Grabbing Mystery Plots from the Headlines
Read about it in the newspapers or see it on TV news and a few weeks later you’re watching a[…]
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Category: Writing
Letters From Beyond the Grave: In Fiction and Real Life
Spoiler Alert! The Letter in Fiction In series six of the popular crime fiction television show, Shetland, Donna is on[…]
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A Mystery with a Detective Team
Recently I’ve taken a step back from the cycle of writing, editing and marketing to get some perspective. And I[…]
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Orthography & My Ten-Year Battle with Spell Checker
Okay, this isn’t an epic battle like the Hundred Years’ War or the Hatfields and McCoys, but the skirmishes are fierce and the outcome, so far, undecided.
Here’s the problem: Spell Checker thinks it knows best, and so do I.
You Wrote a Murder Mystery, Now What? Part Deux: Independent Publishers
Congratulations on writing your mystery! And you want the world to see it! Today we’re talking about independent publishers.
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You Wrote a Book, Now What?
You want to be a published author. Perhaps you have written your first murder mystery novel and you think it’s pretty good. Don’t be shy! Pat yourself on the back! Writing an 80,000-90,000-word book is no small feat.
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The Point of Words
Although many living things communicate with each other (my dog certainly feels a burning need to let me know the mail has arrived the very moment it does), humans, at least on this planet, are the only ones who have language. And novels. And stories. And Instagram.
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How a reader becomes a writer
Every writer has been there; on the precipice between reader and writer, wondering how, or if, to make the leap. Here are three steps to get you started on the path from reader to writer.
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OH DANNY GIRL
Welcome to a special weekend edition of Miss Demeanors. I am bursting at the seams to announce the arrival of[…]
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The Question Every Writer Asks
Authors know—once you begin writing, there’s no turning back. You’ll never read a book again without noticing stuff like dialogue tags, metaphors, and plot structure. You’ll never meet someone new without, in the back of your mind, filing away certain physical characteristics and mannerisms for future use. You’ll never read printed material without wielding your metaphorical red pencil. And you’ll certainly never observe life around you without asking the question, “What if…?”
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