Writing Genre Fiction to Say Something Other Than the Plot
A good thriller is like a layer cake—stack upon stack of delicious goodness that infuses social meaning apart from the plot. I learned to write my debut thriller, MULTO, like a layer cake the hard way.
If Your Novel Isn’t Working, Writing a Short Story Might Help
Writing short stories offers many advantages to the budding novelist. It can help build your credentials as a fiction writer and establish a readership. For me, there was an unexpected benefit – experimentation that led to publication.
Thinking of Writing in Multiple Genres? 3 Things to Remember
Most writing teachers advise newcomers to stick to one genre. That’s a great rule to follow if your book is a hit. I discovered that if you don’t make it in one genre, trying another is the wiser choice.
Best-Selling Author Bret Lott Explains How Rejections Can Make or Break a Writer’s Career
I met Bret Lott, the best-selling author of Jewel, during my first ever fiction-writing workshop. I chose his class because I loved Jewel. Guess who else loved it? Oprah. Lott is the first best-selling author I’ve interacted with.
Using Fictional v. Real Places in a Novel
In “The Great Gatsby,” F. Scott Fitzgerald introduced us to the fictional places East Egg and West Egg, which refer to Long Island, New York. In Anne Tyler’s “Accidental Tourist,” we are told straightaway that the setting is Baltimore, the author’s beloved hometown. Is it better to invent a location or use a real place in your novel?
7 Classics that Belong to the Romance Genre: Why I Started Reading Romance Novels
I didn’t start reading romance novels until a year ago. I’ve always preferred literary fiction and historical fiction. I also read the occasional thrillers and mysteries—think Lee Child and Tana French, respectively.
Book Review: Love in the Time of a Great Hurricane
I don’t know much about Galveston Island or Texas. But after reading The Promise by Ann Weisgarber, it’s almost as if I’ve been to Galveston—with the added bonus of being dramatically swept back in time.
Debut Author Priscille Sibley’s Advice to Writers: Not so Fast
As the famous writing motto goes: Write what you know. Priscille Sibley, a neonatal intensive care nurse, certainly knows the subject matter of her debut novel, The Promise of Stardust.