Category: On Writing

So, You’ve Finished Writing Your Book. Now What?

You may recall a couple of weeks ago I wrote that I had finished writing my book. I typed “The End” at the bottom of my last chapter and emailed the manuscript to a few trusted beta readers — and to a professional editor.

It felt good to say that I had met my deadline (so as to be able to enjoy a week’s vacation with my British bestie.) But, as any published, or even aspiring, author knows only too well, the real hard work is just about to begin. Continue reading “So, You’ve Finished Writing Your Book. Now What?”

How Author J.D.Barker Nails The Rules For Writing Suspense

Serial-killer thriller author, J.D. Barker is the latest writer to become a James Patterson co-author. Evidently, working with the world’s #1 bestselling author is rubbing off on him. J.D. has become a writing machine this year.

The Fifth To Die, the second offering in the Fourth Monkey (4MK) trilogy was published this summer. Dracul, the prequel to the Dracula series which J.D. was commissioned to write by Bram Stoker’s family is to be released on October 2, 2018. The novel was inspired by notes kept by Bram Stoker, the author of the original, classic novel, Dracula. It is co-authored by Dacre Stoker, Bram’s great grand-nephew. Continue reading “How Author J.D.Barker Nails The Rules For Writing Suspense”

Photos That Helped Me Write My Novel

If you’re writing a novel, you know that setting is generally as important an element of the story as character and plot. In its narrowest sense, setting is the location of your story. Nowadays, of course, you don’t have to stir out of your comfortable writer’s chair to conduct location research, and discover if there really is a Gristedes supermarket on the corner of Third and 36th in Manhattan. All the research you need to do is right at your fingertips. You can google places where you want the main action of your novel to take place, or watch Youtube travel videos.

But it’s much more fun to go and visit the location, see it for yourself, and get the “feel” and “smell” of the place. It may also be tax deductible depending on your personal financial situation. But remember to take photos. Not only as proof for the taxman, but also so you can remind yourself of all the little details you thought would be interesting to include in your story. Continue reading “Photos That Helped Me Write My Novel”

3 Bestselling Authors Tell How Reading is #1 Key To Writing Success

Whether you’re an avid reader or an aspiring author, if you get the chance to meet and listen to several bestselling authors all gathered in the same room, you go, don’t you? You want to know how they made it to the bestseller charts; or maybe more modestly you want to know how they wrote their successful novels; where they get their ideas, how they find the time to finish a novel? I know I always leap at such an opportunity. As I did a couple of weeks ago. Continue reading “3 Bestselling Authors Tell How Reading is #1 Key To Writing Success”

Dan Rather At Palm Beach Book Festival: (Most) Leaders Are Readers

You may have heard the expression “readers are leaders.” It happens to be a favorite one of my husband’s. Well, at this year’s Palm Beach Book Festival, author and journalist, Dan Rather kinda stood that saying on its head.

Commenting on the many world leaders he has met during his long career as a journalist and news anchor, he says from the stage of the Palm Beach County Convention Center: “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” Continue reading “Dan Rather At Palm Beach Book Festival: (Most) Leaders Are Readers”