THE SYDNEY SHELDON MISTAKE Many years ago I stumbled upon a Sydney Sheldon book on the rack at a local grocery store. I picked it up, read a bit, and said to myself: I can write better with my eyes closed. Well, hyperbole or no, there was some truth in that statement. Most likely, the work was not written by Sheldon at all, but some hack ghost brought in by the publisher to poorly imitate Sheldon. Sound implausible? Not at all. Lots of big names are " hyperbranded " these days, i.e., they don't write their own stuff. They are a brand. Others write for them and the original authors simply wave a hand in approval, or nod their mythic head, or something such as that. And btw, yes, I know this is all old news. Regardless, new writers often make the mistake of emulating established authors who have grown lazy, hyperbranded , or just plain crappy over the years. They ape their characters, plots, and even writing styles, then become astonished or even hostile when agents or...