This Thursday I will be travelling to Darwin, Northern Territory for the Romance Writers of Australia annual conference. For a writer, going to conference means immersing yourself in the writing world for a few days – something we don’t get to do often as writing is a rather solitary endeavour. It is wonderful to be…
Writing
What makes a character feel real?
Have you ever read a book where you were rooting for the main character? Maybe you cried and laughed along with them? In other words, have you read a book where the characters felt real? Becoming invested in the characters is always something that guarantees I will love the book. In fact, I have a…
The butler did it
The butler did it is one of the most overused mystery cliches – to the point it is rarely ever used these days. After all, as soon as a reader (or viewer if it’s a tv show or movie) see a butler, they immediately joke “the butler did it”. Below are some of the mystery…
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…
Retreated
I recently talked about how I was heading off on retreat in mid-June. I had a wonderful time with my writing buddies and as always enjoyed the chance to focus on my writing without any of the distractions of everyday life. Unfortunately I hurt my back, so writing was quite uncomfortable meaning my words didn’t…