Mystery/Thriller/Suspense
Do You Love Your Series Sleuth?
Oh, the work you put into developing your sleuth, your investigator, your detective! Whether old or young, tall, or…
August 17, 2021-
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Writing for YAWriting a First Novel: Creating Characters
In past blog posts, I’ve written about choosing a genre, story premise, and GMC. A key element of any…
April 27, 2021 -
Courting the MuseHow to Level Up Your Descriptions Through the Ancient Art of Ekphrasis
Some writers are blessed with a vivid visual imagination. Just by willing it, they can render scenes in their…
October 13, 2020 -
Mystery/Thriller/Suspense
Identity Crisis
Let’s talk villains. One of my favorite topics! The creeper. The serial killer. The diabolical mastermind. The psychotic killer.…
August 17, 2020 -
Writers ChatWRITERS Chat Recap for February, Part 1
Writers Chat, hosted by Jean Wise, Johnnie Alexander, and Bethany Jett, is the show where we talk about all…
February 21, 2020 -
Fantasy-Sci-FiFantasy Heroes? This Is How You Make Them Relatable.
One of my friends recently gifted me a book. She’d loved it so much she literally went out and…
April 7, 2019 -
Talking CharacterBuilding Characters: Start with What You Know
If you’ve ever been involved in building a house or a major remodeling project, you understand how overwhelming it…
July 20, 2018 -
Talking Character
Your Character’s Backstory—Use It Wisely
Every fictional character has an entire life’s worth of backstory that happened prior to the opening of your novel.…
June 20, 2018 -
Craft, The Writer's PenCaseCreating Extraordinary Characters –– Part I
Why is it that some characters stick in our minds? What is it about them that causes us identify…
April 22, 2017 -
Talking CharacterCreating Villains
In order to really show his stuff, a protagonist needs challenges to overcome. The tougher the opposition, the more…
June 20, 2016 -
Talking CharacterPros and Cons of Character Questionnaires
Good writers know that developing well-rounded characters is critical, and one technique for creating such interesting characters is to…
June 16, 2015
