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Food for Storiesby Debbie Burke @burke_writer Food can lead to a bountiful banquet of stories. Not long ago, I enjoyed a week-long visit with an old friend to...
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Clarity in Writing“Having knowledge but lacking the power to express it clearly is no better than never having any ideas at all.” –Pericles * * * I recently had...
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Are Smartphones Impairing Thrillers?by James Scott Bell @jamesscottbell “I gave a smartphone to my dumb cousin. Now he’s average.” – JSB, channeling his inner Steven Wright Instead of...
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Novel Writing Words of WisdomWriting a novel is a big undertaking, especially at first. It took me years before I discovery-drafted my first novel. Three more novels followed,...
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Reader Friday-The Funniest Story Ever ToldBy Deb Gorman My husband’s 30+ year career as an in-home electronics repairman yielded some amazingly funny stories. Like the one about the...
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Slipstream — A Unique, Hybrid Fiction Cross-GenreRecently, I was Zoom chatting with a writer friend. She asked me how it was going with my current work-in-progress—a project titled City Of Danger....
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Smackdown: English Instructor vs. FreshmanBy John Gilstrap By the time I got to college, writing and public speaking were my things–the niches I’d cut out for myself. I...
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Me Talk Pretty One DayAnd Maybe Even Write BetterBy PJ Parrish Buongiorno, cani del crimine! Okay, fair warning. This post is going to be full of digressions. Because I am of a wandering mood...
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Arm Your Antagonist with This Important WeaponI’ve got a special treat for you today. Becca Puglisi joins us with tips on how to flesh out antagonists. Please help me welcome her back to...
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The Writing Biz: Noncompete Clauses and New Careersby James Scott Bell @jamesscottbell Two things caught my eye this week I think you should know about. 1. The End of the Noncompete Clause?...
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Splitting PersonalitiesAfter struggling for years, maybe decades, you The Writer gets published. Celebrations! Parties! Champagne! Now you can legitimately call yourself...
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Reader Friday-Worst Advice EverBy Deb Gorman We’ve discussed in these halls the best/worst advice ever given to us, particularly in the realm of writing. Today, let’s...
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The Case of the Bird-Brained WitnessBy Elaine Viets The witness to the murder could repeat every word the killer and the victim said during the fatal confrontation. The witness...
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Recharging the BatteriesRecharging the Batteries Terry Odell Routines are great. They’re comfortable. They keep us grounded. They keep us productive. But every now and...
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Ten Tips for DIY Editingby Debbie Burke @burke_writer A couple of weeks ago, I attended the Montana Writers Rodeo and wrote a post about the fun, enlightening conference...
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Clerihew, Haiku, and YouA word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver. –Proverbs 25:11 * * * A few months ago, James Scott Bell posted Micro...
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Subject to Change With Noticingby James Scott Bell @jamesscottbell “You can observe a lot just by watching.” — Yogi Berra Serendipity is a word derived from a Persian fairy...
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Finding the Right Title: Words of WisdomTitles. We all need them for our books. I enjoy coming up with titles for my novels and stories but it can be a lot of work. Just like writing. My...
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Reader Friday: Looney TunesI thought this would be a fun discussion, since we writers are a bit . . . shall we say, quirky? Drawings have been around since our...
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Sphinx of Black Quartz, Judge My VowInternet — “What kind of a stupid, crazy, nonsensical headline is this? Are you drunk, Rodgers? Or did you ingest free hallucinogens supplied...
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Opa!By John Gilstrap Sometimes, the writer’s life is about not writing. Sometimes, it’s about celebrating your wife’s birthday with a...
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More From The Edgar Nominees:Covers That Capture Readers And Convey The Right MoodBy PJ Parrish Morning folks. I am probably somewhere over Lake Erie right now, heading to New York for my annual gig as Edgar banquet chairman. So...
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Yes or No Questions in DialogueThe other day, I stumbled across writing advice that was only half-true. The advice said to never use yes or no questions in dialogue. The writer...
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Do People Still Buy Books?by James Scott Bell @jamesscottbell There’s a post on Substack that’s been making the viral rounds, titled “No One Buys Books.” It’s the author’s...
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Public Speaking, A Different Side of WritingI seldom turn down the opportunity to speak, and more than once there’s a monetary loss for gas and even a hotel room to make those events. Civic...
