Open Draft - with Fabio Cerpelloni

Today my guest is June Casagrande. June is a writer and journalist whose weekly grammar/humour column, “A Word, Please,” appears in community newspapers in California, Florida, and Texas. She's a former staff writer and editor for the Los Angeles Times' community news division, and her work has appeared in several regional and national publications in the US.June's also an author. She has published 6 books for writers. I've read two of them: - "The Best Punctuation Book, Period" (2nd edition out now!)- "It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences: A Writer's Guide to Crafting Killer Sentences" Crafting killer sentences is what our chat is mainly about.Enjoy!Resources & Links:- It Was the Best of Sentences, It Was the Worst of Sentences - https://www.amazon.com/Was-Best-Sentences-Worst-Crafting-ebook/dp/B0036S4AX6?ref_=ast_author_mpb- The Best Punctuation Book, Period (2nd Ed) - https://www.amazon.com/Best-Punctuation-Book-Period-Revised/dp/059384016X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2NUVP9N10234C&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.6aiRcD5PMrg30CmnvJx5i6BNIEf7wSe4HznzPhBwAp5DV0kfChsaWGwTZgR56esmz2tEGn-evA9LdIn-qCya1EEwOmuYvBQW45luO3QUCPU.AceCA4ghpcYhb5_hqpXtfTic6VOlX2o1Gd24Oyx507I&dib_tag=se&keywords=june+casagrande&qid=1778511989&sprefix=june+casagrand%2Caps%2C234&sr=8-1- June's blog (Grammar Underground) - https://www.grammarunderground.com/- Tiny Book Writer's Room - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/tiny-book-writers-room/- My website: https://fabiocerpelloni.com/

Wanna write a tiny nonfiction book? Here's why I recommend reading this book about copywriting.*Links*- Waiting list for the Tiny Book Writer's Room - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/tiny-book-writers-room/- My Substack (Tiny Authors) - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/

Your readers already know what's wrong...*Links*- Waiting list for the Tiny Book Writer's Room - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/tiny-book-writers-room/- Substack (Tiny Authors) - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/- 18 questions to find your reader - https://open.substack.com/pub/fabiocerpelloni/p/18-useful-questions-to-clarify-your?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web- Tiny Book Author (latest book) - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/tiny-book-author/

I'll tell you a bit about it...*Links*- Waiting list for the Tiny Book Writer's Room - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/tiny-book-writers-room/- Substack (Tiny Authors) - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private/- 18 questions to find your reader - https://open.substack.com/pub/fabiocerpelloni/p/18-useful-questions-to-clarify-your?utm_campaign=post-expanded-share&utm_medium=web- Tiny Book Author (latest book) - https://fabiocerpelloni.com/tiny-book-author/

Apply here - https://forms.gle/9A25Bkmmw4NU9q2HA

A clear definition of what it means to be a tiny book author and how to tell if that fits you. A discussion on the distinction between writing privately and publishing for others. Reasons to start with short books and why 10k–20k words can be powerful. Tips on serving readers, picking a specific audience, and low-pressure project ideas and prompts.

Feeling overwhelmed by the idea of writing a book? You don’t need a lengthy manuscript or a life of extraordinary experiences. Discover how anyone can become a Tiny Author with simple, impactful principles like knowing your audience and writing short. Hear about the transformative experiences that inspired a viral pep talk and the creation of a new tiny book. Fabio emphasizes the importance of feedback and connection as he shares his own journey into the world of writing.

In this conversation, I sit down with Tim DeMoss, the creator of the YouTube series "Reasons to Read." Tim shares the origin story of his channel, his favorite reading insights, and the creative process behind his recently published tiny book of fiction. We also discuss the challenge of maintaining focus while reading, why book summaries miss the point, how to get through thick books, and the difference between reading as consumption versus reading as participation in life.Enjoy the conversation!Videos mentioned:- Full "Reasons to Read" playlist (27 videos) - youtube.com/playlist?list=PLZpKwDwO5HwPrGyF9_Py_-BHcxbp_Co2c&si=Vl9Nnw3vK1iXofu5- Uncommon Reader video (books not summaries) - https://www.youtube.com/watch?list=PLZpKwDwO5HwPrGyF9_Py_-BHcxbp_Co2c&v=kh4Jb6Q4vA0&feature=youtu.be- The video Tim made on AI - https://youtu.be/Eyk_ncyY67U?list=PLZpKwDwO5HwPrGyF9_Py_-BHcxbp_Co2c- The video with the St. Exupery quote on participation in life - https://youtu.be/FR5w49rSOoo?list=PLZpKwDwO5HwPrGyF9_Py_-BHcxbp_Co2c- The video on "words are crayons, get a big box" - https://youtu.be/V_wAl4ORaKA?list=PLZpKwDwO5HwPrGyF9_Py_-BHcxbp_Co2c- The video on how reading helps with focus (your whole brain & both of your hands) - https://youtu.be/ObHyI5UrRTk?list=PLZpKwDwO5HwPrGyF9_Py_-BHcxbp_Co2cBooks/essays mentioned:- Turtle Eggs for Agassiz by Dallas Lore Sharp- The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett- Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury, including the introduction essay "Just This Side of Byzantium"- Zen in the Art of Writing by Ray Bradbury- Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury- Chapter 8 "Books" from Society & Solitude by Ralph Waldo Emerson. Attached is a PDF of the excerpt I mentioned & my thoughts on it.- James Chalk, Fair Buyer of Lightning by Tim DeMossJoin Better Writers: https://fabiocerpelloni.com/private

In my first tiny book, there are mistakes of various kinds. I've decided to keep them. Here's why.This video is based on a post I wrote on Substack. Read it for free here: https://open.substack.com/pub/fabiocerpelloni/p/this-is-writing?r=2iifxg&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false"Tiny Book Author" is now on Amazon - https://a.co/d/7QfZyr8

Do you prefer paper books or audiobooks? What about e-books? Do you think they’re the best? I have clear preferences when it comes to reading. (I wrote about this here - https://open.substack.com/pub/fabiocerpelloni/p/e-books-audiobooks-or-just-paper?r=2iifxg&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false)