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Flashing The Reader A practical guide to clearly managing transitions of time, place, and viewpoint in fiction

[by John Robert Marlow]

TRICKY TRANSITIONS

Few works of fiction relate events in a continuous flow, from start to finish. Sometimes the story moves back in time (as with flashbacks); more often it jumps forward, sparing the reader the dull details of ordinary life. Frequently, the transition will take the reader from one location (and set of characters) […]

By |2022-09-20T15:48:57+00:00|JRM, The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on Flashing The Reader A practical guide to clearly managing transitions of time, place, and viewpoint in fiction

Patience Required / Patience Rewarded Considering mystery writing craft in TROUBLED BLOOD by Robert Galbraith

[by Ross Browne]

If you’re a fan of JK Rowling writing as Robert Galbraith, you’re probably well aware how much longer her latest release is than the other four books in the series.

My own first reaction to the size of the hefty tome—darn near 1,000 pages in hardcover—was mostly: Terrific! More […]

By |2022-02-21T14:42:18+00:00|Mystery, Mystery / Suspense, RSB, The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on Patience Required / Patience Rewarded Considering mystery writing craft in TROUBLED BLOOD by Robert Galbraith

The Urban Setting Thesaurus & The Rural Setting Thesaurus A working author's perspective on two unique resources for writers of any genre

Ackerman & Puglisi have published several helpful thesauruses for writers. This review covers both their urban and their rural setting thesauruses, which they recommend be used together.

The Urban Setting Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to City Spaces

Drawing Readers in Through Emotion-Driven Imagery and Realism

Introductory Chapters

The first part of the book consists of eight chapters filled with advice. […]

By |2021-08-11T20:33:21+00:00|Book Reviews and Analysis, LF, The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on The Urban Setting Thesaurus & The Rural Setting Thesaurus A working author's perspective on two unique resources for writers of any genre

WRITING A KILLER THRILLER by Jodie Renner Review from the perspective of a working writer

In Writing a Killer Thriller, Jodie Renner covers all the elements necessary to create a compelling thriller. Clearly structured and easy to read, with examples from popular novels and movies, Writing a Killer Thriller offers a wealth of important information for the new (thriller) writer and can serve as a helpful refresher and reference book for […]

By |2022-05-03T23:47:27+00:00|Getting Published, LF, Mystery / Suspense, Recommended Reading, The Writer’s Craft, Thriller|Comments Off on WRITING A KILLER THRILLER by Jodie Renner Review from the perspective of a working writer

Editorial Analysis: WRECKED by Joe Ide Considering the pros and cons of irredeemable antagonists in crime fiction

[by Ross Browne]

I’m not exaggerating when I say the discovery of Joe Ide’s IQ series made an often-awful 2020 more bearable. Wrecked is the third book in this series starring the fiercely intelligent but lonely and isolated Isaiah Quintabe (“IQ”), who on first glance might resemble a modern-day Sherlock Holmes of Long Beach. In this story, Isaiah […]

By |2022-02-15T18:20:56+00:00|Behind The Bestsellers, Mystery / Suspense, Recommended Reading, RSB, The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on Editorial Analysis: WRECKED by Joe Ide Considering the pros and cons of irredeemable antagonists in crime fiction

DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER, by Jeff Lindsay Considering pacing, plot, and story setup in the first 50 pages

[by Ross Browne]

Flap Copy: He’s handsome and charming, but something in his past has made him abide by a different set of rules. He’s a serial killer whose one golden rule makes him immensely likable: He only kills bad people.

Ross’s Take: Though Darkly Dreaming Dexter was a book […]

By |2022-02-15T18:22:27+00:00|Book Reviews and Analysis, First 50, General, Mystery / Suspense, RSB, The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on DARKLY DREAMING DEXTER, by Jeff Lindsay Considering pacing, plot, and story setup in the first 50 pages
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