On those occasions such as this morning, when I start my day with a leftover slice from Ballpark Pizza, I always think of the fasting guru who told me that any food was permissible when breaking a fast, "unless, you know, it's pizza."

What follows is a cautionary tale, though not about nutrition.

I spent years copying the habits of other writers, thinking they were the one true way to put words on the page. So, since the great amount of email I receive comes from people who want to write a book of their own (or have me ghost for them), here are a couple other things I've picked up along the way. . . .