Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child’s Ten Writing Tips Doug’s top five: Writing is like exercise or learning a musical instrument: you have to engage in it every single day, seven days a week, for at least an hour. If you want to play Chopin in Carnegie Hall, you’ll have to practice hard for […]
Category Archives: Writing Tips
Tana French’s Top Ten Writing Tips
Tana French’s Top Ten Writing Tips It’s OK to screw up. For me, this was the big revelation when I was writing my first book: I could get it wrong as many times as I needed to. I was coming from theatre, where you need to get it right every night, because this audience will […]
Ten Writing Tips from Peter Robinson
Ten Writing Tips from Peter Robinson Remember that it’s writing you want to do. I’ve met many students who want to be writers, no doubt attracted by the glamour of being mentioned in blogs and tweets, darlings of the social media, full page reviews in the New York Times, the adulation of fans, hanging around […]
WRITE WHAT HAUNTS YOU
WRITE WHAT HAUNTS YOU I believe our best stories haunt us. Like ghosts, they linger at the edges of our subconscious, hover beside us in our waking hours, and whisper to us at our keyboards until, finally, we acknowledge their presence and listen. The more I’m at this craft of turning ideas into stories and […]
Top Ten Tips for Writing a Page-Turner
Top Ten Tips for Writing a Page-Turner When I sat down to write my first thriller, I wanted to write something that moved really fast, a story that was so intense that you couldn’t look away. My goal was to write a page-turner that the reader could not put down. The Couple Next Door has […]
Sandra Brown,“These eight books influenced me to become a writer.”
Sandra Brown,”These eight books influenced me to become a writer.” I was asked to guest blog about books that influenced me to become a writer. Hmm. Not as easy a request as it might seem. No doubt every book I’ve read, or that was read aloud to me before I acquired the skill, inched me […]
Getting your Inner Journalist on… Reporting Techniques That’ll Enhance Your Fiction
Getting your Inner Journalist on… Reporting Techniques That’ll Enhance Your Fiction Though it sounds counterintuitive, reporting techniques can greatly enhance your fiction. I wrote journalism and literary nonfiction for two decades before ever attempting to write fiction, but when my second memoir didn’t sell, I took the plunge. The transition was slow at first, but […]
How to Write the Book you’ve Always Wanted to Write
How to Write the Book you’ve Always Wanted to Write If you want to write a book, there are six things you need to find. You don’t have to look far. They’re inside you! Find a critically acclaimed book that you admire. Read it once, making a list of events in each chapter. Then make […]
TEN TOP TIPS FOR WRITING ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
TEN TOP TIPS FOR WRITING ROMANTIC SUSPENSE I’ve written more than twenty-five romantic suspense novels, so over the years I’ve learned some good guidelines for writing successfully in that genre. Here are ten suggestions, not necessarily in the order of importance—it all matters. HAVE A HOOK FOR THE BOOK: Think of this as having […]
Dead on: Ten Secrets to Writing “Killer” Romantic Suspense
Dead on: Ten Secrets to Writing “Killer” Romantic Suspense What is romantic suspense? Many people believe any romance that includes a mystery or suspense subplot constitutes romantic suspense. In my mind, however, a romantic suspense novel mixes both genres fairly equally. One strand—romance or suspense—does not significantly overwhelm the other. From the beginning of […]
Top Ten Tips to Survive a Writers Conference
Top Ten Tips to Survive a Writers Conference Tip #1: Begin with the end in mind. You’ve heard this phrase, I’m sure. I find it’s a great practice with conferences. You’ve chosen to put your time, energy and money into attending a writers’ conference. How do you want to feel when you get home? […]
The Ten Essential Books for Aspiring Writers
Even the best writers can learn from others tips and tricks and ideas for how to conquer the empty page. I love recommending my favorite writing books, singling out a specific title here and there depending on what the writer needs. Focus, editing, plot––there is something for every part of the process. I’m recommending these […]