Author, Compulsively Readable Thrillers
OK. I’m lying. You can also use “asked.” But anything else calls attention to itself and indicates you don’t have enough confidence in the dialogue without adding a declaration of how someone spoke. If your dialogue is clear and strong, you will rarely need anything beyond “said” or “asked.”
Hi, everyone. Today’s the formal launch of Nobody’s Child, and to celebrate, here’s an interview with me about the book from Booklikes.com. Enjoy!
Read Elmore Leonard’s 10 Rules of Writing. Simply the best advice you’ll ever get about writing.
A Personal Message from Libby: Hi. I’m Libby Hellman and I write crime fiction. I’m very excited to tell you that my 11th book has just come out. It’s called Nobody’s Child – this is it – it’s the 4th installment in my Georgia Davis series. It’s a very personal book for Georgia. She discovers … Read more
Before I was a writer, I studied to be a film-maker. Watching tons of movies gave me a sense of pacing. It showed me when to cut in and out of a scene. And how long it should be, Not to mention how to show, not tell. Or build suspense. I recommend movies highly. Cut … Read more
Hi, all. My upcoming crime thriller, Nobody’s Child, will be released September 2nd, and I’m offering free ARCs (for just a few weeks) in exchange for an honest review by August 15. After writing 3 stand-alones, I’ve returned to the Georgia Davis PI series. Nobody’s Child is a very dark story, probably the darkest I’ve ever … Read more
Just wanted you to know I’m giving away some print ARCs of Nobody’s Child, my 11th novel and the 4th Georgia Davis PI novel. If you’re a Goodreads person, maybe you’d like to sign up. Btw, more news coming in a few days. Goodreads Book Giveaway Nobody’s Child by Libby Fischer Hellmann Giveaway ends … Read more
One of the best writing tips ever comes from the late Elmore Leonard, who said: “Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip.” In other words, those long, boring descriptions of setting, mood, internal thinking, etc. Here’s the bottom line: If you’re bored reading them, the chances are good your reader will be … Read more
A sting is a suspense technique designed to encourage readers to keep on reading, i.e., go to the next chapter. Think “cliff-hanger” and you’ve got it. But it can also introduce a character, action, or thought that makes the entire chapter that preceded it be viewed in a different light. For example, you’ve just written … Read more
Some of you may remember I created a “Glossi” for Havana Lost. Well, we did it again, this time for Killer Femmes which is now available on Amazon, Nook, iBooks, and Kobo. Would love you to take a look… it’s a little book about the book. Kind of like the “play within a play” concept … Read more