Instead of answering a reader question, I’m going to do something a little different this month.

The Guardian newspaper in London recently asked a whole bunch of writers for their ten rules of writing. They got 29 responses, with well-known and respected writers like Jonathan Franzen, Zadie Smith and Joyce Carole Oates amongst them. The compendium of all this information is a real treasure trove of useful writerly advice – I suggest you read the whole two-part…

Dear Nancy,

I find it really hard to get going with my writing in the mornings. I get up early in order to have a couple of hours to write before I have to leave for work, but then I usually waste at least an hour checking the news online, reading email, going through bills, and other things that can wait. Absolutely anything can distract me, and I don’t get up at 5 a.m. to go through my bills. I want to write! Any tips for making my mornings more…

Dear Nancy,

I’m half way through the manuscript of my first book, and I’ve just finished a workshop in which I got some substantial feedback on my existing chapters. Now I don’t know what to do – should I go back and revise, or push forward with new pages?

Befuddled in Brooklyn.

Dear Befuddled,

I’m afraid there is no clear answer to this one. The best I can do is…it depends on the kind of revision that you are talking about. If the workshop has…