Tag Archives: crime fiction authors
What Is The Honey Badger Telling Me?
Honey Badger Don’t Plot So, I’m sitting at my keyboard drafting the last few chapters of a novel and I know where the story goes. I know how the plot lines come together, how the characters change and I’m just about ready to wrap this one up. I’m at this point because I’ve outlined, planned and […]
Mirror, Mirror…
Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who’s the weirdest of them all? Writers are a strange bunch. Individually, writers tend to exhibit the personality quirks of a lone wolf terror suspect. They are introverted, often under the influence of mind altering substances (coffee and/or booze), are observed talking to themselves, and have an end game focus. […]
A Voice On The Perfect Character
A perfect character? Have you ever read a story and something just seems, a bit off? There is a decent story line, snappy dialogue and perfect characters. Ah, there’s the rub – perfection. No one is perfect. Ever. Not even a Disney character. I mean think about it. Prince What’s-His-Face, is riding around in the forest […]
Are We There Yet?
Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet? I remember saying those words and, then later in life, hearing that same phrase over and over and over from the backseat every time we set out on some great adventure. The constant barrage of anticipation became a combination of nails on the chalkboard […]
How To Tell If You’re Burning The Candle At Both Ends
Sometimes, the word fairy takes vacation. When the fickle little trollop leaves me, she never gives the courtesy of a two-week notice. Here one minute – then poof! Gone. It must be a Fairy Union thing, another example of collective bargaining processes gone wild. I pressed on. Mind you, this isn’t an issue of simply […]
A Voice on Finishing What You’ve Started
Have you ever had that moment? That moment when you finish your novel and a dark creeping dread taps you on the shoulder? And all the joy evaporates… I have. Almost every single time. The drafting and writing is done. This should be a happy time – this should be a happy dance time. But, no. […]
Running on Empty
One of the most miserable sensations known to man comes at the precise moment your car starts to sputter, spit and lurch like a taser charged ferret. Your eyes immediately flick to the gas gauge, because deep in your soul-of-souls, you experience a charge of enlightenment worthy of a Shaolin monk. You, Young Grasshopper, have run out of […]
Writing California Interview & Book Signing Announcement
Recently, I had the opportunity to contribute to Sydney Avey’s blog series, Writing California. The Golden State has much to offer as a setting in contemporary fiction, yet most of California is overlooked. Los Angeles, San Francisco and the palm tree encrusted costal beaches serve as the backdrop to hundreds of books each and every […]
The Toxic Trap
Toxic You find a dark place with warning signs or a rusted barrel with a bio-hazard label, you know what to do. Run, in the opposite direction, because that is some nasty crap that will cause you irreversible harm. Simple, right? The very image ignites a fight or flight reflex in your lizard brain and […]
I Want To Be A DVR When I Grow Up
I want a pause button. When life takes an unexpected turn, from a rejected manuscript or some other personal miscalculation, I want a pause button. I should be able to unbutton my shirtsleeve, roll up the cuff and press my personal pause button. Think about the times you’ve done or said something absolutely stupid. We’ve […]
James L'Etoile 