“I had been a reporter for 15 years when I set out to write my first novel. I knew how to research an article or profile a subject - skills that I assumed would be useless when it came to fiction. It was from my imagination that the characters in my story would emerge.” WritingYearsFirstsCharacterStoriesWould BeImaginationFictionNovelSubjectsSkillsResearchUselessArticlesReportersMy ImaginationProfile Author:Amy Waldman
“"Very" is the most useless word in the English language and can always come out. More than useless, it is treacherous because it invariably weakens what it is intended to strengthen. For example, would you rather hear the mincing shallowness of "I love you very much" or the heart-slamming intensity of "I love you"?” WritingHeartLanguageLove YouExampleUselessIntensityEnglish LanguageTreacherousShallownessI Love You Very Much Author:Florence King