Straight talk from the sisters about blood, sweat and ink
The Write on Sisters are thrilled to have Fiona Quinn with us today! Her “Thrill Writing” blog is one several of us follow. The wealth of information she provides writers of crime fiction and mysteries often includes information other genres can use as well. The fact that she is gracious and warm to her readers is just …
Continue reading “Guest Post: Four Magic Words by Fiona Quinn”
Publishing is competitive. It takes a number of different approaches and some long-range planning for any author, regardless of talent, to carve out a thriving career. The right prequel could make a huge difference in that plan, or it could spell disaster. But how do you know if a prequel is right for you? If …
Continue reading “Prequels: Just the Facts”
Created in the 1980s. Picked up by business in the 1990s. But still largely unknown among the general public. And writers need to know! As a student, Francesco Cirillo struggled with time management. We’ve all been there. As an undergraduate, I worked 40-45 hours a week while taking a full load of classes. Oh, and …
Continue reading “The Pomodoro Technique® for Writers”
Personally, I don’t believe in Writer’s Block. There is no such thing in my book. Yes, there are days you just can’t get moving, but completely blocked? Nah. That’s an excuse. You have to push through, like Roto Rootering your pipes. Most of the time this occurs during the saggy middle (which the Sisters …
Continue reading “Clearing the Writer’s Clogged Pipes”
This is the next installment in my series on Fiction as Art. Thanks for all the well-wishes after my shoulder surgery. Typing one-handed is a bitch, however. “Ignorance is bliss,” my mother used to say. It turns out my lack of knowledge about writing was a blessing because nothing stood in the way of my …
Continue reading “The Art of Fiction: Where to Begin?”
Some like it hot, but I like it RED. In September I bought a red house. I know what you’re thinking, who does that? Someone with a secret barn obsession? Turns out lots of people love red houses and Pinterest is full of people lamenting their lack of red house. Why? Because red triggers emotions. …
Continue reading “3 Tips for Using Color Theory In Your Writing”
The traditional mystery is sometimes referred to as a cozy mystery, as I explained in last month’s The Mystery of Mysteries post on the 12 steps to writing a traditional mystery. However, that seems to be more of a U.K. designation. In the U.S., cozy mysteries have special elements that differentiate them from traditional mysteries. …
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Caryn is down for a bit after some minor surgery. Today we’re running one of her best-loved posts on the trials of writing erotic fiction. We know you’ll love this post and Caryn will be back with us all in no time. When Fifty Shades of Grey crashed into the publishing world, everyone was aghast. On so …
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Many years ago in graduate school I taught a class on nonfiction critique writing. Most of my students had no experience critiquing another person’s writing so we spent a lot of time talking about the elements of a good critique. It didn’t take long for me to realize they needed an acronym to help them …
Continue reading “The Formula for Great Critiques is R.I.T.E.”
We’re running retro-posts for Robin while she’s moving into her new house. Hurry back, Robin, we miss you! The ability to mass produce books gave birth to the popular novel, the Bronte Sisters, George Sand and perhaps one of the best-loved novelists of all time, Jane Austen. Since Austen’s first book was released over two centuries …
Continue reading “Retro Robin: You Are Mistaken, Mr. Darcy: How to Use Literature to Build Your Fiction Vocabulary”