Category: Fiction

In the Beginning – Make It Up

“The scariest moment is always just before you start.” – Stephen King What causes a writer to stare uncertainly at the blank white page: lack of unique ideas, not sure of how to start a powerful memoir, or even the most effective way to begin a thriller? “Story Starters” by Lou Willett Stanek, PhD. has …

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A Match Made in Hell

Do you ever feel that your computer is driving you crazy? I do. Lately, every morning after I pour myself a cup of coffee and turn it on, there’s a message on the screen from my security service with an ominous black border around it. It says: “We have encountered a critical error in your …

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Help Wanted – First Sentence

Look, my old friend, my opening sentence . . . things are not working out. The other sentences are having to work overtime to make up for you. You’re not doing your share of the work, and your fit with the rest of the story is not what I expected. I thought you were the …

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What Have You Learned from Reading?

For me, reading is an adventure, which sometimes extends beyond the pages of the books I select. You never know what you can learn from a book of fiction. I met Mary Higgins Clark at a Book and Author’s Luncheon after reading her second book, a mystery, Where Are the Children? From the story, I …

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Headache vs. Heartache

Headache. The name says it all. Tell a stranger you have a headache and he knows exactly what ails you. He might even have a good recommendation to cure it. Like, take a pill. Tell a stranger you have a heartache and he has no idea what to say next. There is no simple recommendation, …

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