As both a fiction and a nonfiction writer, I’ve given the two kinds of writing much thought. For some writers who create memoirs there is a murky line between writing fiction and nonfiction. For me, the writer of mysteries (pure fiction) and business books (pure nonfiction), the line is clearer. Indeed, as a nonfiction writer, […]
Flash Fiction–A Challenging Way to Write
As a novel writer, I find writing flash fiction daunting. That’s why I’m determined to give it a go. When I looked up how to define flash fiction, I learned that it can be anything from 75 words to 1000 words. The purpose is to say what you want to say in as few words […]
Animals in Your Stories
I love to read about characters who have pets. Whenever there is a cat or a dog in a book, my interest peaks. I do not, however, like it when animals do things that are superhuman. I don’t like for the animals to talk nor do I like it when they solve crimes. The one […]
Think You’re A Mystery Writer? Take this Quiz
What’s it take to write a mystery? Do you think you can do it? Take this quiz and find out True False 1. Everything I know about mysteries I’ve learned from Law and Order. 2. Blood and gore must be in all mystery-writing for it to be any good. 3. Sitting down to write a […]
First Sentences That Hook
I respect the writer who can grab his or her readers in that very first sentence. Often I underline the first sentence just to see what hooked me. What is it about the first sentence that is so important. As writers, we know that publishers and agents rarely read past the first sentence. If that […]
5 Misconceptions about Fiction Writing
It never ceases to amaze me when I tell someone I’ve written a novel, they say, “I’ve always wanted to write a novel.” It seems everyone seems to believe they, too, can write a novel. All they have to do is put pen to paper. That leads me to think about my 5 misconceptions about […]
What is Your Writing Style
Recently I read a blog interview with Beverly Bateman in which she talked about her writing style. I was intrigued to hear the way she “plots” out her books. Clearly her style and mine are different. Bateman is a plot driven writer. When asked whether her characters or her plot came first, she quickly responded, “No, […]
What is it with Antiheroes?
As a writer I’m fascinated by the trends in popular entertainment. Recently I’ve noticed the plethora of antiheroes. First, there was Walter White of the Breaking Bad ilk. As an avid viewer, I sat their gnawing on my nails, fearing our hero (or anti-hero) would be captured by his brother-in-law, DEA agent, Hank. What was […]
How Do You Develop Your Characters?
Recently an interviewer asked me the question, “What’s your process in developing your characters?” Here’s my answer: When I start a story, I have a protagonist in mind. That person becomes my main character. I have a vague idea of who some supporting characters might be, but many pop up as the story progresses. As an […]
So You Want to Be a Writer
I found this great verse by Charles Bukowski and thought I’d share it. So You Want to be a Writer If it doesn’t come bursting out of you in spite of everything, don’t do it. unless it comes unasked out of your heart and your mind and your mouth and your gut, don’t do it. […]
