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 […]
Martha Grimes Spoofs the Publishing Industry
Recently I read The Way of All Fish by Martha Grimes. If you want a good laugh or two, pick it up. Grimes, one of the best crime/mystery writers of our time, created the delicious Richard Jury, Scotland Yard hero, as well as casts of characters that kept readers inthralled for years. In this new […]
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 […]
I Couldn’t Care Less That you Could Care Less
Another grammatical dilemma facing writers is the common expression: I couldn’t care less vs. I could care less. A colleague once asked me which way I used this expression. I had never thought about it until she brought it up. Apparently, the expression, I couldn’t care less has frustrated writers for quite some time. According […]
Why I Love Lee Smith
If you haven’t read Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith, you are in for a real treat. It is one of my all-time favorite books. Lee Smith is an incredible storyteller. She writes with the beauty of a poet. But, she creates memorable characters and a complete sense of place. In Fair and Tender […]
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. […]
A Writer’s Dream
Last night I dreamed I was tucked away in the hills of Tuscany, far from Internet connections and traffic sounds. I looked out the window from the small tiled-roofed house where I sat amongst soft chairs and an ancient typewriter. Outside, I breathed in the smells of honeysuckle and lilac. Beautiful Bouganvilla draped over the […]
Sorry, but. . .This Isn’t for Us
Rejection. With trembling hands we open the email only to find the familiar words, “So sorry, but this isn’t for us.” What do you do next? When I began putting my words on paper, I was a young English student. I expected rejection and ridicule. I had no lofty belief that my English teacher would […]
