Recently, I picked up the 60thanniversary edition of Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451. I don’t remember reading it in my younger days. Even if I had, it was definitely time to read it again. This edition has an introduction written by Neil Gaiman. A side note to those who disdain reading …
For the first article in this series, click here. Cliffhangers do not have to be picked up in the next scene or chapter. Cutting to another POV character’s storyline can add tension and suspense. Especially if the author keeps both characters in tense situations. In my pending publication fantasy series, …
What is a cliffhanger? According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, it’s an ending to an episode of a serial drama that leaves the audience in suspense. It comes from the 1930s when film serials were very popular. To keep people coming back episodes ended with characters in desperate situations, including literally …
Are you like me? Every day starts with a list of things that have to be done. Many people can get through their day with a mental list. I’m not one of them. I need my written list. After it’s written, it needs to be prioritized. And then stuff happens. …
Are you like me? Every day starts with a list of things that have to be done? Many people can get through their day with a mental list. I’m not one of them. I need my written list. After it’s written it needs to be prioritized. And then stuff happens. …
A reader asked me for my list of the 10 best books on writing. I was reminded of Dorothy Parker’s quote: “If you have any young friends who aspire to become writers, the second greatest favor you can do them is to present them with copies of The Elements of …
Sometimes all of us, writers included, get in a state of being that’s been called many things. Some call it a funk. Others call it the valley of dry bones. Or the valley of the shadow of death. Recently, one blogger called the dark night of the soul. In baseball, …
Can books changes lives? We all know the Bible can and does. But what about fiction? Thinking back on my own reading experiences, I would have to say yes. Reading awakened me to the beauty and strength of words and stories. Stories transport me to worlds I never knew and …
This is a WWII historical novel based on a real person. Fritz Kolbe is a secretary to the number two man in the Nazi Foreign Office. He has access to top secret documents. He is disillusioned with Hitler and determines he must be stopped. He reaches out to British intelligence …
As writers, there are certain traps, misconceptions and attitudes we can fall into. If we stay in these traps too long, our writing careers will be derailed, sometimes before the first stretch of track is laid. Trap #1: Everything I write is publishable No, it’s not. In its extreme, this …
