Five Days to Make a Sitcom and Solve a Murder by Sally Carpenter A mystery writer starting a novel has the perplexing task of structure—what events will happen and in what order. Plotters will painstakingly map out each plot point, sometimes on index cards or sticky notes that are endlessly shuffled. Pansters will dive in, hoping …
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Dickens Knew How to Say It or It Has Been One of Those Weeks by Debra H. Goldstein “It was the best of times. It was the worst of times” is how Charles Dickens began a A Tale of Two Cities. His words definitely describe my past few weeks. Some of the high points included everyone being …
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FROM EXPERIENCE TO MYSTERY by Judy Hogan Being seventy-six has so many advantages for a mystery novelist. I have all those experiences behind me, and in my case they were quite diverse. I’ve never earned a living writing, so besides being a teacher of creative writing, my second vocation writing is my first. I’ve earned …
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FROM TEACHER TO AUTHOR: An interview with Joanne Guidoccio… Tell us about your upcoming novel, Between Land and Sea. This contemporary version of The Little Mermaid offers hope and inspiration to anyone who has been dumped, deceived or demoted. It is the first in a trilogy about the Bella tribe of the Mediterranean kingdom. In …
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The One Thing That Defies Organization by Terry Shames With the lead-up to publication of my debut novel, A KILLING AT COTTON HILL, came months of unaccustomed work preparing for marketing and promotion. I had heard how much time and effort it took, but I was unprepared for the fact that everything else pretty much …
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BSP AND BEING A WRITER by Debra H. Goldstein Creativity, diligence, networking, engaging in BSP, and a lot of luck characterize most successful writers. Although a writer can’t predict luck, the other factors are all within a writer’s control. Every story, poem, or novel begins with an idea. The key is whether the writer has …
Writing Creepy Mysteries for Children – Anne McGee’s Backstory by Anne McGee I felt so excited when Debra asked me to write an article for her blog. Then I went blank, and for a writer, that’s a really, really nasty feeling. Undaunted, I went for a walk, played some music, nibbled on some cashews, and stared …
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It’s Not Where You Start (It’s Where You Finish) by Debra H. Goldstein Recently, I listened to Barbara Cook’s rendition of the Cy Coleman and Dorthy Field’s signature song “It’s Not Where You Start, It’s Where You Finish” from 1973’s Broadway show, Seesaw. Forty years after the song debuted, the words remain true. Whether one is …
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The New? Maybe not. by Michele Drier Long ago, as the earth was cooling, people used odd machines called “typewriters” to compose notes to one another. These machines were developed after the discovery of electricity, but they were powered by a different source, human fingers. And they were called “manual” because of this. They were …
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Final Beginnings – How I Met Your Mother and My Life by Debra H. Goldstein Last night, in the final minute of its eighth season, How I Met Your Mother’s audience met the mother. Ted, the main character, didn’t meet her, but in that moment, we knew that the stage was set for an entirely …
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