Barbara Fradkin's Blog, page 21

Link Arms and Dance

Donis here today. As I've mentioned more than once on this blog, I'm in the middle of acting as Writer in Residence for the Glendale, AZ, Public Library system through the fall. This coming Monday, Oct. 28, from 6:30 p.m. until 7:45, I'll be conducting a workshop on Characters and characterization (come by and see me if you're in the area). These workshops and consults, plus trying to finish a

Leaping into the void

 As usual, recent posts by my fellow Type M'ers contain so much food for thought and inspiration for posts of my own. What a wealth of writing wisdom and experience we have in our group!One theme that runs through many of the posts is how our writing constantly evolves. We are always striving for excellence and innovation. The same old same old is death to a writer. How soon before readers

The End

 by Catherine DiltsThe first killing freeze is late to arrive this year. Mygarden, lacking access to weather apps, has already slowed way down. The tomatoes have quit producing, not realizing they couldhave gone on another couple weeks. The cucumber vines shriveled, the leavesturning dry despite regular watering. Instead of one sudden death in the formof a hard frost or early snow,

Look at Me! (But I Don't Want to be Famous)

Hi, I'm Shelley! Nice to meet you. If there’s one aspect of this writing life that wickedly grins and winks it’s baleful eye at me, it’s promotion. Some authors might dream of being invited to appear on Good Morning America or give a keynote address at a mystery convention, but the idea leaves me cold as Maine frost on a tomato vine in October.  There are authors who play around on

Present Tense?

First, apologies. I have been away far too long. My day job got very demanding, leaving me two free hours a day, which I have spent writing fiction –– and becoming delinquent to my Type M commitment. But I am back.Now onward.About a year ago, I wrote a post considering when the present tense was suitable for novel-length fiction. I want to return to that topic. Last spring, I was 50 pages into a

Welcome Back, Suspense Magazine!

 by Sybil JohnsonYou may remember that I did a post a few weeks back about Mystery Magazine ceasing publication after the September 2024 issue. They might not be around anymore, but another magazine that closed down publication of its pdf version is now coming back!Welcome back, Suspense Magazine!According to their Facebook page, “...starting in January 2025, Suspense Magazine will be

Tell, Don't Show

by Charlotte HingerOne of the most misunderstood "rules" in writing successful novels is the instruction to "Show, don't tell." Sometimes a story moves more quickly by using the limited dissection of the limited omniscience viewpoint. He describes his struggles with the beginning of his novel, First Blood. The book is a literary novel, by the way. He warns readers it's nothing like the movie. And

Do Private Investigators Carry Guns?

 By Steve Pease, retired PI and writer  Genre fiction is beset with clichés. Medical shows on TV, copshows, PI shows. The tropes come with the territory and readers won’tfeel entertained if some clichés aren’t there. Here’sone of the biggest PI clichés.   You know thescene. The PI confronts the bad guy and a gunfight breaks out. The PIhas a 38 Colt snubbie on his belt

What Did He Say?>

 I, Donis, have been working as Writer in Residence for Glendale, AZ, Public Library, which as most of you Dear Readers know, entails both private consultations and giving classes on the art, craft, and business of writing fiction. I've been WIR at other libraries before, but this is the first time I've done it since the end of the pandemic, so I've been having to brush up on my oration

Pre-release planning

 What an exciting series of posts Type M has had recently, several from new members who bring fresh perspectives and new energy to the group. I hope readers are tuning in and enjoying the variety. Often I get ideas for my own posts from the others, but this time there are so many good  ideas that I don't know how to choose. I enjoyed Catherine's post comparing her writing preparation