Denizens and Their Labels
What do you call someone who hails from Delaware or Detroit? Are there really official terms for these things? Although…
Whose Head? Point of View in Fiction
This month we begin looking at Fatal Flaw # 5: POV Violations. Fiction writers often violate POV (point of view) “rules,”…
The Best Way for Writers to Use Amazon’s Preorder Feature
Today’s guest post is by Penny C. Sansevieri, Founder and CEO Author Marketing Experts, and best-selling author: Now that Amazon…
A Couple of Things You Should Know
Traditionally, the word couple has been used as a noun meaning “two things.” As a noun, it requires the use…
Too Little Backstory Can Be a Fatal Flaw
This week wraps up our look at Fatal Flaw #4—Too Much Backstory. Writers are admonished to ditch the backstory in their opening…
Let’s Go Clubbing! – Why Writers Need to Join Clubs
Today’s guest post is by author, teacher, and counselor Karen Gorback: The article in the local newspaper was tiny yet…
Deduce or Induce? It’s Elementary, Watson …
Whether or not Sherlock Holmes ever said “Elementary, Watson” is debatable. What’s not in question is Holmes’s keen powers of…
Backstory in Action
This week editor Robin Patchen tackles Fatal Flaw #4—Too Much Backstory. In this month’s posts, we’ve been looking at the pitfalls…
Give Your Readers a Ride They’ll Never Forget
Today’s guest post is by suspense author Erika Mitchell: When I was ten, a family friend took me to Disneyland….