Five Things I Learned Writing "A Beast in Venice"

I learned a lot more than five things, but it seems like a good round number. Here goes.

Don’t try to be too witty. When I wrote the first draft, I did so in a style that I thought witty and interesting. All that accomplished was to dilute the story and turn it into not much more than a parody. Just write the story.

Story Trumps Language. All the creative and artistic turns of phrase in the world will not make up for a crappy story. People read fiction primarily to be entertained. Sure, they wo...