For my second novel, Blindspot, I ventured into a new genre, that of psychological suspense. It’s the type of book I gravitate to as a reader and I’m a long-term fan of anything in the mystery realm (I devoured the entire Agatha Christie oeuvre when I was sixteen) How hard could it be? Insert hubris…
Author: Maggie Smith
Truths My Podcast Guests Have Taught Me
Hear Us Roar, the weekly podcast I host for the Women’s Fiction Writers Association, has been going since May 2018. The show has been downloaded over 27,000 times and the guests have ranged from authors who later hit the best-seller lists (Julie Clark, Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai), won prestigious awards (Barbara Linn Probst, Jeannee Sacken),…
Why I Write
I spin tales, conjure up characters, and bleed ink on the page (metaphorically, of course, although I’ve had a few paper cuts in my day that made my pages a bit more “colorful”). Since my go-to question when writer’s block strikes is always why, it seems only natural to turn that same lens on myself….
Brainstorming Characters that Leap Off the Pages
BlindSpot, my second book and first psychological suspense, releases in May, so before the whirlwind of marketing for that starts up in earnest, I’ve been spending time ruminating about the next one – my favorite part of the process. My first step is always to purchase a new Moleskine lined notebook where I can jot…
Writing with Purpose & Passion in 2024
I’ve written two novels and interviewed several hundred debut authors for my podcast so beginning writers often ask me for advice. And while the internet is filled with solid guidelines on showing vs. telling, write what you know, and overcoming writer’s block, there are other important things that aren’t talked about as often. As we…