There’s something just irresistible about a good mystery. While I’ve loved to watch TV mysteries for as long as I can remember, I’ve only started reading mysteries within the last year or so. When I decided to try my hand at writing one, I had to learn how to write a mystery novel. True, a mystery … Continue reading How To Write a Mystery That Keeps Readers Guessing
writing
Finding Your Voice: How To Discover Your Unique Writing Style
When I’m teaching writing, one of my favorite things to cover is the author's voice. It’s an intriguing subject for me because a strong author voice can make a piece, and a boring author voice can break it. When I was running The Copperfield Review, one thing that quickly turned me off from wanting to … Continue reading Finding Your Voice: How To Discover Your Unique Writing Style
More Than Just Macabre: Fascinating Elements of Poe’s Short Stories
A few weeks ago I shared some of what I’ve learned about Edgar Allan Poe’s literary style. Here’s the post. This week I wanted to share a little more about what I’ve learned about Poe’s short stories. While Poe’s reputation as a master of the macabre is well-earned, to label him only as a horror … Continue reading More Than Just Macabre: Fascinating Elements of Poe’s Short Stories
Want to Know What Your Novel is About? Write the Blurb
Over the years, I’ve become more of a pantster than a plotter. Before I begin writing, I know the ending. For some strange reason, the ending is always the first thing I know about a story I'm writing. Figuring out how to work my way through the beginning and the middle to get to that … Continue reading Want to Know What Your Novel is About? Write the Blurb
Five Things I Wish I Knew When I Began My Writing Career
When I began my writing career, I was fueled by passion, determination, and naïveté. Like many new writers, I thought that if I worked hard enough and believed in my stories, success would naturally follow. While some of what I dreamed of has happened, some things have turned out very different from what I imagined … Continue reading Five Things I Wish I Knew When I Began My Writing Career
How to Create Memorable Characters Your Readers Will Love
How to Create Memorable Characters I've been asked many times how I create such well-rounded characters. The truth is, I'm not entirely sure myself. Here I am, minding my own business as I think my way through a story, and suddenly these people appear. Who are you? I find myself asking the question aloud sometimes, … Continue reading How to Create Memorable Characters Your Readers Will Love
How to Write Through the Difficult Stages of a Novel: A Tip for Authors
When You’re Ready To Give Up There’s a stage of the writing process I rarely hear talked about, and that’s the stage when the project hits a roadblock and we’re ready to put that book by the wayside and say “Bye-bye!” My current WIP is in the baking stage, and though I have a complete … Continue reading How to Write Through the Difficult Stages of a Novel: A Tip for Authors
More Unlocking the Magic of Writing: A Guide to Completing Your Novel
Are You A Plotter or a Pantster? We see these quizzes online—are you a plotter or a pantster?—and we’re supposed to fit neatly into one box or the other. If you’re not familiar with the terms, a plotter is a writer who plots out the story before writing and a pantser is someone who “flies … Continue reading More Unlocking the Magic of Writing: A Guide to Completing Your Novel