Phil Giunta's Blog, page 8
October 19, 2023
About This Writing Stuff…
This month, writer pal Kathryn Craft shows us how to use weddings and funerals in our stories to explore characters and heighten emotions. Over at Mythcreants, Oren Ashkenazi examines the ever-popular literary device known as unreliable narrator.
Kristen Overman offers advice on self-editing and developing strong characters while Meredith Lyons talks about keepin’ it real in paranormal fiction. Do you feel pressured to sacrifice your social time for your writing? John Gilstrap reminds us not to feel guilty for living our lives.
Kelsey McConnell discusses the need for trigger warnings in horror novels. This is a timely topic given that I just released the second edition of Testing the Prisoner, my first paranormal mystery novel from 2009 that deals with child abuse and domestic violence.
All that and a lot more. Enjoy!
Writing Believable Characters by Michal Leah
There’s Always a Choice: Revision Techniques to Make Your Writing Stronger by Kristen Overman
How Subplots and Plot Filaments Lend Texture and Depth to Any Novel by Michael Craft
Why Is Strong Character Development Important? by Kristen Overman
Marry ’em and Bury ’em: Weddings, Funerals, and Your Novel by Kathryn Craft
Is There a Place For Trigger Warnings in Horror Books? by Kelsey Christine McConnell
How to Write a Realistic Paranormal by Meredith R. Lyons
How to Point Readers’ Attention in the Right Direction by Jami Gold
How to Increase Your Productivity When You Don’t Feel Productive by James Scott Bell
Writer’s Guilt by John Gilstrap
Unreliable Narration: A Useful Tool or Just Hype? by Oren Ashkenazi
Atmosphere Literary Definition: Genre Examples that Evoke Emotion by Joslyn Chase
If you’re a LibraryThing member, I’m running a giveaway for Testing the Prisoner! Six winners will receive a signed copy. Check it out here. Ends October 25th.
Testing the Prisoner is available now in ebook ($2.99) and paperback ($18.99)!
October 17, 2023
Short Stories, Novellas, and Novels… Oh My!
A few weeks ago, lovely and perspicacious writer pal Sara Karnish threw some questions at me about novels, novellas, and short stories and from my addled, sleep-deprived brain, I conjured up some reasonably cogent replies (or a reasonable facsimile thereof).
Check out the interview on the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group blog!
The second edition of my first paranormal mystery novel, Testing the Prisoner, is out now in ebook and paperback!
And if you’re in the Lehigh Valley this coming weekend, October 19-22, come on out to the Easton Book Festival for a dazzling array of writers and poets offering readings, panel discussions, presentations, and more!
October 3, 2023
After Action Report: FrightReads Book Festival
On Saturday, September 30, I attended the third annual FrightReads Book Festival in Millersville, MD as an author guest. It was my first time there and will certainly not be my last.
It was a magical weekend of hanging out with old friends, making new ones, and putting faces to names I’d only known through Discord or social media.
I managed to sell 14 books (not bad for my first time at this event) and as a bonus, my hotel was directly across the street from the Bass Pro Shops in Arundel Mills and I had a $50 gift card to burn, which meant a new winter jacket!
Many thanks to showrunner Harry Carpenter and his wonderful staff. Check out these pics from the show. I look forward to next year!
Photo credit: Jay Smith
Always great to see Farpoint friends! Sharon Van Blarcom and Laura Inglis on Sunday. Not pictured: Cindy Shockey held down the Farpoint fort on Saturday.
Run, Sawney, run!
Wonderful chatting with Pam and Jay Smith. Despite the humidity, Pam braved it out in costume until 4PM on Saturday. It was definitely a shorts and T-shirt weekend.
September 22, 2023
Easton Book Festival 2023
October is nearly upon us and with it, the Easton Book Festival, which will take place October 19-22 in downtown Easton, PA. The central hub of the festival is Book & Puppet Company at 22 Centre Square but programming is scheduled all over town including:
International Fusionism Museum
Nurture Nature Center
College Hill Tavern
Easton Area Public Library
Skillman Library
Quadrant Book Mart
Easton Farmers Market
The full schedule of impressive events can be found here on the festival website.
