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…
Tag: Writing Craft
Make Your Characters More Relatable
Honestly, I was kinda blogged out—until, after a multitude of phone calls and emails to kickstart a LOA from my night job, the following thought occurred to me: “Rainey, you forgot to give characters in your new WIP health challenges, and/or physical limitations.” Oh, for Heaven’s sake. Below, I’ve listed those that came to mind:…
Book Review: Make Every Word Count
The full title of this book is: Make Every Word Count: a guide to writing that works—for fiction and nonfiction by Gary Provost. Gary, an author, speaker, and writing coach, had a unique sense of humor that flavored his writing and speaking. While I’ve often found plowing through a grammar or writing book tedious, Gary…
Set Your Sights High, Don’t Settle For Anything Less
A friend is getting ready to teach an online college-level course about “the business of creative writing.” He asked me for any strategies I would suggest along those lines and to pass along “things I’ve learned.” His prompt led me to write this note, below. Here’s what I sent him. ++ Things I’ve learned ……
Goal Setting: Help or Hindrance?
As writers, how many times do we hear that the best way to watch those pages stack up is to set a goal for yourself. We hear a constant and resounding shout to write this many words or that many pages a day, a week, a month. I don’t know about you, but this type…