Terry Shames's Blog: 7 Criminal Minds, page 128

Staying Sane

Terry Shames, here, talking about staying "positive"  In these times.

Positive? No. Something like “upright and functioning” comes to mind. This will not be a cheerful post, so be advised.

 

I’m one of the lucky ones. I have a husband I get along with (usually), two entertaining dogs (except when they wake me up at 3AM to inform me that a skunk is in the backyard),

 

a nice house with a big backyard 

 plenty to eat (we’re not going there), no kids to educate, and plenty of friends and family to talk t...

Staying Positive In Uncertain Times

In these times, how do you stay positive so that you can focus on what you write? 

Brenda Chapman here.
Staying positive during the past six months with Covid has been easy some days and tough others. It's overwhelming to think about the devastation this virus has and is wreaking on so many lives and families around the world. Combined with the natural disasters, like the forest fires raging up the Pacific Coast in the U.S., and the racial unrest escalating in many countries, and it feels as if we...

Marketing in the Time of Covid

This year has thrown us plenty of curveballs. Have you (and your publisher) adapted new ways to market your books?

by Paul D. Marks

I have to admit that I just did a blog post recently over at SleuthSayers on this very subject before I looked to see what this week’s question is. So this will be a rerun of that for people who didn’t see it there. The one thing I’ll add is that in addition to everything below, I’ve also been trying some Facebook and Instagram ads, with some okay results. The Amazon ...

What Can Keith Jarrett and Maurice Ravel Teach Us about Writing Craft? from James W. Ziskin

Since I traded with Catriona last week—she had Laura Jensen Walker as a guest blogger—I’m answering last week’s question.

Do you think about craft while you are writing? (how to construct good characters, settings, plot) Or do you just let her rip and worry about that “later?”

My writing process has evolved greatly over the course of the past few decades. Yes, that’s right. Decades. Before I sold my first Ellie Stone book, Styx & Stone, I had years to re-write, polish, tear up, and otherwise impro...

Marketing stuff...and a NEW TITLE REVEAL! by Cathy Ace

Business: This year has thrown us plenty of curveballs. Have you (and your publisher) adapted new ways to market your books?

Given that my background is in strategic marketing planning, brand building, and marketing communications planning and implementation (oo, er, missus…I know!) I’m going to be pedantic here and note that “marketing” refers to the entire “marketing mix”, which means the product, price, place and promotion of the product. Now, I’m guessing that this week’s questioner expected...

Swinging at Curveballs

Business: This year has thrown us plenty of curveballs. Have you (and your publisher) adapted new ways to market your books?

From Frank

In a word, no.

I mean, not really. But a little.

I'm a hybrid author in terms of publishing. By this, I mean that half of my novels are published by Down and Out Books, a small press that specializes in grittier crime fiction (they also sponsor my podcast, Wrong Place, Write Crime, which is mighty nice of 'em). The other half I publish independently. Essentially, if...

Words Everywhere!

 Q: Where do you normally read?

 

- from Susan

 

It would be easier to answer a question about where I don’t read. I’m sitting at my desk right now. There’s an ACLU magazine to my left, a bird book to my right, Mother Jones on the floor waiting to move up the ladder of my attention, and about 30 unread books on the shelves right above me, hollering that it’s their turn. Next to my bed is a delicious new mystery I treat like chocolate candy, plus four other books that I dip into before bed some night...

Hard Craft – Cathedral in Your Head, Shed on the Page

 

Do you think about craft while you are writing? (how to construct good characters, settings, plot) Or do you just let her rip and worry about that “later?”

 

By Abir

 

Friday again eh? The good news is that my kids went back to school yesterday. I know, I shouldn’t be so glad, but I tell you, if anyone can benefit from an education, it’s my two idiot boys. Anyway, that’s not really relevant to the matter in hand, but I felt I should share it with you because we did agree there would be no secrets b...

Eleventh Hour Herrings - by guest-blogger Laura Jensen Walker

Craft: Do you think about craft while you are writing? (how to construct good characters, settings, plot) Or do you just let her rip and worry about that “later?”
Catriona writes: I'm delighted, today, to be hosting Laura Jensen Walker, as she celebrates the launch (next Tuesday) of her mystery debut, MURDER MOST SWEET. Readers who love character, humour and cakes, read on. Writers who're feeling insecure, maybe stop now. Because this is a debut cozy, but Laura is far from a debut author and she'...

Go by the gut

Do you think about craft while you are writing? (how to construct good characters, settings, plot) Or do you just let her rip and worry about that “later?”

by Dietrich

I don’t think about craft as I write, I just let it happen. If it feels right, it goes on the page. There’s always the next draft to catch what seems wrong or isn’t worth keeping, and I often chuck things out and add in better parts. The first draft usually runs a hundred pages or so, then by the time the second draft’s done, it’s m...