I’ll be participating on Sunday, October 22 in the following events:
11AM – 5PM – Easton Small Press Expo. Author tables will set up outside of Book & Puppet Company. Come on out to see local writers Angel Ackerman, Michael Stephen Daigle, Phil Giunta, Christopher Ochs, Ginny Shephard, Felicia Heath, Dianna Sinovic, and Tom Lubben.
11AM – Noon – Grit and Crime: The Art of Writing Noir with Albert Tucher, Suzanne Mattaboni, Dianna Sinovic, Phil Giunta (moderator).
Noir is a subgenre of crime literature featuring cynical characters and bleak settings. Dark in theme and subject matter, noir often features systemic corruption and a disturbing mixture of sex and violence. It is frequently associated with hard-boiled detective fiction, but they’re not exactly the same. Panelists will discuss the similarities and differences between noir and hard-boiled fiction, and what inspired them to write in these genres. Panelists will read excerpts from their stories in “Hard-Boiled and Loaded with Sin,” the latest crime noir anthology from Hawkshaw Press.
2PM – 3PM – A Dark and Stormy Night: Game Show with Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group. Host: John Evans. Participants: Phil Giunta, Bernadette Sukley, Michael Stephen Daigle, Suzanne Mattaboni, Dianna Sinovic, Charles Kiernan.
Storm clouds gather as the audience votes on their favorite excerpts read by three GLVWG authors in a literary “gameshow.” Each round showcases the authors’ mastery of an element of fiction: dialogue, setting, character with the audience as the judge. Expect audience participation, a literary trivia quiz, door prizes, and fun for all.
September 17, 2023
About This Writing Stuff…
Nice to hear from a few writer friends on the blog this month. Sara Karnish reminds us about proper critique etiquette and discusses the writer/editor relationship with Pattie Giordani.
It is said that your focus determines your reality. That applies to fictional characters as well. However, there are occasions in real life when we deliberately ignore or avoid something unpleasant. Writer pal Kathryn Craft shows us effective ways to depict that in our characters.
Over at Good Story Company, Amy Wilson draws a distinct line between editing and revision while Kristen Overman delves into the “chosen one” trope and how to ensure your hero is up to the task.
Struggling with book marketing? With a writing drought? With imposter syndrome? We got you covered on all three this month.
All that and a little more. Enjoy!
Follow the Energy of Denial by Kathryn Craft
Chosen One Stories: Is Your Hero Worthy of the Journey? by Kristen Overman
How Right Do Your Characters Have to Be? by Terry Odell
How to Give a Critique (Without Being Too Critical) by Sara Karnish
I Would Rather See My Books Pirated Than This (Or Why Goodreads and Amazon are Becoming Dumpster Fires) by Jane Friedman
How to Market Your Books to Get Worldwide Exposure by Diana Urban
How Authors Use Preorders to Promote New Books in 2023 by AJ Yee
5 Things Influencers Look for in a Book by Ryan Steck
5 Ways to Survive a Publishing Drought by Katrina Kittle
The Difference Between Editing and Revising by Amy Wilson
The Author/Editor Relationship: A Q&A with Pattie Giordani by Sara Karnish
How to Escape Imposter Syndrome in Your Writing Life by Lynette M. Burrows
September 11, 2023
Testing the Prisoner Countdown!
Click here for Kindle
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Click here for other eBook formats
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August 13, 2023
Book Review: Brent Spiner’s Fan Fiction
During the third season of Star Trek: The Next Generation, actor Brent Spiner attracts a stalker, a fan from the lunatic fringe who sends disturbing packages and threatening letters to him under the name “Lal.” Trekkies know that Lal was an android created by Commander Data in an episode titled “The Offspring.”
