Libby Fischer Hellmann

writes the Ellie Foreman mysteries, the Georgia Davis thrillers, and several stand-alone thrillers. Her Ellie books are a cross between “Desperate Housewives” and “24”, but the Georgia Davis PI thrillers are more hard-boiled. Her stand-alones include a “trilogy” of thrillers set during the revolutions of Iran, Cuba, and the turbulent late Sixties in Chicago.

Writing Lite Tip 14: Don’t have your characters say “yes” or “no.” Elaborate.

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Writing Lite Tip 14: Don't have your characters say "yes" or "no." Elaborate.

In most instances, it’s a waste of words (and boring as hell) to have a character reply with “yes” or “no.” Instead, have them explain their reaction. Example: “Did you have a good evening with Bill?” “Yes.” “Did you have a good evening with Bill?” “It was spectacular. He took me to the top of … Read more

Writing Lite Tip #12: Learn what POV is and how to do it. Really.

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Writing Lite Tip 12: Learn what POV is and how to do it. Really.

POV is sometimes called “head-hopping,” and it’s probably the most common mistake new writers make. It means you can only be in one person’s head during a scene. Sometimes that means just a subtle difference, but it’s important.If you do it incorrectly too many times, it will stop a reader and take them out of the … Read more

The 1980 Libertyville Rouse Murders

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The Rouses were the model suburban family.  Father Bruce, a self-made man who built his fortune starting with a couple of gas stations and expanded into cable TV and real estate, built a 13 room mansion in Libertyville, an affluent suburb on Chicago’s North Shore. Wife Darlene was a member of all the right clubs … Read more

Writing Lite Tip 11: Hook your reader with the 1st sentence.

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Writing Lite Tip 11: Hook your reader with the 1st sentence.

That first sentence (or two) is critical. They must make the reader keep reading because they HAVE to know what’s going on. That means starting “in media res,” in the middle of things. Like these: “The man with ten minutes to live was laughing.” The Fist of God by Frederick Forsyth “The small boys came … Read more

Writing Lite Tip #10: First drafts don’t have to be good

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First drafts don't have to be good. They just have to be written.

One of my favorite writing books is Annie LaMotte’s Bird By Bird. And one of my favorite chapters is “Shitty First Drafts.” Read it. Welcome it. Write as horrible a first draft as you can. But get it down. Only then will you be able to revise and make it better.

Writing Lite Tip #9: You CAN be ungrammatical in dialogue. Never in narrative.

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You CAN be ungrammatical in dialogue. Never in narrative.

People don’t speak with perfect grammar (except for your fourth grade teacher). So feel free to make your dialogue as colloquial as the character’s education and background dictates. Narrative, however, should always follow the rules.  You might wonder whether that includes a character’s thought process (ie his/her internalizing or thinking, but not dialogue). The answer … Read more

Writing Lite Tip #8: In dialogue, quotation marks go AFTER the period or question mark.

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Writing Lite Tip #8 by Libby Hellmann

In dialogue, quotation marks go AFTER the period or question mark: “Did you pick up the things we needed?” Jim said. “I didn’t have time,” she said. “You’re kidding. You had four hours!” “I was writing.” She smiled. If you forget, just pick up a book or a newspaper to check the format. Apparently, it’s … Read more