A Velcro Moment is a bit of writing that sticks with a reader. Velcro, you probably know, is a strip of fabric with tiny “hooks” that “mate” with another fabric strip that has smaller loops. These strips attach to each other, until pulled apart. (Thank you, Wikipedia.) Isn’t Velcro a perfect image to illustrate readers getting hooked on your writing? How do we make our writing unforgettable? National Book Award winner, Barry Lopez, offered gems of advice about this a … Read More »

The creative process between cartooning and writing is similar for this Royal Palm Literary Award winner. Dana Summers writes suspense when he isn’t working on his comic strips The Middletons and Bound & Gagged as well as editorial cartoons. His novel Downhill Fast won Unpublished Book of the Year in the 2018 Royal Palm Literary Awards after it won First Place for Unpublished Mystery or Crime and First Place for Unpublished Thriller or Suspense. Dana discusses his book and creative … Read More »

I used to watch the decorating shows on HGTV. One of the principles I learned was “If you can’t hide it, make it a feature.” An ugly, useless old chimney would cost too much to tear down. So they painted it suitably, filled the fireplace with candles, and mounted the flat screen TV on it. Sometimes our stories include awkward facts that a mass audience won’t understand and believe right away. I recently read a novel that featured a set … Read More »

Who would know antagonists better than a police officer? Micki Browning’s career in law enforcement and as a professional dive master have given insider knowledge and intrigue to her work. Her novel Beached won Published Book of the Year at the 2018 Royal Palm Literary Awards after it was already awarded First Place in the Published Mystery and Crime category. Micki shared about her book and her writing journey, along with some great tips for other writers. Micki’s Writing Journey … Read More »

Here’s me staring at a blank computer screen. You guessed it. I’m starting the first chapter of a new novel. Since I write historical mystery and this will be the 5th in the series, I know my protagonist well. That puts me a step ahead. However, since this novel is set in a new locale, I’ll need to do research. The advantage of writing historical fiction is that you get the fun of imagining yourself in a different time and … Read More »

Dialogue can be tricky for many writers. The way we talk and the way we think doesn’t always look right on the page. New writers often struggle creating dialogue that doesn’t sound stilted, forced, or just plain weird. When I first started writing, I was terrible at dialogue. It sounded unnatural, it went on too long, and I wasn’t sure of the rules of formatting. So I started paying attention to the dialog I read, I practiced it by using … Read More »