How Risky Is It To Kill Off a Main Character?
How risky is it to kill off a main character? I’ll never forget the day Helen Clyde died.
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Author: Connie Berry
Changing Genres with Laura Jensen Walker
A few years ago, Laura Jensen Walker and I discovered that we both have roots in Racine, Wisconsin’s Danish community. In fact, we were born in the same hospital, St. Luke’s–but not at the same time! Our friendship was sealed when we discovered a common passion for Danish Kringle and the British Isles. What more could one ask for?
Laura and I finally met in person last year at Left Coast Crime, and I had the privilege of reading an ARC of her latest novel, Death of a Flying Nightingale. The novel is a departure for her. Welcome to Miss Demeanors, Laura!
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Never Judge a Book By It’s Cover…Or Should We?
“Never judge a book by its cover” is advice most of us heard as children. It’s a metaphor, meaning we shouldn’t make assumptions based on appearances alone. It’s excellent advice where people are concerned. Judging someone by their physical appearance is both unfair and unwise. But what about books?
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In Defense of Daydreaming, Wasting Time, and Libraries
“Doesn’t pay attention in class.”
That was a common remark on my school report cards, along with “tends to daydream,” and “head in the clouds.” I know because my mom was a saver, and I still have a box of those early evaluations. To her credit, I don’t remember a single time she berated me for not coming home with all A’s.
Stale Books: A Guest Post by Lois Winston
USA Today and Amazon bestselling and award-winning author Lois Winston writes mystery, romance, romantic suspense, chick lit, women’s fiction, children’s[…]
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Five Tips for Short-Story Success: A Guest Post by Judy Penz Sheluk
Join me in welcoming Judy Penz Sheluk to Miss Demeanors! Judy is a former journalist and magazine editor and the bestselling author of two mystery series, several short stories, and two books on publishing. She is also the publisher and editor of four Superior Shores Anthologies. The latest, Larceny & Last Chances, will be available June 18. Today Judy is sharing some wise advice from her long experience with the short-story genre.
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Prologues: Yes or No?
Of all the tools available to fiction writers, the most maligned may be the prologue. With the possible exception of the adverb and the semi-colon, no other literary device engenders such visceral hatred. Prologues have been called “superfluous,” “tedious info-dumps,” and “a bait-and-switch technique.” Agents and editors, we’re told, hate them. But are they always bad?
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Should I Go or Should I Stay?
I’m talking about writers’ conferences, not relationships! Returning last week from Left Coast Crime in Bellevue, Washington, I found a flurry of comments in my inbox, addressing the question: was it worth it? It’s a good question to ask.
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Is the Road to Hell Paved with Adverbs?
Is the road to hell really paved with adverbs? Heavens! None of us wants to commit a mortal writing sin, and so new writers are advised to ruthlessly cut them out of our writing. Your writing will always be stronger without them, we’re told. But is this advice always true?
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What Makes a Character Memorable?
Think back—way back—maybe to your childhood or high school days. And think of a person you remember vividly—someone other than your family or personal friends. I did this recently and immediately thought of an unexpected person—Mildred Rowley, one of my mother’s childhood friends.
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