A recent conversation with some dear writing friends reminded me of this article I wrote back in 2018 Did you know that adjectives have to go in a specific order in the English language or they just sound plain weird? In 2016 a paragraph from a book “The Elements of Eloquence” by Mark Forsyth went…
Craft
The psychology of a best seller
Jennifer Lynn Barnes, PhD, psychologist and author of The Inheritance Games was interviewed on a podcast (which you can read or listen to here) on how to use psychology to write a best seller. I found it a fascinating read – and even more so when I learnt that Jennifer had a number off books…
What is a red herring?
Nearly every crime book will make use of red herrings, particularly mystery books. But did you know that red herrings can be used in any genre? And when used well, they create the set-up for a delightful surprise twist at the end. By definition, a red herring is a deliberate misdirection designed to mislead the…
Time Lapse and the Art of Deception
I’m currently in Hobart, Tasmania for the RWA national conference as I’m presenting a wokshop: Art of Deception. I’m really excited about this workshop and hope attendees get a lot out of it. My workshop explores how to write a killer plot twist – examining illusionists’ techniques, exploring tools such as Red Herrings, MacGuffins and…
Every word counts…
For a writer it isn’t just enough to have a good plot. You have to be able to craft the story so readers keep turning the page. The good thing about writing craft is that it can be learnt. And like anything, the more you practice, the better you get at telling your story. Need…