“No one can write a book without an outline,” the New York Times #1 Bestselling author said to the assembled audience of mystery/thriller novelists, aspiring writers, and fans. There was not the slightest provisional hint in his tone. He was speaking ex cathedra. This was the first line of his papal encyclical on how to write a novel. The interviewer […]
I planned my Trump novel a year ago, back when Trump was funny. It was to be the third in my Travel Writer mystery series, published by Alibi, Random House’s digital imprint for crime fiction. The premise was that my protagonist, Jacob Smalls, would be reviewing a Bahamas cruise sponsored by an outrageous rightwing dilettante tycoon who liked being on
Annette Dashofy is the USA Today best-selling author of the two-time Agatha-nominated Zoe Chambers mystery series about a paramedic and deputy coroner in rural Pennsylvania’s tight-knit Vance Township. With a Vengeance, the fourth in the series, was released in May. Dashofy and her husband live on part of what used to be her grandfather’s dairy farm with one very spoiled cat.
John Grisham is a believer in the Elevator Pitch. You know, the one where you get on a lift with an editor or agent and hook the unsuspecting soul with a summary of your story that makes the “This is my floor” ding coincide with the light bulb appearing over his or her head. Assuming we all might learn something from
A few years back, an acquaintance confessed to me that he was a closet poet. Since I had spent some of my youth nursing dreams of being the next e.e. cummings, Dorothy Parker, or Ogden Nash, I asked him who his influences were. “The only person I read is Charles Bukowski,” he said. After reading his work I understood —
A now a word from the Guest of Honor at our Revels on December 7. Click here for more information and to register. For years I’ve gotten into hot water with my peers and aspiring writers at “how to” conferences and workshops for my liberal use of an apparently taboo word: talent. It took me a while to figure out
If someone is looking for inspiration to write mystery or crime fiction, New York City is a good place to find it. It’s impossible to live in the city and not at some point be the victim of a crime, witness a crime, or hear about a crime that happened to someone you know. Then of course, there is also
Paul H.B. Shin‘s debut novel Half Life follows a career as an award-winning journalist for more than 20 years, most recently for ABC News. He was previously a reporter and editor for the New York Daily News. He was born in South Korea and lived in London during his childhood. He now lives in Brooklyn, New York. What made you
It’s that time of year again. National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) starts on November 1. Here are five reasons why you should consider committing to write 50,000 words in 30 days.
It took me two-and-a-half painstaking years to write my first murder mystery, and since publishing it in 2002, I’ve tried to discover as much as possible about making the process easier and improving at the craft as well. I’ve learned some good stuff through trial and error (lots of error!), but I’ve also gained a ton from listening to other
One of my favorite reasons to travel to the D.C. area is the Creatures, Crime, & Creativity (C3) Conference. Organized by Intrigue Publishing, the conference welcomes writers and readers of horror, mystery, suspense, thriller, science fiction, fantasy, paranormal and—recently added—romance. C3 was held September 30–October 2, 2016 at the Sheraton Columbia Town Center in Columbia, Maryland. What I looked forward to
Known for its top-tier expert panels, CrimeCONN 2016 is a true writers’ conference. This year’s conference takes place on October 15 at the Westport Library in Connecticut, and its theme will be “The Criminal Mind.” The event is co-sponsored by our chapter. The conference’s guest of honor will be Andrew Gross, best-selling author of nine thrillers (One Mile Under, Everything
After 26 years with the FBI, specializing in major economic fraud and corruption investigations, Jerri Williams called on her professional encounters with scams and schemers to write Pay to Play, her debut novel. She has also served as a media spokesperson and is currently the host and producer of FBI Retired Case File Review, a true crime podcast. She joined
The MWA-NY Library Committee branched out with an inaugural event at the historic New York Society Library on September 21st with an author panel themed The Golden Age of Mysteries: Tracing the Bloodline of Crime Fiction. Co-sponsored by MWA-NY and the NYSL, the panel included Charles Ardai, Julia Dahl, Elizabeth Zelvin, and Parnell Hall (just four days from winning the
One of the many challenges for public libraries today is attracting community interest. Building engagement with local communities through fun, educational, and relevant programs that bring people together at no cost to the public is a tall order. As an employee of two public libraries in New Jersey, I talk with library staff about this issue quite often. As a
