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All of the writers I have talked with, no matter how skilled, always seem to wish they could write like someone else. I hear them often say, “If only I could write descriptions like…” or “If only I could create … Continue reading
Yearly Archives: 2014
Keeping tension or suspense high is the best was to keep readers turning pages. They just have to know what will happen. Another way of creating tension is to put a time limit on what needs to be done, a … Continue reading
Putting your characters into situations where they are faced with difficult decisions is a great way to add tension to your work. Remember, tension doesn’t mean mystery. It means setting up a question in the reader’s mind (Will he? Will … Continue reading
We all struggle with our annoying inner critic, so let’s give the critter free rein today. It might be interesting to see what happens if we turn our critic on someone else, let it rant about someone else’s foibles and … Continue reading
Looking at things from a different perspective is the best way to find the strange, singular or quirky aspects that will make readers sit up and take notice. One way is to stop thinking like a human being. How? Try … Continue reading
We all need to write characters who are different from us. Even those who are the opposite sex. It takes a good stretch of the imagination to write convincing characters who are intrinsically the opposite of what we are familiar … Continue reading
Settings can come from many things, but did you ever think that you could use emotion to trigger one? Strong emotions create imges in our minds and we can use those images to create places for our characters to populate. … Continue reading
Just as places can be translated into memorable characters, so too can people be translated into unique settings for our stories. It’s all in taking a different perspective, so you find the extraordinary and singular aspects to add to your … Continue reading
the Central Coast Chapter of Sisters in Crime (SinC) will present a panel on Publishing in the E-Age at the Atascadero Library tomorrow, October 25, from 1:30 to 3:30. Join some of the Central Coast’s best mystery writers—Paul Fahey, Barbara … Continue reading
Creating unique and different characters isn’t always easy. But our lives can hold the key to creating interesting and memorable characters. No, I don’t mean writing about people you know. Rather, twist it; write about places you know as if … Continue reading