but as soon as I finish proofreading the hard copy, this draft is finished. I always resist printing manuscripts, since I hate using up all that paper and ink and I hate even more having to wrestle with the sadistic whims of the modern printer. But sometimes I can just feel when I need to be reading a hard copy. It’s a surprisingly different experience from reading off the screen. I always change the font face and size to something more ink economizing, so the look of the words and their arrangement on the page changes. Plus, the fact that editing is no longer a fluid, one-shot approach, but instead a three-step system of write it down in the margins, read it over later, then type it into the computer requires a whole new outlook. And then there’s always the added benefit of being able to leave my desk and curl up in a comfy chair with a cup of coffee!

On the whole, I’m really happy with how the book has turned out. My major goals were to switch the narrative from present to past tense, to strengthen the cohesion of the scenes, and to modify two of the primary characters’ arcs. We’ll see what the betas say, but I feel like it’s a much better animal than it was four months ago.

In other news, since you may be wondering why I’ve sprouted Yoda ears in the picture, I’d like to announce a fun drawing over on my blog. I’m really not sure how to tie this one in with writing—except maybe that writers are generally nerds and nerds love them some Star Wars. The truth is I bought my brother a Yoda ears hat for Christmas without realizing I was actually buying a set of four. So I thought I’d share the wealth! If you’d like a chance to be one of three lucky people with a warm and wise head, jump over to my blog and leave a comment. I’ll be announcing the winners Friday, March 8.

Even as she scrabbles for a living as a pickpocket on the streets of Victorian London, Mary somehow knows her terror of the streetlamps holds the key to her forgotten past. But not until she and her conman protector are drawn into a daring prison break will she come face to face with the horrifying memory of the night that shattered her life and trapped her in a world of darkness. A short story (9,000 words).

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Q. Do you believe that to gain acceptance to the society of published authors, one must first hold a college degree? Clearly writing has "something" (haha) to do with it but when it comes to commercial salability, is a BS an equal part of the equation? I am not a conspiracy theorist and my question is not rooted in the same ground as soured grapes but I wonder if, all other things considered, I am writing, and striving, and working from an extreme disadvantage for not having finished my college courses fourteen years ago. Is this an absurd notion? If so, is it safe to once again believe that writing success comes down to talent and discipline and quality of work, no matter what? Thank you for any thoughts you may have.―Chris

A. I absolutely, positively, no-doubt-about-it don't believe a college degree is in any way crucial to a successful writing career. I do not have a college degree myself, and I know many other fine authors who do not. In fact, although I respect anyone who was able to acquire a degree, I actually feel the years spent in college gaining an MFA, or whatever other applicable degree, are years that could be better spent actually writing the stories you're passionate about.

The best way to learn to write is first to do it, second to read voraciously, and third to study writing how-to books, articles, blogs, etc. Objective feedback from either trustworthy critique partners and beta readers or a hired editor is also important. Certain college courses can help you gain some or all of these, but, in my opinion, you can do it all much better, cheaper, and quicker by spending your time and money elsewhere.

So it's my opinion that you don't need to worry in the least about a lack of a college degree. If your story rocks, agents, editors, and readers won't even think to check if you have a degree.

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If dialogue is pasta, then action beats are the cream sauce on top—which is to say, action beats are a luxurious and often addictive additive to an already self-sufficient entrée. The action beat (and its near cousin the dialogue tag) serve several purposes within a story:

1. It identifies which characters are speaking.
2. It breaks up lengthy sections of dialogue.
3. It indicates crucial physical actions.

Action beats are a smidge more important to a balanced story than is Alfredo sauce to a balanced diet. But like any delicious pasta topper, action beats can lead the unguarded author into excess. The thing about great dialogue is that it stands on its own. As arguably the only true form of “showing” within a written story, dialogue offers a unique demonstrative power. Part of its magic is that it can trigger vivid accompanying images within the readers’ imagination, without the author having to explain further.

When one character is screaming, “I hate you!,” we automatically envision his scrunched and red face. The author doesn’t have to tell us his nostrils are dilating or his forehead is lined. Same goes when another character whispers, “I love you!” We see the adoring upturn of her eyes and hear the emotion trembling in her voice without needing an action beat to tell us so. And the dialogue is all the stronger for not being diluted with unnecessary beats.

Many beats, of course, are necessary. Readers aren’t likely to imagine one character dumping a bowl of spinach salad over another character’s head unless you tell them what’s happening. But don’t miss the opportunity to scrutinize every action beat. If a beat doesn’t move the story forward or add some fresh new detail, you can almost certainly cut it.