When is my novel done? This may be the question I’m asked most frequently by my students. It’s a subject[…]
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A Blog for Readers and Writers of Mystery, Crime, and Suspense Fiction
When is my novel done? This may be the question I’m asked most frequently by my students. It’s a subject[…]
Read moreWe’ve been reading about AI in the news lately, but what is it? In simple terms, Artificial Intelligence is a branch of computer science that simulates human intelligence by performing functions such as reasoning, problem-solving, learning, and decision-making. The “intelligence” is based on algorithms with certain sets of rules. All this must be fed into the system by humans, of course, but once there, these machines get better and better at their tasks without further external interference. The question is, how far can it go?
Read moreBy Matt Witten. Here I was, two thirds of the way through the first draft of my mystery thriller Killer Story, and doubt held me in its iron grip. Had I chosen the wrong murderer?
Read moreLet’s talk about character bibles. When I took a screenwriting class years ago at NYU, creating a character bible, lowercase[…]
Read moreNo one likes to be interrupted—while speaking or in life. But when I think about it, most of the memorable moments in my life were interruptions. What’s interesting about everything going as planned? Lately, I’ve been thinking about how to use interruptions in my writing.
Read moreAnd then my publisher said something that took me completely off guard, “When can we expect the sequel?”
Read moreBy now you’ve probably eaten the last of the Thanksgiving turkey. I don’t know about you, but I love turkey—for about four days. Then I’m over it. The problem is waste. I hate to waste food.
You’ve probably guessed, though, that I’m not here to discuss Thanksgiving dinner. By “leftovers,” I’m talking about the words, sentences, paragraphs, and scenes that lie on the proverbial cutting room floor when you’ve finished your last revision.
Who Wrote a Novel This Month? According to various statistics, between 350,000 and 450,000 writers banged out a draft for NaNoWriMo.
Read moreThe Miss Demeanors are delighted to welcome Skye Alexander for a guest blog. As you will see, she is the cat’s pajamas. I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty excited to check out her new novel, What the Walls Know.
Read moreIn a very early draft of my first novel, A Dream of Death, one of my beta readers said of[…]
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