Spiner contacts the LA police only to finds himself dealing with an eccentric detective who seems more concerned about getting his Star Trek script produced than investigating the case. The FBI becomes involved when “Lal” sends razor blades to Spiner through the mail and a postal worker is injured. The female agent assigned to the case just happens to have a twin sister in the bodyguard business and she’s hired to accompany Spiner everywhere…and I do mean everywhere. The action heats up as “Lal” closes in. Along the way, Spiner veers off on several odd tangents about his stepfather that loosely relate to the plot. As for the ending, no spoilers here, only that it was rushed and contrived (the kind of “riveting” finale we’ve seen in a hundred other thrillers).
While not perfect, this amusing noir-comedy blends fact and fiction to deliver a fast-paced and suspenseful tale that includes the main cast members of Star Trek: The Next Generation, as well as Gene and Majel Roddenberry and even a cameo by Ronald Reagan.
August 6, 2023
About This Writing Stuff…
This week, we’re doing it by the numbers. At Career Authors, Polly Stewart offers five tips for creating suspense while Barbara Butcher explains six rules for writing true crime.
Mythcreants Chris Winkle and Oren Ashkenazi give us five ways to maintain tension in our stories and five mistakes to avoid when crafting our villain’s master plan.
Over at the Kill Zone, Sue Coletta shows us a formula for writing effective back cover copy while James Scott Bell reviews the latest news in the publishing industry.
If you want to make sure your characters aren’t boring, listen to Amy Wilson at Good Story Company. If you want your characters to be iconic, take some advice from literary agent Donald Maass.
All that and a lot more. Enjoy!
CRAFTBoring Characters by Amy Wilson
3 Helpful Tips for How to Rewrite a Novel by Rhiannon Richardson
Better Book Descriptions in 3 Easy Steps by Sue Coletta
Five Secrets to Writing Suspense by Polly Stewart
Five Ways to Restore Tension by Chris Winkle
Five Questions to Ask About Your Villain’s Master Plan by Oren Ashkenazi
Six Rules for Writing About True Crime by Barbara Butcher
Iconic Characters: Made Not Born by Donald Maass
BUSINESSEye on the Publishing Business by James Scott Bell
The Balance Between Indies by Lauren Wise
8 Unexpected Benefits from BookBub’s New Releases for Less Promotions by AJ Yee
Top Tips on BookBub Cost-Per-Click Bidding from 15 Advertisers by Carolyn Robertson
KKR in Advanced Talks to Buy Simon & Schuster for $1.65 Billion by Anirban Sen and Milana Vinn
August 3, 2023
Battle of the Books
On Wednesday, July 26, I shared a wonderful evening at my local library with several fellow writers for Battle of the Books, a game show in which three writers read three-minute excerpts from their novels or short stories in six rounds. The rounds include opening scene, introducing a character, action, dialogue, random page (chosen by the audience) and closing scene. After each round, the audience votes on their favorite reading. Following this, our quizmaster reads an excerpt from a famous novel and the audience is given the opportunity to answer and win a prize.
The random page segment was cut for time but it was a blast to read alongside Suzanne Grieco Mattaboni and Dianna Sinovic. John Evans was our Alex Trebek, Charles B. Kiernan our quizmaster, Judy England-McCarthy our timekeeper, and Michael Daigle kept score.
As a bonus, I sold a few books afterwards but more importantly, shared a few hours with amazing friends for a welcome midweek break. This was my fourth Battle of the Books, and one of the best yet.
Battle of the Books was created about seven years ago by John Evans as a public outreach event for the Greater Lehigh Valley Writers Group.
July 31, 2023
Book Review: Galloway’s Gamble 2: Lucifer & The Great Baltimore Brawl
This worthy sequel, set in the fall of 1873, follows brothers Jamey and Jake Galloway on a cross-country adventure with a cast of eclectic characters as they try to outwit a wealthy swindler at his own game—and that game is horse racing. Along the way, the Galloway brothers and their companions face every setback and obstacle the Old West can throw at them from train robbery and kidnapping to romances gone sideways. Through all of this, Weinstein doesn’t shy away from the social ills of the time and weaves them seamlessly into the plot. A fun, fast read.
