This month, Steven H. Wilson discusses some of the elements that comprise a gripping novel while Joe Bunting schools us on the use of rising action in storytelling.
Secrets are revealed over at Career Authors as Tiffany Yates Martin explains the four habits of successful authors, Tracy Clark shares five tips on pacing, and Sharon Short offers strategies for writing from first person POV.
Speaking of POV, third-person omniscient is still alive and well and that sagacious “mythcreant” Chris Winkle shows us how to use it effectively. She also shows us ways in which exposition can be used to evoke emotion.
All that and a little more. Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
This week, Kathryn Craft provides strategies for managing POV in your story while James Scott Bell discusses the three types of “mirror moments” in fiction.
Chris Winkle encourages writers to simplify their stories for improved reader experience. Looking for better ways to build suspense? Tracy Clark has a few tips for you.
With language AI gaining attention, Erma Clare examines ChatGPT as a story development tool for writers and Joe Bunting reviews the ten types of stories and their underlying values.
*Special thanks to youth services librarian and educator Chloe Pederson and her student, Anna, for alerting me to this one. Who would have thought a home theater furniture store would offer such a helpful blog?
New on the monthly roundup, Philip Athans reminds us that writing is a lifelong calling while Kristen Lamb reviews different aspects of world-building.
Tiffany Yates Martin examines the elements that go into creating complex characters. Speaking of which, what makes characters “likeable”? That depends on genre, as Anne R. Allen explains.
Over at Career Authors, Hank Phillippi Ryan and Dana Isaacson provide advice on self-editing while Daryl Wood Gerber helps us avoid burnout while writing a series.
From Writer Unboxed, Donald Maass delves into the inner workings of story imagination and Kathryn Craft encourages us to visualize our scenes not as authors, but as our characters.
After a two-month hiatus, About This Writing Stuff is back. What was once a bi-weekly blog post became monthly and now it happens whenever I can get to it. As I’m working on a new novel, blogging has fallen off the radar… mostly. Onward!
This week, the folks at MasterClass provide tips and examples for writing an effective novel synopsis while over at Screencraft, Ken Miyamoto warns against embellishing your screenwriting creds until you have legitimate screenwriting creds.
Speaking of creds, Liza Nash Taylor and Patricia Bradley offer advice on getting your work out there whether submitting or promoting. Hank Phillippi Ryan discusses proper etiquette when requesting a book blurb, Chris Winkle teaches best practices when using foreshadowing, and Joslyn Chase reviews writing techniques in the mystery, suspense, and thriller genres.
This week’s lineup bring us several “how-to” articles including writing diverse and developed characters, marketing your book without social media, and outlining your novel (or not).
Is writing for TV better than writing feature films? Ken Miyamoto discusses. Confused about when and how to use a Framing Device in your story? Britton Perelman explains.
Jennie Nash explores the importance of asking yourself why you feel compelled to write that story that’s been bouncing around in your head. Over at Sidebar Saturdays, Matt Knight delves into estate planning for writers while at the Kill Zone, James Scott Bell argues on behalf of going exclusive with KDP and Kindle Unlimited.
A busy week resulted in a delayed after-action report of my first experience with Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity (C3). While this annual writers conference in Columbia, MD is geared toward crime fiction, mystery, paranormal, fantasy, and science fiction, all genres are welcome. This year’s keynote speakers were Hank Phillippi Ryan, NYT bestselling author and 37-time Emmy-award winning journalist andSherrilyn Kenyon, NYT bestselling author of over 80 novels. Sherrilyn’s inspiring, poignant speech damn near brought many of us to tears.
With Vaughn Jackson and Sherrilyn Kenyon at Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity Con (C3).
Special guests included Kathleen Barber, whose novel Are You Sleeping was the basis for Apple TV’s Truth Be Told, and James Grady, author of Six Days of the Condor, which was made into the classic 1975 Robert Redford film, Three Days of the Condor. I suspect the other three days were victims of Hollywood budget cuts, but I digress.
With James Grady at Creatures, Crimes, and Creativity Con (C3).
The conference delivered a fun and edifying variety of discussion panels and presentations on various aspects of writing and publishing, ranging from creating captivating characters and writing believable fight scenes to the value of deep listening and the elements of world building. I participated in the latter panel as well as another on writing in the paranormal and speculative fiction genres.
Friday night’s Noir at the Bar treated us to eight talented storytellers who read samples of their work from a breadth of genres including crime fiction, fantasy, steampunk, and paranormal.
It was a joy to meet and chat with several amazing writers throughout the weekend including Lanny Larcinese, Ef Deal, Glenn Parris, Vaughn Jackson, F.J. Talley, Frank Hopkins, Sharon Buchbinder, and former MMA fighter, J.R. White. A special shout-out to Weldon Burge on the debut of his first novel, Harvester of Sorrow. Weldon is also the owner of Smart Rhino Publications and had published my ghost story, “Bottom of the Hour,” in his anthology A Plague of Shadows in 2018. He and I have stories in about four different anthologies, each from different presses.
Speaking of anthologies, C3 produces a limited edition anthology available only to attendees of the conference each year. Although the book is not available to the public, it was no less exciting to see my Sherlock Holmes and Johnny Watson tale, “The Five-Day Killer,” in print for the first time since I wrote it six years ago. Perhaps it’ll become a valuable collector’s item if I ever hit the big time.
I carpooled to the con with fellow speculative fiction writer, Chris Ochs, who also happens to be the president of the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group. After the con ended on Sunday, Chris and I drove to the Common Kitchen in Clarksville where we met several local friends for lunch before heading home.
My deepest gratitude and admiration to redoubtable C3 organizers Austin Camacho, Denise Camacho, Cynthia Lauth, Susan Henry McBride, and Jodi Schwartz for their Herculean efforts to make the conference a success!
The C3 Team! (L to R): Jodi Schwartz, Cynthia Lauth, Austin Camacho, Susan Henry McBride, Denise Camacho
