Category: writing

Research-o-rama: Fictional world building in an historic context

To me, the essence of fiction is the magic that produces characters and settings that the author has never experienced personally. Historical fiction must be one of the most challenging exercises in this arena; there are plenty of authorities, professional and amateur, on any era who will read your work with a critical eye. Yet […]

Where to Begin: Opening lines in novels

Starting a novel is a nerve-wracking endeavor. In a few lines, you must: set the tone for the whole book, capture the interest of your prospective audience, impress them enough to buy your work, and avoid millions of cliches (“It was a dark and stormy night…”) Around 1995, I remember Penguin Books ran a contest, […]