Quick tips on writing mysteries and thrillers

Posted on 02/27/2021 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

We’ve mentioned before that we like to sprinkle in easy-to-digest writing advice amongst the deeper dives. Here’s an instance of...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Mystery, Thriller, Writer's Digest, Writing advice

What makes it a psychological thriller?

Posted on 02/24/2021 at 03:59 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

The psychological thriller genre found author Sebastian Fitzek, rather than the other way around. But in the time since he...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Thriller, Writer's Digest

7 suggestions (not mandates) for crime novels

Posted on 02/19/2021 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

After nearly forty novels (and bestseller status), author Dana Stabenow has an idea of what works. That said, she open...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Mystery, Thriller, Writer's Digest, Writing advice

One framework for retelling a myth

Posted on 02/16/2021 at 03:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

With several retellings of myths like Circe and The Mere Wife having made a splash in recent years, you may...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Writer's Digest, Writing advice

How to keep your single characters from being clichés

Posted on 02/15/2021 at 11:33 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

A number of industries have taken note of the increase in single people and responded accordingly — Dr. Craig Wynne...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Characters, Writer's Digest, Writing advice

One author's firsthand advice on writing about controversial topics

Posted on 02/10/2021 at 02:50 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

As an author, you certainly want your fiction to evoke feelings – maybe even strong ones — in your readers....

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Motivational, Writer's Digest, Writing advice

Quick tip: Toward versus towards

Posted on 02/09/2021 at 11:26 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

As former journalists, we have no problem remembering that Associated Press style prefers “toward” versus “towards.” (On the flip side,...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Language, Writer's Digest

How to set the rules for magic in your novel

Posted on 01/27/2021 at 10:35 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Writer’s Digest editor Moriah Richard previously invited her fellow authors of magical fiction to determine which of two systems their...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Fantasy, Writer's Digest

How to create conflict among your novel's cultures

Posted on 01/26/2021 at 11:00 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Territorial war is an obvious choice for conflict in your novel, whether it takes place in the real world or...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Fantasy, Plot / narrative, Science fiction, Writer's Digest

On the transition from romance novels to women's fiction

Posted on 01/21/2021 at 03:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Author Jennifer Probst happily read and wrote romance for years, but a fateful trip to Italy inspired a quick genre...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Romance, Writer's Digest