Author, Compulsively Readable Thrillers
Hi again, folks. In Video #3 with Authors on the Air Executive Director Pam Stack, I talk about the two protagonists of the novel, Tam and Mai. They are quite different and there is plenty of conflict between them, so much so that they grow estranged during the Vietnam War. Both go through experiences that … Read more
Hi again. In the second video about A Bend In The River, I chat to Pam about the idea for the book and how it came to me. Surprisingly, this was not a difficult book to write. Yes, my research was extensive, but when it came to the characters, their arcs seemed to write themselves. … Read more
Welcome to WRITING LITE #2. I’m still talking about suspense, but this time I’m starting at the beginning. I talk about the power of that first line, how to approach it, and give you some of my all-time favorite examples. It is a little longer than I anticipated (at three and a half minutes) but … Read more
Hi, all. In honor of National Novel Writing Month, I’ve decided to repost my Writing Lite video series. I hope you find them useful, even if you’re not participating. There are twelve videos, and none are over four minutes– most are under three. I’ll try to post a few each week so you have them … Read more
Hi, all. Now that the The Incidental Spy is out in print and ebook, I thought I’d tell you where I got the idea. This segment is part of an interview that I will excerpt all week on the blog. In addition, there’s a summary of wartime spies in the US that you might not know about … Read more
In the last Writing Lite tip, I share a simple but profound structure for writing and editing a chapter that I think is fantastic. It was created by Crime writer Nancy Picard, who is one of the most talanted authors I know. It combines everything you need to know about plot and character, and I … Read more
Let’s explore language, with an emphasis on pacing. Sometimes you want longer sentences. Sometimes you want crisp short ones. One of my favorite passages that shows the variety of pacing is from Raymond Chandler. He’s talking about a bar opening for the evening. Listen in. And yes, you can have a glass of wine.
We’ve heard the cliche “Less is More,” but what does it mean? Is it just something Chandler and Hammett fans thought up? British crime writing is more florid, and it’s allowed to be. So what is it all about, anyway?
Let’s move onto language. Are you a language person? What does that mean? Even if you’re not, what do you need to know about the prose you write? The main point is that language has power. Listen on…
You’ve heard it over and over: “Show, Don’t Tell.” But do you always need to do it? And just how do you do it without making the book a lot longer than it should be? Watch this. I talk about both Lee Child and Michael Connelly’s work.