Story magic can happen unexpectedly when a plot twist or new character invades your writer’s mind. In this instance, it’s good to seize the moment and scribble down notes before you forget your spark of inspiration. Such an event happened to me the other evening as I was contemplating Hanukkah Hairloom Mystery, my next Bad … Read more
Writers can easily end up in a muddle at the middle of their story. The direction forward becomes unclear, and you’re not sure that what you have plotted so far will reach your projected word count or come to a satisfactory conclusion. This means it’s time to reassess what you’ve done so far. When you … Read more
What is the difference between Story versus Plot? A plot gives you the bones and structure for a novel, while the story is actually what takes place. Unless you’re a full-on Pantser, you won’t start the writing process until you have an outline or synopsis for what will occur. Before I begin writing a novel, … Read more
When you’re writing a series, you need to be aware of scenes written in previous books that might impact your current story. Has your sleuth encountered a similar character before, researched a familiar topic, or visited the same place? If so, this might change how you approach a scene for your work in progress. During … Read more
Your main goal in writing a mystery, or any kind of fictional work, is to create story questions in the reader’s mind. This creates suspense that you need to propel the story forward. Even as you are plotting the book, assuming you’re a plotter like me and not a pantser (figuring it out as you … Read more
Bait and Switch Tactics are a means to keep your reader on the edge of her seat when using multiple viewpoints. What you’ll want to do is isolate your characters, then write scenes in each person’s viewpoint with a cliffhanger at the end of every sequence. Make sure in each scene that you are in … Read more
Author L.E. Perez gave a good talk on fight scenes at the Florida Writers Association 2017 Conference . Here are the tips I garnered. Any errors are due to my misinterpretation. Focus on character emotions. Defending yourself is not the same as being prepared to injure someone. PTSD happens to anyone who experiences a violent … Read more
Have you ever had a dream that sparks a story? I used to have them more often. A dream is what inspired Circle of Light, my very first published novel. I woke up and didn’t want that science fiction adventure to end. So I wrote the rest of the story and sold the book. It … Read more
How to increase suspense in your novel was the topic of a Saturday panel at Sleuthfest. Speakers included Laurence P. O’Bryan, Chris Pavone, Charles Salzberg and Alison McMahan as moderator. What you want to do as a writer is to raise questions in the reader’s mind. You say things, but you don’t explain all of … Read more
Writers can spin stories out of thin air. Yes, it’s true. We grab ideas out of the effluvia around us. Soon we’re building a novel. The characters gel, and the setting takes on detail. And then we’re off, pounding at the keyboard, the fervor of creation keeping us in its grip. Let me give you … Read more