The Role of Mystery in Fiction An editor's take on the value of mystery in all genres of fiction
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The Role of Mystery in Fiction An editor's take on the value of mystery in all genres of fiction

PG, The Writer’s Craft

The Role of Mystery in Fiction An editor's take on the value of mystery in all genres of fiction

Unlike nonfiction, fiction’s motor doesn’t run on information, but on its opposite: mystery.

I’m not talking about mystery as a genre, but as the essential quality in all fiction that cultivates curiosity, stimulates the imagination, invites participation, and generally keeps readers reading. Every step of the reader’s journey should be fraught with questions, not only about how the story turns out, but about character, motive, backstory, and—perhaps most importantly—what he or she would do in the hero’s or villain’s […]

By Peter Gelfan| 2018-05-21T19:44:48+00:00 |PG, The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off

Plot vs. Plot Event An editor's thoughts inspired by Robert Ludlum, Matt Damon, and Jason Bourne
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Plot vs. Plot Event An editor's thoughts inspired by Robert Ludlum, Matt Damon, and Jason Bourne

RSB, The Writer’s Craft

Plot vs. Plot Event An editor's thoughts inspired by Robert Ludlum, Matt Damon, and Jason Bourne

by Ross Browne

It wasn’t all that long ago that the news hit Hollywood that Matt Damon was considering bowing out of his leading role as Jason Bourne. The untitled film he considered passing on would have been the fifth in a series based on a trilogy that we have Robert Ludlum to thank for. (Or blame for, depending on your perspective.) Ludlum stopped writing the series after book number 3, and it wasn’t until his death […]

By Editorial Department| 2018-05-21T21:30:24+00:00 |RSB, The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off

Everyone Needs an Editor: A Final Lesson from the Harry Potter Series Principle Five: All good writing needs good editing
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Everyone Needs an Editor: A Final Lesson from the Harry Potter Series Principle Five: All good writing needs good editing

The Writer’s Craft, Trends

Everyone Needs an Editor: A Final Lesson from the Harry Potter Series Principle Five: All good writing needs good editing

By Jane Ryder with Beth Jusino.

“So why couldn’t Malfoy have brought that necklace into the school?”

“Oh, Harry, not that again…”

Many readers, myself included, echoed Hermione Grangers’ frustration at that point in Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

For the past few weeks we have been looking at JK Rowling’s best-selling Harry Potter books, and the lessons that aspiring authors can learn from them. We talked about when to hold back detail, how to drop hints, and the […]

By Editorial Department| 2018-05-03T19:10:38+00:00 |The Writer’s Craft, Trends|1 Comment

A World to Remember: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Four: Create a world the reader will remember
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A World to Remember: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Four: Create a world the reader will remember

The Writer’s Craft, Trends

A World to Remember: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Four: Create a world the reader will remember

This blog is part of the Storytelling lessons from Harry Potter series. For part one, click here. For part two, click here. For part three, click here.

Diagon Alley. The Quidditch World Cup.The Chamber of Secrets. The Cupboard Under the Stairs. Platform Nine and Three-Quarters.

These were not places that existed in our imaginations before we met Harry Potter, but for many readers they are now as real as Times Square.

If we, as writers, look to […]

By Editorial Department| 2018-05-03T19:10:55+00:00 |The Writer’s Craft, Trends|Comments Off

Heroes Have Hormones: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Three: perfect heroes are uninteresting ones
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Heroes Have Hormones: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Three: perfect heroes are uninteresting ones

The Writer’s Craft, Trends

Heroes Have Hormones: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Three: perfect heroes are uninteresting ones

This blog is part of the Storytelling lessons from Harry Potter series. For part one, click here. For part two, click here.

It’s Harry Potter time here at The Editorial Department, and in honor of the release of the newest addition to the series, Harry Potter and The Cursed Child, we’re looking at what we can learn from J.K. Rowling that will help us in our own writing endeavors. We’ve talked about two different aspects of plotting […]

By Editorial Department| 2018-05-03T19:11:12+00:00 |The Writer’s Craft, Trends|Comments Off

Chekov’s Gun: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Two: Chekov had a gun; Trelawney had a prophecy
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Chekov’s Gun: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Two: Chekov had a gun; Trelawney had a prophecy

The Writer’s Craft, Trends

Chekov’s Gun: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Two: Chekov had a gun; Trelawney had a prophecy

This blog is part of a series. For part one, click here.

This week we’re talking about Harry Potter. No, not the much-anticipated book that’s releasing next week (although I, for one, already preordered it.) We’re talking about the books that started it all, and the lessons that authors can apply in their own Works In Progress.

Principle Two: Chekov had a gun; Trelawney had a prophecy.

Being patient and letting a story unfold does not mean that a writer should hold back major […]

By Editorial Department| 2018-05-03T19:11:24+00:00 |The Writer’s Craft, Trends|Comments Off

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Author of The Prometheus Man

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Sherman Oaks, CA

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Green Bay, WI

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Oak View, CA

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Shizuoka, Japan

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Mesa, Arizona

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Author of Blood Hunt and other titles

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Kingsport, TN

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Tucson, AZ

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Imperial Beach, CA

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New York, NY

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Delray Beach, FL

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Author of In The Season of Blood & Gold and other titles

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Omaha, Nebraska

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While Peter Gelfan guided me down the path to write more like a professional and introduced me to the world of solid plots, Renni Browne and Shannon Roberts’ annotated editing turned me into an honest recorder of my characters’ voices and behaviors. That’s way better than just being a clever writer. I think that any writer who doesn’t use an intelligent editor(s) won’t ever know how good their work might be.”

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Torreon, NM

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Willow Spring, NC

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Albuquerque, NM

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Mystic, CT

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Hampton, Australia

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Westfield, NJ

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Author of The Stolen and other titles

the stolen by bishop oconnell

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Mesa, AZ

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Geneva, IL

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San Francisco, CA

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mammoth rtouble trouble by D. Robert Pease

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Dartmouth, Devon, UK

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Huntersville, NC

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an innocent client by scott pratt

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Author of Waterfall Dance

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Author of The Darkness of Shadows

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Author of Footloose in America

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Author of Jem: Lessons in Living

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Author of Pursuit of Justice

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Superior, CO

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Tucson, AZ

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Jason Reinhardt
Tucson, AZ

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veil of roses by laura fitzgerald

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Red Light Return

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