Posts Categorized: Story Telling

Love as a Motive in Crime Fiction

  With Valentine’s Day just a few days away, it’s a fitting time to take a look at love as a motive in crime fiction. Anyone who has ever been in love knows even the best relationships come with those “I dream of stabbing you with a kitchen knife” moments, so it’s no wonder that… Continue Reading Love as a Motive in Crime Fiction »

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Finding the right length for your crime fiction novel

  We’ve all read mystery novels that seem to plod along endlessly, going into explicit detail about every irrelevant fact as we slog our way through in hopes of finding out whodunnit. Then there are those thrillers that end without warning – leaving us with more questions than answers. Finding the right length for your… Continue Reading Finding the right length for your crime fiction novel »

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Love is Murder Mystery Conference

Whether you’re a fan of romance thrillers or you’re trying to break into mystery writing, you won’t want to miss this year’s Love is Murder Conference in Chicago. Just two weeks away, this annual romance thriller conference will be held this year from February 6 – 8 and offers a great setting for writers, fans,… Continue Reading Love is Murder Mystery Conference »

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Overcoming writer’s block

  Whether you’re trying to come up with a topic for your next blog post or you’re trying to figure out what comes next in the Lou Mason series, it’s inevitable that a writer will eventually struggle with a bout of writer’s block. Always frustrating and sometimes downright infuriating, writer’s block can be a sign… Continue Reading Overcoming writer’s block »

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Finding the right crime fiction character name

  Hercule Poirot. Sam Spade. Stephanie Plum. Lou Mason. While these familiar names roll off our tongues as if they were real people, the authors who invented them probably spent hours agonizing over every syllable. Coming up with a crime fiction character’s name may seem as hard as naming a child, and for good reason…. Continue Reading Finding the right crime fiction character name »

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National Novel Writing Month

  It’s November, and that means it’s officially is National Novel Writing Month! Whether you’re a published mystery novelist or you’re trying to break into crime fiction writing, this inspirational program is the perfect opportunity to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard!) and get writing. With plenty of organized activities and resources, this… Continue Reading National Novel Writing Month »

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Become a better crime fiction writer

  Writing a crime fiction novel – or any novel – is no easy feat, and even successful published authors work to hone their craft and improve their skills. Luckily, there are lots of resources to help, from free seminars to workshops to full-fledge classes that will help you improve everything from grammar to plot… Continue Reading Become a better crime fiction writer »

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Crime Fiction Sidekicks

  Sherlock Holmes had Watson. Poirot had Captain Hastings. The crime fiction sidekick is an integral character in many of the most popular mystery series – and for good reason. Sidekicks help move the story along and serve as surrogates for readers – asking the same questions we’re wondering and offering our own theories and… Continue Reading Crime Fiction Sidekicks »

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