
Make deletions work for you
I admit, my filing system isn’t as tidy as that of my colleagues. I print out paragraphs I’ve cut and thumbtack them to a bulletin board. Entire deleted chapters of my nonfiction and fiction books sit on my computer’s desktop as well as on top of my actual desk. Some would view these discarded pieces as failures. I see them as rich with possibility for publication and a paycheck. I spend an hour each week reading up on new magazines and what editors are looking for and then spruce up my darlings and send them off into the world.