Category: writer

“Murder, She Wrote”

~ sharon ~ Leave a comment

This semi-academic discussion about Agatha Christie and her detectives is a brief introduction to the mystery genre. By comparing Christie to her male contemporaries it outlines the broad distinctions between what have come to be called “cozies” and “hard boiled” mystery stories. I like the comparisons to Shakespeare’s plots. And I’ve heard a few people say Christie was the inspiration for Cabot Cove’s Jessica Fletcher (although there is an argument for P.D. James, too).

Miss Marple vs. the Mansplainers: Agatha Christie’s Feminist Detective Hero
http://electricliterature.com/miss-marple-vs-the-mansplainers-agatha-christies-feminist-detective-hero/

Alone

~ sharon ~ Leave a comment

Imagine being so isolated, you see no humans outside your family for 40 years. What would your life be like? This Smithsonian Magazine article tells a true story of such isolation. What an interesting premise for a piece of fiction. I can already imagine day-to-day interactions.

For 40 Years, This Russian Family Was Cut Off From All Human Contact, Unaware of World War II | History | Smithsonian.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/for-40-years-this-russian-family-was-cut-off-from-all-human-contact-unaware-of-world-war-ii-7354256/

More on marketing

~ sharon ~ Leave a comment

One of my favorite people, Terri Reid, writes paranormal mysteries. She’s incredibly generous to aspiring writers, sharing tips she’s learned about successful self-publishing at conferences. Her background is in marketing. Here’s a Forbe’s interview with another self-published author, Mark Dawson, who’s also done quite well with his marketing approach. Of course, it helps to have stories worth reading, too.

How This Self-Published Author Made $450,000: Part 2 – Forbes.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaymcgregor/2015/05/12/how-this-self-published-author-made-450000-part-2/

Isn’t it romantic?

~ sharon ~ Leave a comment

Years ago, a friend of mine gave me a grocery bag full of romance novels. She loved them and was sure I would too. After reading most of the books in the brown paper bag, I understood the basic plot lines, the key euphemisms, and the general nature of the character development. I gave the books to someone else and I haven’t read any more. While it’s not my genre, some of my friends love to write it. In this interview, Lisa Kleypas shares lessons from her 30 years of writing romance novels.

An Interview With Historical Romance Legend Lisa Kleypas.
http://jezebel.com/an-interview-with-historical-romance-legend-lisa-kleypa-1703917812