How Not To Write

As I write, I find that the more I focus my attention on the quiet moments produced by a life of reflection the happier I am, the more I feel at peace. This is not to imply that I am passive. As ever, I am a passionate soul who desires trial by fire over all [...]

In Writing Mysteries (1992, edited by Sue Grafton), children’s author Joan Lowery Nixon contributed this great list of 9 points for keeping children engaged with suspense. The mystery plot for today’s impatient young readers is fast-paced and filled with action. Writers should pull out all the stops and use any and every technique for establishing [...]

Two for one: Book Plug and a Publisher’s Plug… I was just browsing the NYTimes and I came across a little ad for The Monsters of Templeton by Lauren Groff. From the publisher’s website: The Monsters of Templeton, a novel spanning two centuries: part a contemporary story of a girl’s search for her father, part [...]

Right now, I’m reading the MWA’s Writing Mysteries Handbook (pub 1992 edited by Sue Grafton). Here is a snippet from Gregory McDonald’s introduction: The five W’s are taught to anyone wishing to write. Regarding any story, you are taught you must report the Who, What, Where, When, and Why. Before you ever think seriously of [...]

This morning at the cafe I was talking to the barista about American Gods by Neil Gaiman. She’s just about finished with the book and she loves it. This is her first exposure to Gaiman’s work and she plans to read Neverwhere next. Since I loved both of these books, I was happy to plug [...]