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Act Naturally

January 4, 2021 Paul Leave a comment

For weeks now, if not longer, I have been trying to wedge my Empty Luck characters into pre-planned actions that…

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On the Use and Misuse of Adverbs

December 7, 2020 Paul 3 Comments

One of the first injunctions writers receive is to avoid the use of adverbs. Eliminate them all, if possible, we’re…

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Heightening tension

November 23, 2020 Paul Leave a comment

Any novel needs dramatic tension, but mysteries and thrillers need it even more than most.  Tension, something unresolved and threatening…

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How do you get rid of a bad guy?

November 9, 2020 Paul 5 Comments

I have been wrestling with this dilemma. I have a particularly powerful antagonist in Empty Luck. He is fully capable…

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Incorporating the Senses

October 26, 2020 Paul 2 Comments

Recently, I was watching an episode of “Breaking Bad,” the Netflix series about a high school chemistry teacher who becomes…

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Maintaining believability

October 12, 2020 Paul Leave a comment

One characteristic true of all good stories, whether found in a book, movie or play, is believability. If a character…

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The necessity of plot

September 28, 2020 Paul Leave a comment

I have a tentative title now for my new book, Empty Luck. My main characters are four guys on vacation…

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Conventional wisdom for writers

September 14, 2020 Paul Leave a comment

One piece of conventional wisdom in the writing trade is you must feature your protagonist in the first chapter. That…

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Changing my opening scene

August 30, 2020 Paul Leave a comment

Hmmm, the more time I spend with young Ricky Sullivan, the less inclined I am to kill him off. So…

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Shaping Characters Initially

August 21, 2020 Paul 2 Comments

How do the characters take shape? How do they come to life? I don’t always know ahead of time. For…

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Recent Posts

  • Act Naturally
  • On the Use and Misuse of Adverbs
  • Heightening tension

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