Most readers love a whodunnit story. A trail of clues to follow and reasoning to understand. These types of stories fall into two major categories: mysteries and thrillers. In both types, something dramatic has occurred—a murder or a bomb threat, for example—and we (the reader) want to understand who did it and why. Often, these two genres are thrown together into the same category—one where something needs to be figured out—but they are really two different animals. This pos

Though book clubs have a reputation similar to sewing circles, i.e. more gossip than actually accomplishing anything, this is rarely the actual case, and book clubs can provide several benefits to authors as well as reading enthusiasts. In my experience, the benefits of belonging to a book club—particularly one that fits your target interests—fall into three categories: 1) camaraderie, 2) exposure, and 3) educational growth. Finding Your Tribe Writing is an inherently lonely

When writing a novel, the first aspect that comes to mind for most people is the plot. The events that happen. Usually, there is an idea and maybe a twist at the end. And as important a plot is to the novel, it is neither the first element nor the most important to consider. For me, it is most important to first think through the Dramatic Elements. They are the foundation of the book. When put together, they cover everything that needs to come together to tell a compelling st

Complex stories engage multiple characters in a variety of situations, and it is completely acceptable to tell those stories from more than one character viewpoint. But multiple character POVs does not necessarily mean head-hopping which should be avoided at all costs. Let’s examine the subtle but key difference. Head Hopping Many older books employ this technique as their stories are told with an omniscient narrator who can fully explain what every character is doing and thi