Month: February 2017
SWAPPING GENRES by Andrew Richardson
I approached writing ‘The Door into War’ with some trepidation. On one hand, it
was a story I wanted to write with a plot I was pleased with. On the other hand, my
previous novels have all been firmly squarely horror or historical fantasy genres. Writing
a time travel thriller was a complete change for me, especially as my reading knowledge
of time travel and thrillers is limited, and as a writer is zero.
Putting together ‘The Door into War’ led me to wondering, what are the benefits
to a writer of switching genres? And what are the drawbacks?
In my case, having written a lot of horror where tension is key I have at least
some experience of maintaining suspense. I’ve also got a background in archaeology so I
made my main character an archaeologist, and made archaeology an important part of the
story which gave me something familiar to work around. I write occasional erotic shorts,
which I found a help with the need to show characters’ emotions and reactions to each
other.
It was also a refreshing challenge to try something completely different, and I
hope this enjoyment comes over in the novel.
Because I didn’t know the thriller genre I suppose there’s a possibility that in my
naivety I might have brought something new to it – but that’s probably wishful thinking!
But, genre-swapping isn’t all plain sailing. I’m pretty sure I’ll have made some
genre-specific mistakes, and I probably missed some things that thriller readers will
expect, or misjudged the pacing and similar.
When writing historical fantasy or horror I usually have an idea of whether or not
what I’m doing is any good – or at least whether it’s good above the line enough to be
picked up by a publisher. I didn’t have that same feel for ‘The Door into War.’ In fact, as
Write Hook Contest Winners
Entrants into the Write Hook writing contest submitted a 300-word hook which showcased their writing skills. A “Hook” is what grabs the reader and snares him into reading the rest of a book. While there are many hooks throughout a book, this contest focused on the first page of a novel. The winners’ prizes and their Hook submissions are listed below. Continue reading “Write Hook Contest Winners”
Exclusive Interview with Executive Director of the APA
GOT AUDIOBOOKS?
Please Welcome Michele Cobb Executive Director of the The Audio Publishers Association (APA).
Continue reading “Exclusive Interview with Executive Director of the APA”
Interview with Author Anne Buist
Please welcome Anne Buist, author of the Natalie King Forensic Psychiatrist Series.
Anne Buist is the Chair of Women’s Mental Health at the University of Melbourne and has over 25 years clinical and research experience in perinatal psychiatry. She works with Protective Services and the legal system in cases of abuse, kidnapping, infanticide and murder. Medea’s Curse is her first mainstream psychological thriller. Professor Buist is married to novelist Graeme Simsion and has two children.
Living Dangerously: get closer to crime-thriller author Frank Westworth
Living Dangerously: get closer to crime-thriller author Frank Westworth
While readers get to grips with his new collection of quick thrillers, author Frank Westworth pauses in between projects to chat about what he writes, and why. And what he reads, and where his characters come from, and which kinds of Kevlar can actually stop bullets…
Continue reading “Living Dangerously: get closer to crime-thriller author Frank Westworth”
Writer’s Craft: VILE VOICES: DESCRIBING HOW THE KILLER SPEAKS by Rayne Hall
When a dangerous or evil person talks, make their dialogue short and to the point. The tighter their speech, the more intelligent and threatening it becomes. Wordy waffling would dilute the effect.
Continue reading “Writer’s Craft: VILE VOICES: DESCRIBING HOW THE KILLER SPEAKS by Rayne Hall”
Interview with Karen White
Where are you originally from?
Both of my parents were born and raised in Mississippi (my mother in the Delta–“the most Southern place on earth”–and my father on the coast in Biloxi) but my father’s job as an executive with Exxon had us living all over the world. I was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma but the longest I lived anywhere was in London, England for 7 years. I’ve now lived in Georgia for 24 years, and all of my family lives now south of the Mason-Dixon Line, too.
Yay Mississippi! My grandparents are from Mississippi. Been to Georgia many times. It’s a very beautiful place.
Historical Division: Mark Julian mysteries
Before I begin let me give a tremendous thank you for asking me to do a guest comment. Venues like this let a writer connect to his readers and potential new ones. I hope, after reading this one, no one regrets this offer to me.
I also think introductions are in order before I tackle this subject. My name is L.G. Fabbo-Gonnella. I write the Mark Julian Vampire PI and the Max, Brad & Maisie mystery series. Yes, that is a plug just in case anyone reading that line was unsure about it.
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Crime Division: Seven Life Hacks for Self-defense, Plus One You’ll Never Use By Lily Black
How did that title work for you? Was it click-baity enough? Because the unfortunate reality is that most people start slinking off around the corner as soon as the subject of self-defense comes up. However, I’m determined to make this as painless as possible for you all and have broken down the pages and pages of things I’d like to say on the subject into just a few bullet points for you—and your characters, for the authors out there—to remember.