Spelling It Out in the Synopsis

Let’s start by getting this out in the open: I’m not what one would call an especially fantasy-savvy reader. I like good stories regardless of the genre, but when my co-workers start throwing around fantasy references during our chats, I more often than not have to quickly google the author or character in question before saying, “ah, […]

By |2024-01-06T21:59:44+00:00|Getting Published|Comments Off on Spelling It Out in the Synopsis

The Writer’s Secret Weapon: The Power of What You Leave Out Editor Renni Browne explores the value of what’s left unsaid in good storytelling

Here’s an excerpt from a writing contest entry where a man is driving to San Diego with the servant girl he’s just given a Rolex watch—a girl who gave him something he valued much more:

Amir’s assignment had been to gain access to Bonnie Becker’s house, using Marie’s position as a live-in domestic with lawful possession of the keys and […]

By |2024-01-06T22:00:05+00:00|The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on The Writer’s Secret Weapon: The Power of What You Leave Out Editor Renni Browne explores the value of what’s left unsaid in good storytelling

Publishing Glossary A curated list of the industry terms and phrases aspiring and professional writers need to know

Language is power, and to that end we at The Editorial Department have come up with a glossary of commonly-used terms and abbreviations in the book publishing industry. This is a quick, handy guide (in no particular order) to many of the terms that writers will come across during all stages of editing and publishing. Enjoy and […]

By |2024-01-06T22:00:25+00:00May 10th, 2016|Industry Insights|Comments Off on Publishing Glossary A curated list of the industry terms and phrases aspiring and professional writers need to know

Writing Mysteries Guides, tips, and recommended reading for mystery writers

A quick word of caution to the aspiring mystery writer…

For its enduring popularity as a genre, mystery is a surprisingly tough genre to break into for new writers, and in some respects one of the hardest genres to write. This is in part due to the procedural know-how a writer must have to write convincingly about investigating […]

By |2024-01-06T22:47:45+00:00|The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on Writing Mysteries Guides, tips, and recommended reading for mystery writers

Let’s Hear It for the Little Guy! When it comes to literary agencies, bigger isn’t always better

[by Karinya Funsett]

Your manuscript is finally finished. It’s been revised, agonized over, critiqued, and revised again. It’s ready to take the next step. It’s ready for an agent. And because you want nothing but the best for your manuscript, you know you’ve got to find the best agent possible. The biggest name, the top seller, the […]

By |2024-01-06T22:04:20+00:00|Getting Published|Comments Off on Let’s Hear It for the Little Guy! When it comes to literary agencies, bigger isn’t always better

What Writers Can Learn from Lee Child & Jack Reacher A lesson in handling exposition in mystery and suspense novels

Exposition: a discourse of information. (Often necessary, but also challenging to handle skillfully.)

In an earlier post for mystery writers, I talked a little bit about the value of resisting the urge to lecture your readers on what you might have learned in the course of researching your story or what you might know from your own in-the-trenches […]

By |2024-01-19T23:26:21+00:00|The Writer’s Craft|Comments Off on What Writers Can Learn from Lee Child & Jack Reacher A lesson in handling exposition in mystery and suspense novels
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