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Tips, insights, and observations from our editorial staff about the craft of writing memorable characters in popular, mainstream, and literary fiction.

Reviewing BLUE MOON by Lee Child Considering what works and what could work better in Jack Reacher # 24

[by Ross Browne]

Author’s note: As a reader, I’m a loyal fan of the Jack Reacher series, awaiting each release with rabid anticipation. As a professional editor, I’m a longtime admirer of what Lee Child does well and, at times, a constructive critic of what I believe he could do better. I write about Lee Child often […]

By |2024-01-06T22:42:02+00:00|Book Reviews|Comments Off on Reviewing BLUE MOON by Lee Child Considering what works and what could work better in Jack Reacher # 24
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How Susie Steiner Handles Characterization, Craft, and the Conventions of Mystery Writing in a Stunning Series Debut

[by Ross Browne with Susie Steiner]

One thing the editor in me loves about mysteries is seeing how successful authors navigate the challenge of writing entertainingly in a style of novel that’s inherently formulaic. For all its boundless appeal, mystery is a genre whose stories can be very similar in plot and structure, […]

By |2024-01-06T20:52:50+00:00June 14th, 2018|Behind The Bestsellers|Comments Off on How Susie Steiner Handles Characterization, Craft, and the Conventions of Mystery Writing in a Stunning Series Debut
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Reviewing SUDDEN PREY by John Sandford Considering characterization and its impact on story in a bestselling crime series

[by Ross Browne]

Anyone familiar with my taste in books probably knows how much I love John Sandford and admire his skills as a writer. One reason I like his Lucas Davenport series so much is that these deftly plotted novels usually go deep into the minds of deranged killers in seriously […]

By |2024-01-19T23:23:47+00:00|Book Reviews|Comments Off on Reviewing SUDDEN PREY by John Sandford Considering characterization and its impact on story in a bestselling crime series
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Reviewing CASINO ROYALE, by Ian Fleming: A Most Pleasant Surprise Considering thriller craft and the delights of the unexpected in the first James Bond novel

[by Ross Browne]

Up until last week, one notable blind spot in my reading life was Ian Fleming’s James Bond series. I loved the movies of the Sean Connery and Roger Moore era but, unimpressed by a later book in the series (written by one of four authors who took the helm after Fleming […]

By |2024-01-19T14:38:28+00:00|Book Reviews|Comments Off on Reviewing CASINO ROYALE, by Ian Fleming: A Most Pleasant Surprise Considering thriller craft and the delights of the unexpected in the first James Bond novel
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Don’t Confuse Plot with 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 […]

By |2024-01-06T21:11:19+00:00|The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on Don’t Confuse Plot with Plot Event An editor's thoughts inspired by Robert Ludlum, Matt Damon, and Jason Bourne
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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 […]

By |2024-01-06T22:45:34+00:00|The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on Heroes Have Hormones: More Lessons from the Harry Potter Series Principle Three: perfect heroes are uninteresting ones
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