A Blog for Readers and Writers of Mystery, Crime, and Suspense Fiction
When I’m working on a book, I tape photographs of actors who I picture for my characters on a school-sized poster board and prop it up in my writing area. I do that to help with my description of the character’s appearance. Also, by studying how they act…
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I meet a lot of authors who don’t realize they’re in business for themselves, but they are. Every author who[…]
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Before I was published, a writer friend advised me not to read the reviews of my books posted on sites like Amazon and Goodreads. I must have looked at her funny because she went on to say, “I never read reviews. My daughter screens them and sends me only the good ones.”
As inexperienced I was at that point, I knew I couldn’t follow her advice.
“What parts of yourself do you have to sacrifice to earn a killer’s trust?” That’s the question Cal Lovett, the[…]
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If you’ve read Alan Orloff, you’ll know that he has a unique, and sometimes, quirky approach to storytelling. I wanted to know, so I asked: Alan, where do you get your ideas?
This is what he said:
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I always thought that the best kind of writing prompts are those that come from outside of my own mind and that are extremely minimal. Sometimes a single word given to me by a writing partner is all I need to get going.
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Need a mystery to curl up with on a rainy weekend? Let me help you. Though the Miss Demeanors share[…]
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Yes, it’s great to have a literary agent. But if you don’t have one, or don’t want one, there are[…]
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So I’d been toying with the idea of turning my books into audiobooks. After all, audiobooks are the fastest growing[…]
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A question I’m frequently asked is, “When did you become a writer?” I usually answer with one of my favorite quotes (no idea who said it): “You aren’t a writer because you write; you write because you’re a writer.” In other words, writing isn’t something you do but something you are. Writers must write. And once you start writing, you’re never the same, and you can never go back. There are certain things you can never do again.
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