Terry Shames's Blog: 7 Criminal Minds, page 4

Raising a Glass to Lev A.C. Rosen - by Matthew Greene

Shine a light on another writer. Who's a writer—past or present—you believe deserves more attention? What makes their work meaningful to you, and how has it influenced your own?

When I first heard about The Lavender House by Lev A.C. Rosen, it sounded like it had been grown in a lab specifically for me. Mid-century noir and fabulous matriarchs and queer history and a San Francisco setting? I was sold. 

But I didn’t expect how hard the story would hit me from word one. From the moment I met the tor...

The Surprising Power of a Good Title by Poppy Gee

The Mysterious Book Shop in New York... floor to ceiling crime novels with different, captivating titles.
BUSINESS: Let’s talk titles.

Do you start with one, or does it emerge organically from your writing process?How important is a title in shaping your project—or even selling it?

On Friday at the Currumbin Crime Writers Festival we heardfrom a leading publisher and a top literary agent – both estimated that 80% of manuscriptshave their titles get changed when they are published. 

Given this,...

The Railway Adults, by Catriona McPherson

Do you start with a title, or does it emerge organically from your writing process? How important is a title in shaping your project—or even selling it? 

I always start with a title. But sometimes that title is New Book. 

Right now, I'm writing the first draft of a new book called The Railway Adults. But isn't a bit strange to use your book title up on a blogpost, you ask? Thing is, this is my one and only chance to put something out actually called The Railway Adults. Because I will eat my dra...

[insert title here]. by Eric Beetner

 Do you start with one, or does it emerge organically from your writing process? How important is a title in shaping your project—or even selling it?

A good title is crucial. A good title is the first come-on. You might hear it before you see a cover, before you know the name of the author, even. I love coming up with titles, and I think long and hard about it. Once I land on a title I like, it’s almost like a green flag to get started writing the actual book. It’s rare I’ll start a book without ...

Lets Talk Titles

 

Let’s Talk Titles

Do you start with one, or does it emerge organically fromyour writing process? How important is a title in shaping your project—or evenselling it?

I’ve had titles arrive fully formed, like a gift from themuse, and others fight me all the way to final edits. And even then, I’m stillsecond-guessing.

But let’s back up.

Take my story “Satan’s Spit,” nominated this year for anAgatha, Anthony, and Macavity. Sounds dramatic, maybe even dangerous, right?

T...

A Rose by Any Other Name, By Angela Crook

 

Title: A Rose by AnyOther Name…

 By Angela Crook

Do you start withone, or does it emerge organically from your writing process? How important isa title in shaping your project—or even selling it?

 

The title is thesecond most important thing in my writing process. The first us the theemergence of the main character—protagonist or antagonist, doesn’t matter. I findthat I can’t write a word until that main character walks onto the stage thatis my brain and introduces themselves and t...

Title: A Rose by AnyOther Name… By Angela CrookDo you st...

 

Title: A Rose by AnyOther Name…

 By Angela Crook

Do you start withone, or does it emerge organically from your writing process? How important isa title in shaping your project—or even selling it?

 

The title is thesecond most important thing in my writing process. The first us the theemergence of the main character—protagonist or antagonist, doesn’t matter. I findthat I can’t write a word until that main character walks onto the stage thatis my brain and introduces themselves and t...

Learning to self-edit - by Harini Nagendra

Choose a block of your writing—past or present—and walk us through its revision journey. What worked? What didn’t? What did you learn in the process? 

Perhaps the most important thing I've learnt over the 4 books that constitute my fiction-writing journey, is how to self-edit out my tendency to insert large infodumps of history, culture and setting into my books. Instead, I now slice the historical and setting details into chunks, and try to find places where I can insert them into different part...

Before and After—Revising Your Manuscript from James W. Ziskin

Choose a block of your writing—past or present—and walk us through its revision journey. What worked? What didn’t? What did you learn in the process?
I believe that good writing is the result of careful revision. Sure, there may be a couple of writers out there who spit out perfect first drafts, but I’ve yet to meet one. And I’m certainly not that guy. In fact, I probably revise more than most writers. Typically, I go through three drafts of my books before I even let anyone look at them. Then I ...

Taming the Wild Draft

Cue the spaghetti western music: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Choose a block of your writing—past or present—and walk us through its revision journey. What worked? What didn't? What did you learn in the process?

By Dietrich

A lone writer squints into the horizon, ready to duel with his own words. The tumbleweeds of doubt roll by, and so, the revision process begins …

I looked at an early chapter from Nobody from Somewhere and walked myself back through its conception. The story started from a s...