Fresh, unique ideas sell books, right? Not necessarily. Even the freshest idea must follow specific ‘rules’ or elements of the genre. Don’t believe me? Then why in almost every romance novel the main character has one or more dead parents and the poor orphan was often raised by a kindly/odd/distant aunt or uncle? Or better…
Tag: writing
Comedy In Fiction
One of my favorite movies of all time, Front Page, features one of the first cinematic examples of what has come to be known as “snappy dialog”: a rapid-fire exchange of witty banter and rejoinders. When a stand-up comedian drops a clunker (delivers a joke that earns little to no laughter) he can sometimes be…
Writing Decisions That Affect Readers and my Reader/Writer Hats…
First, this article is for Working Writers WHO WANT TO SUPPORT THEMSELVES BY WRITING. My Reader Hat: I buy books that sound good, mostly romance (all sub-genres), fantasy (most genres), some mysteries and YA. Less often I download a sample. And I rarely read something NEW when I’m far behind deadline, as I was from…
Critiquing Can Be Hard Work, But…
When critiquing the work of colleagues, whether in a critique group or just between friends, the hardest thing is when it’s a topic, genre or style you don’t normally enjoy reading in your leisure time. It isn’t often spoken about, but it’s true. It can sometimes be an interminable slog to try to read and…
I Did It My Way (But Why Would Anyone Want To?)
After more than thirty years of writing genre fiction, I will finally be able to answer “yes” to that irksome, miserable question that all would-be novelists get at cocktail parties, “Are you published?” On November 2, 2016, I signed a contract with Five Star (Cengage/Gale) for publication of my historical romance, Love’s Last Stand. Yes,…