I don’t know how others feel, but I’m never quite sure what to say (or how much to say) to a new writer who asks for a critique. I know how I feel when I submit to a contest. I want the judges to tell me how wonderful I am. But, of course, that usually […] [ ... ]
I recently received an email asking how a woman who had just finished writing a book could get it published without spending a lot of money. To answer a questions like this, I need more information. (1) Is this a novel, memoir, or non-fiction book? (2) Has she made sure it’s well edited in regards […] [ ... ]
I recently took a break from writing (and thinking about writing) to allow my other muse to play. For three days, from 9:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m., I participated in a watercolor painting workshop. Now, I majored in art and taught art, but that was eons ago and I’ve never had formal lessons in using […] [ ... ]
I have a friend whose first novel was recently published. Now she’s been asked to give talks to several different organizations: an historical group, a library, and a book store. Her questions are: What does she need to do prior to the talk and during the talk? These are the steps I’m suggesting 1. From […] [ ... ]
Change is inevitable. I know that, still it’s always a shock to me when something that has been for years and years ceases to be. Lately, it seems like a lot of things are changing. There are the stores that have disappeared: Toys R Us, Radio Shack, Borders, for example. And there are the publishing […] [ ... ]
Is there an age when people are deemed “old enough” to be a writer? Or “too old” to think about writing and selling a book? Many schools have programs where children are encouraged to write stories, then the adults put them into a book form. That’s a great program, but we don’t consider those books […] [ ... ]
While at Sleuthfest last February, I sat in on a session given by Joanna Sinchuk, manager of the Murder on the Beach Mystery Bookstore in Pineapple Grove Delray Beach, Florida. I thought about her talk recently when CBS ran a feature on April 23rd about Independent Bookstores. When the big box book stores came on […] [ ... ]
Are blogs passé? I’ve heard blogging is no longer considered an effective use of social media. I don’t know what has replaced blogging, but I have noticed a drop in hits on my blogs. But maybe that’s because I’m running out of new things to say. I’ve focused on writing topics, but I’ve been doing […] [ ... ]
Last week I posted a picture of two crows flying. It would have been nice to simply take flight and head north; instead, my husband and I, along with our dog, were confined in a car as we traveled 1200+ miles from our winter home to our summer home. It wasn’t a completely smooth journey […] [ ... ]
During her session at Sleuthfest 2018, Sharon Plotkin, a Certified Crime Scene Investigator in Miami, Florida, talked about CSI failures and mistakes that can and have ruined cases. During her talk, she focused on two high-profile cases: OJ Simpson and JonBenét Ramsey. Her first point was readers are jurors, and a writer needs to keep […] [ ... ]
Katherine Ramsland, Ph.D, forensic psychologist, was one of the Guests of Honor at this year’s Sleuthfest. She gave the Friday luncheon talk followed by a session on “Integrating Forensic Research into Fiction.” Her luncheon talk was fascinating (About the BTK Killer, Dennis Rader) but a bit gory (But no one ran out of the room […] [ ... ]
I’d never heard of AWP, so when two writers I know said they would be attending this year’s conference, I asked them to write about their experiences. Please welcome Amy Brown and Patricia Averbach. Making the most of the year’s biggest literary event: AWP ‘18 By guest contributors Amy Brown and Patricia Averbach The Association […] [ ... ]
The four editors on the panel were Eric Campbell, Down & Out Books; Faith Black Ross, Crooked Lane Publishing; Marcia Markland, St. Martin’s Press; and Neil Nyron, G.P. Putnam’s Sons. The moderator was author Kris Montee (PJ Parrish). The panel members started answering the questions one at a time, but soon simply made comments; therefore, much […] [ ... ]
The Agents’ Panel was moderated by Michael Joy, Co-chair of Sleuthfest 2018. The four agents on the panel were: Mitchell Waters, Literary Agent at Curtis Brown, Ltd.; Anne Bomke, The Annie Bomke Literary Agency; Evan Marshall, The Evan Marshall Agency; and Jenny Bent, The Bent Agency. Michael asked questions, which I’ll paraphrase here, and […] [ ... ]
Neil Nyron, who recently retired from being the Executive Vice President, Associate Publisher and Editor in Chief of G.P. Putnam’s Sons, gave the welcoming talk Thursday afternoon at the Florida Mystery Writers’ of America 24th annual Sleuthfest in Boca Raton. He’s given 3 other similar talks over the previous three years, each on an element […] [ ... ]
If you are reading this blog on Wednesday, February 28, 2018, I am either preparing to leave for or on my way to Boca Raton, Florida for Sleuthfest 2018. (Sleuthfest2018) I’ve attended this conference, which is put on by the Florida Mystery Writers’ of America Chapter, several times now and have always come away with […] [ ... ]
Do you have a local group of writers near you? I remember when I started writing I thought writers were a special group of people who lived somewhere (maybe in writers colonies or secluded mansions) but nowhere near me. What a surprise when I discovered (and joined) a nearby writers’ group that included one member […] [ ... ]
A few weeks ago I wrote a blog about ways to develop your characters (Know Your Characters ). I’m still in the process of getting to know the characters in my new story, and I’ve taken a couple scenes from that story to be critiqued. In one instance I was questioned why my character acted a […] [ ... ]
I know I should either create an outline and then write the story, or start writing and simply let the story flow, writing from beginning to end without editing along the way. One way or the other would be efficient…but that’s not how I work, which results in a lot of backtracking and rewriting. I […] [ ... ]