Terry Shames's Blog: 7 Criminal Minds, page 32

Writing What I Love

 CM for July 1

 

Q: If you write in an alternate non-mystery genre, which one - and why? If you don't, which genre would you most like to write in, and what attracts you to it?

 

-from Susan

 

In my previous careers, I wrote a lot, sometimes editorial work and sometimes public relations/public affairs. Everything from covering local news and bland TV celebrity profiles to ghost-writing op-ed pieces and making the case for large capital campaigns. Delicate CEO memos, annual reports, donor and programs ...

To (Re)Write Some Wrongs - by Harini Nagendra

When did you know you wanted to be a writer? Who hurt you?

For as long as I can remember, I loved books. My sister, 11 years older than me, was often in charge of child care - she told me made-up stories, and taught me how to read early - she could give me a book and I would sit quietly for hours, instead of pestering her with questions :-)

We also played a game, one that I loved very much - which I also follow now with my daughter. We think of three things - like a princess, a tree, and a tomato ...

A Blue Royal Typewriter from James W. Ziskin

 When did you know you wanted to be a writer? Who hurt you?

I knew I wanted to be writer when I was twelve years old. Can’t say today why I suddenly decided I wanted to write, but that’s when it happened. I wrote my first book. It was a terrible adventure novel about World War I. Just what you’d expect a twelve-year-old boy to write. One hundred and ten perfectly fine sheets of paper ruined...

If I recall correctly, I stayed up late nights banging away—single spaced—on a blue Royal portable typewr...

Frank Zafiro's guest post

Greetings! Frank Zafiro here, former panelists on this gang of happy writers. Dietrich was kind enough to ask me to guest post this week, and I jumped at the chance to say hello again. Answering the query of the week is pretty easy, so I thought I might also update you on my recent doings, if that's okay.

First, the question. When did you know you wanted to be a writer? Who hurt you?

No one hurt me. I mean, people have -- that's the human experience. But pain isn't what made me a writer.

What d...

In the Beginning

 

Terry here, with this week's question:When did you know you wanted to be a writer? Who hurt you?The question is not so much when I knew I wanted to be a writer, but when I knew I wanted to write crime fiction.I was always a writer. I loved writing stories, and when my junior high school teacher assigned a story and she read mine aloud in class, I was hooked. I liked watching people hear the story read and being wowed by it. The fact is, even if she hadn’t read it aloud, I loved the story ...

When I Grow Up ...

 When did you know you wanted to be a writer? Who hurt you?

Brenda here

I think that I always wanted to write, but the idea of being an author didn't come about until after I had my two daughters and completed about fifteen years working as a teacher. 

In my early twenties, I earned an English literature degree, which included a full-year creative writing course. The course taught the basics of poetry and short story writing, and I just loved the creativity. However, I never considered writing as a...

Railing Against the Algorithm Gods, by Josh Stallings

 

Q: Tell us about your ideal reader. For whom do you write and why don’t they ever leave reviews or tell you how you’re doing?

A: I never want to feel like I’m walking the same writing path twice. My ideal reader is someone who is flexible in their literary taste to join me on my journey. 

I have never been really good at following rules. Not because I see myself as a rebel or an iconoclast, but mostly because I’m not wired to remember illogical rules. My creative process as both a writer and a...

"I write to tell you your book is tripe" by Catriona

Tell us about your ideal reader. For whomdo you write and why don’t they ever leave reviews or tell you how you’redoing?

Three separate questions here. I'll answer them in reverse order. Why don't they ever leave review? They might. I wouldn't know. I don't read them. I mean, I read reader reviews as a reader. That's what they're for. But I don't read reader reviews of my own books, since I'm planning on picking one up anytime soon. 

And I did recently advise a friend to start ignoring GoodReads...

My Kinda Page-Turner by Eric Beetner

 Tell us about your ideal reader. For whom do you write and why don’t they ever leave reviews or tell you how you’re doing?

One stark fact I’ve had to contend with is that my ideal reader is an endangered species now. We all know reading has trended downward for many, many years. There are still blockbusters, still loyal readers, still dedicated series fans, but younger generations have so many distractions competing for their attention, it’s an uphill battle to entice new readers.

Some genres do ...

wherefore art thou Ideal Reader

 Wherefore art thou Ideal Reader?

Tell us about your ideal reader. For whomdo you write and why don’t they ever leave reviews or tell you how you’redoing?

 

I can’t answer why reviewers don’t leave reviews. I’mconvinced that readers either think reviews don’t matter (THEY DO), or theyfeel that they can’t write one well. Which leaves me and my fellow authors atthe mercy of those who do take the time to leave a few words, for which we aregrateful. And then there are the t...