Is There Life After My Cousin Vinny?
Guest Contributor Larry Kelter asks: Is There Life After My Cousin Vinny? Oh, God I certainly hope so because the joy of novelizing My Cousin Vinny and writing Back To Brooklyn, the sequel, as well as Wing and A Prayer, the final segment in the legal comedy trilogy was the most fun I ever had sitting behind a computer keyboard.
Why I Write What I Don’t Know
Guest Contributor Skye Alexander says: Writers, especially beginners, are often advised to “write what you know.” Although that’s good advice, I find it much more interesting to write about what I don’t know. In the process of researching my books, I dig up a wealth of unexpected booty that fills my stories with riches I never imagined.
Celebrating the Release of Murderous Means, #6 in the Southern California Mysteries
Lida writes: So far, I’ve concocted seven murders. On the page, of course. That includes six novels and one short story, all with homicides (or possible homicides) that need to be solved. Fortunately, the criminal is always caught by my heroine: a young lawyer who regularly shoves aside her desk job for the chance to capture the culprit. She knows a thing or two about investigations, thanks to her P.I. dad, and justice is served. This month, I’m excited that the latest in my Southern California Mysteries, #6 in the series, Murderous Means, is out now. But this installment is a little bit different.
Celebrating the Release of RSVP to Murder: Another Challenge Met
Carol writes: With RSVP to Murder, I tried something new...again. My series takes place near the Adirondack Mountains in Upstate New York. I wanted to write a story with a new twist on the classic English country house mysteries—which I love—and use one of the legendary Adirondack Great Camps to stand in as the country house.
Public Speaking: Promoting Confidence
Lida writes: I’ve experienced my share of severe heart thumping, not to mention having my throat constrict to the point where I couldn’t down a mint if I tried. But I’ve learned that it doesn’t have to be this way. I’d like to share a few body language tips I found helpful in promoting confidence.
When a Character Doesn’t Cooperate: Why I Gave a Sidekick a Starring Role
Jen writes: When it was time to write the second book in my Maggie White series, I wanted to connect it to Maggie’s friend Faye, the Queen Bee of the expat set in Rome. The problem was that Faye wasn’t willing to accept the role of sidekick. I I fought her off as long as I could, but finally I had no choice but to give in and re-write the book from Faye’s perspective.
What I Learned from the Screenwriters and Filmmakers of Yellowstone, The Sopranos, and the Harry Potter Movies
Carol writes: I've learned so much about setting, characters and the role of reality from the screenwriters and filmmakers of Yellowstone, The Sopranos, and the Harry Potter Movies.
How I Make Time to Read: 9 Tricks that Work For Me
Jen writes: I love reading. I always have, but somehow the time available for reading seems to shrink as I get older. But as a writer, reading isn’t a luxury. It’s mandatory. I manage to read a lot of books each month. How do I make the time? I’m sharing 9 tips that work for me.
Getting Ideas
Lida writes: I was recently interviewed by a journalist who works for a local paper. Her first question was one often asked of writers, “Where do you get your ideas?”
What I (Really) Write About When I Write About Murder
Tina writes: I write a mystery series set in the fictitious town of Batavia-on-Hudson. Ostensibly I am writing about murder, but in reality, I am writing about the villagers. The murder, the investigation, the red herrings, the mis-direction are all there to unearth the motivations, the fears, the aspirations and the growth of my characters.
Who Says Research Isn’t Fun?
Carol writes: I’m currently working on the manuscript for RSVP to Murder, the 4th book in my Blackwell & Watson Time-Travel Mysteries, and wanted to learn about horse-drawn sleigh rides in the winter. I had one of the most fun days I’ve had in ages doing the research.
Getting the Most from Your Library
Jen writes: I’m always amazed when I hear smart, financially savvy friends saying they never go to the library. Some of them seem to think it’s just a place to pick up books for their kids. Others vaguely think it’s a hassle. I couldn’t disagree more. Here are nine ideas for making the most of your local library.
Writing on the Collaboration Train
Lida writes: Writing, for the most part, is a solitary act. But only up to a point. Once we’re at the revised manuscript stage (the stage where a writer is not embarrassed to share his/her written words with third parties), writers need a little help.
Positive Notes
Lida writes: Most of us will take the positive over the negative, any time. I’m willing to bet that if we pause to reflect over the past year, we’d find many more positives than negatives in 2022.
Memorable Characters
Carol writes: Two of my most memorable characters are Inspector Morse, the Oxford policeman in Colin Dexter’s novels, and Melrose Plant, Chief Inspector (later Superintendent) Richard Jury’s friend and partner-in-crime in the Martha Grimes’s mysteries named for pubs in the U.K.
Behind the Scenes: The Mystery Writing Community
Carol writes: When I first started writing, I didn’t know any writers, much less any published authors. It was quite romantic, actually, imagining myself alone, writing up a storm in a snowy Paris attic...until I reached a point where I didn’t know what to do next. I had what I naively thought was my manuscript. Little did I know I had the first of what would ultimately be dozens of drafts.
In and Out of Order
Lida writes: There’s a phenomenon prevalent in the mystery genre that seems to outnumber all other genres: the popularity of book series. Hercule Poirot, Kinsey Millhone, Easy Rawlins and Stephanie Plum all set an example of characters who play starring roles in settings that spring to life in book series over and over again.
Girl Power
Carol writes: When I was growing up and wanted to read about a girl detective, I had a choice between Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden. I chose Nancy Drew.
Photos as Memories
Jen writes: This week I’ve been spending more hours than I like to think about in the Sisyphian challenge of getting caught up with my photo albums. I’m the official photographer and archivist in my family, and I believe passionately in the power of photos. Photos commemorate happy occasions, they bring back memories, and they help mark the passage of time. But they don’t do any good sitting on my phone or camera (yes, I still use one). For them to work their magic, photos need to be available to be enjoyed.
Libraries. Making Book Dreams Come True Since 1962…
Tina writes: Last month I met Jeffrey Deaver. I was thrilled to stand next to him and have my picture taken because unbeknownst to him, he has been a great impetus behind getting my first book published and on a library shelf. I feel like all my stories start and end with a library.