“If you want to be a writer, you must do two things above all others: read a lot and write a lot.” ~Stephen King I met a young man in a critique group who had an excellent premise for his novel. I asked him if he read anything in that genre. His unflinching reply, “Oh, …
Category: Fiction
Apr 24
What’s Magic in a Million Words?
In addition to being a ‘word’ person, I’m also a ‘numbers’ person. So when I hear someone say, “You have to write a million words before you will have something good enough to publish,” both sides of my brain start to fire up. Can you imagine? A magic number to work toward, and when you …
Apr 23
Six Sensible Rules for Suspense
Amy stirs, half asleep and freezing cold with a putrid taste sticking to her throat. In the distance, her two dogs bark frantically. Much closer, the wind whistles in the fog and gently brushes her cheek, and that puzzles her…? Amy wakes with a jolt and shivers with fear. “Glenn!” she calls, coughs and shoves …
Apr 18
Does your car need a poetic license plate?
Bet’cha you’re a poet and didn’t even know it. However, ask me if I’m a poet, and my immediate response is no. After all, poetry is sing-songy rhymes sung by first graders. Classic poets are older writers spewing stylized language for pages upon pages. The new wave of poets are hipsters baring their raw, tortured …
Apr 14
Potty Mouth
Last November, one of my favorite cozy mystery authors, Ali Brandon, who writes the Black Cat Bookshop Mysteries series, blogged about her characters’ reluctance to use bathrooms. (Check out her blog here.) If you think about it, you don’t read about characters using the facilities. You don’t see this often on TV either. I mean …