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Twelve Qualities of a Big Story
I love big books. I’m not talking about page count here, but stories that are so big in scope that the novels live on with me long after I finish reading. I’m even drawn to reread the story. That’s the...
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Are You a Story Crafter or a Storyteller?
In many ways, the world of book publishing parallels that of musical performance. Both are beautiful, exhilarating, and demanding. And both can sap creativity. Where the ultimate product is art,...
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Stalled and Happy: How to Keep Writing When You’re Not
Having written five nonfiction books and countless essays, I’m now at work on a novel, and it’s going well. When it’s going at all, that is. Often it isn’t. Going, that is. Nonfiction, for me, advances...
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A Time for Every Purpose
Many times, people come up to me and say they want to write a book but can’t find the time. Aspiring writers, people who are making an effort to write, often say the same thing. Both groups cite full...
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Writing is a Team Sport
As I write this, the Olympics are in full swing, and I don’t know about you, but I am glued to my television every night, cheering on Team USA. I am blown away by the dedication of these athletes. As...
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Travel to Write, Write to Travel
“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” St. Augustine I’m an Irish girl, both by heart and by blood. As a teenager, I remember dreaming of visiting Ireland and Scotland and...
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How to Craft for Your Crowd
Audience. Every writer knows that keeping the audience in mind is essential to effective writing: you don’t include high tech specifications or advanced optical principles in a children’s picture book...
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Pacing in Writing
Pacing in Writing When I was a child, a piano teacher let me play to my heart’s content without worrying about such details as tempo and timing. I’m pretty sure that wasn’t the best approach, which may...
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The Story of My Life
One of my favorite parts of speaking to audiences is telling them the true stories behind the stories. When I talk about my murder mysteries, I talk about the incidents in my own life that inspire plot...
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The Power of Story
It was pitch black as my car slowly followed Micah’s along the winding mountain roads, our tires kicking up dust in our wake. My adrenaline sizzled, preparing both my mind and body for the next hours...
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To Write a Book Someday, Share Your Writing Now
Some people will tell you the defining characteristic of a writer is that he or she is someone who writes. There is truth to that perspective, but it fails to offer a complete picture. It also gives...
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Finding the Fatal Flaw
It is the core of every struggle. The root cause of many reactions. It is a constant enemy lurking below the surface, waiting to rear its ugly head. It’s the fatal flaw. Everyone has one. Every...
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Writing with a Hook
What will make your book fly off the shelves? A good story, high quality writing or a strong voice won’t help you unless readers know your book exists. And for that, you need such an interesting...
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For the Love of Writing
Have you ever been around someone who loves Christmas? I can’t quite rival Santa, but I love this season. I love the scent of cider as we decorate the tree and the chaos of Christmas decorations. I...
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Planning for Pansters: Writing a Novel without an Outline
I envy those writers who outline their whole novel before they even begin chapter one. They sit down at their computer, begin typing and already know what they’re going to type. A little expansion...
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How to write REAL dialogue? Listen up!
I have a secret weapon when it comes to developing authentic, convincingly real dialogue in my novels: my ear. That’s not to say that I am an eavesdropper. I do not lurk around others at cocktail...
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How to survive the book review blues
I have a love-hate relationship with book reviews. Every time I get a good review, I’m happy. When I get a stellar review, I’m ecstatic. I feel like I’ve done what I hoped to do: I’ve connected with a...
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Why you should write backstory you won’t use
A few years ago, I got the oddest suggestion I’d ever heard from an editor: write a few scenes between my novel’s characters that I wasn’t going to include in my final manuscript. Say what? I should...
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Got a Problem? Here’s the Solution!
Many years ago, our then five-year-old son trudged into the kitchen. “I don’t wanna go back to school.” He dropped his Ninja Turtle backpack on the floor and crossed his tiny arms to emphasize the...
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How to kill off your characters without even trying
One of the things I enjoyed most about writing my cozy Birder Murder mysteries was coming up with inventive scenarios in which my protagonist found dead bodies. Since this happened in the first...
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