If you’ve ever taken an economics class — or possibly even if you haven’t — you’ve probably encountered the notion of the “invisible hand” that guides the economy toward (theoretically) beneficial results if actors are left free to pursue their own interests. This concept is usually credited to the Scottish philosopher Adam Smith, though its …
I have been a full time writer since 2005. During that time, I’ve penned eight original or shared-world novels, had six of them published, the last being my first mystery-crime novel, THE ANTIQUITIES HUNTER, in October 2018, and am working on a ninth book (well, and a tenth and an eleventh . . . you get the …
“It’s mine!” All of us probably uttered that sentence at some point in our childhood — probably many, many times. One of the jobs of parents and those who teach very small children is to inculcate and encourage the idea of sharing, rather than greedily hoarding toys and food all to oneself. But we’re not …
Originally published July 2010 You’ve finally worked your way through the muddle in the middle and find yourself staring at the ending. Whatever else is in the book, people remember the ending. If it’s worth remembering. So why do some books fizzle at the ending? Because the author ran out of words, or maybe because …
Where does wealth come from? The answer to that question has changed over time, to a far greater degree than you may realize if you’re not in the habit of reading about pre-modern history. And this is not simply a matter of dry economic consideration, but the foundation on which everything from military strategy to …
Originally published 7/1/2010 How many books have you read where the middle sags? I mean the plot tends to wander off track, the characters act out of character. We wade through wonderful but meaningless descriptions of the landscape, the buildings, vehicles, clothing, food, Mum’s fridge…. Nothing happens and we waste a lot of pages in …
So You Want to Commit Novel: Muddle In The Middle Read More »
My original title for this essay was “Magic and Culture.” But that makes those two things sound separate, like they exist side-by-side, and the point I wish to make here is exactly the opposite.
Originally published August 2018 I have a habit of starting out essays and blogs—maybe these are the same things—with a definition. So here it is: Genre: “a category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, characterized by similarities in form, style, or subject matter. Origin: 19th cent.: French, literally ‘a kind’”–The New Oxford American …
Our previous tour through physical punishments, back in Year Four, stopped short of a rather crucial one: execution. (Content warnings for basically every form of violence.)
Originally published 6/10/2010 Last week we talked about the synopsis. Some of you may have noticed a flaw. How can you write a summary of the plot if you don’t know how you get from page one to the end? Good point. My first stab at a synopsis takes the material I do know and …
I was originally going to title this essay “We Have Ways of Making You Talk,” but I decided that was too flippant for the subject matter. Because although we have sometimes played torture for laughs in our stories, it’s honestly a horrifying and grotesque affair. (The obvious content warnings apply.) We’ve touched on this somewhat …
One of the interesting things about police as an element of society is just how broad the concept is. In various times and places, their duties have included everything from catching stray animals to quelling riots to investigating crimes. Which are three very different tasks . . . and yet all of them have been …
Originally published 6/17/2010 Let me introduce you to two have my favorite books on writing. I know there are hundreds out there, but these two work for me. First off “Scene and Structure” by Jack M. Bickham . This is a condensation (less verbose) of the some of the ideas put forth in “Techniques Of …
