Now That I Know the Rules, I'll Play the Game Better

My copy of The Byline Bible is fast filling with sticky notes and margin notes. This is the "how to" I couldn't find in other writing books. Shapiro skips the canned writing exercises and goes straight to telling you what to do—"three pages, first person"—and why—"editors want timely topics"—and follows with examples (that even I get). She encourages her reader with "everybody has a story," then adds, "but few know how to tell it well." So if pets, specifically a dog and cat, are a timely topic but children's stories don't appeal to editors, then I need to rethink my angle in recalling the dog that dug up his BFF cat three times. Oh the words I've wasted waiting on this author's sage advice.