Recently an editor posed a question on Facebook: Do you think about and work on voice ahead of time for your novels? It was an interesting question for me, because when I think of voice, I think of the writer’s unique style, which, IMHO, the writer develops 15% through education, 35% through innate ability, and […]
Category: Writing
Taking a closer look at Ken Oder: What works in indie fiction?
Congratulations to author Ken Oder on the release of his second novel, Old Wounds to the Heart. Not only is it his second novel, but it is the second in his series of Whippoorwill Hollow books. When you take a closer look, it’s clear that Ken’s doing a lot of things right as an indie novelist. Things we […]
Tips for Faster First Drafts and Better Plots
When the reality of the need to be more than a one-trick pony sinks in for an author, the pressure mounts. How can you write fast enough (and well enough at the same time) to make a living at it? Maybe you’re trying to fit writing in around a day job/life. Maybe you’ve given up […]
Creating Drama, Without Being Overly Dramatic
Caveat: this may not be what you learned in your MFA program or from your writing instructor, but writing is about looking at a variety of methods and finding what fits your style. My approach is one to consider, and one that has worked for me in writing the romantic mysteries that enabled me to […]
Voices in My Head: Thoughts on Craft and Characters from Ken Oder
I hear voices. My characters talk to me – Billy, Eva, and Jolene in Old Wounds to the Heart, Nate and Christine in The Closing, and a host of characters you will never meet because they’re confined in the jail cells of my aborted novels. They all spoke to me. In their own voices. In Old Wounds, Eva Gitlow […]
Stealing Magic From the Sky: What Inspires Your Best Writing?
SkipJack congratulates Pamela Fagan Hutchins for winning the 2017 Silver Falchion for Best Adult Mystery with her heartfelt and suspenseful Fighting for Anna. We hope you enjoy this inspirational post from Pamela. Writers often get asked where they write and what inspires them. My answer has always been that I like to write outside. Pedantic, though true […]
3 Ways Less Creates More for Your Writing
From time to time, you should take stock of your life for situations that no longer serve you or your writing, then let them go. Even activities you once loved. Doing so will help your creative process overall. Recently, I shared how I’ve given up the last of my regular guest posts on huge writing blogs. The […]
August 2018 Novelists Retreat in the Bighorn Mountains with Bestselling Author
Hi Y’all: SkipJack followers (and your clients, friends, and family), y’all get early dibs on the August 2018 novelists retreat at our (Eric and Pamela’s) new Wyoming Snowheresville, a big ole former B&B! It’s a pretty awesome place and area! This retreat is going to focus on productivity and craft, but the nighttime conversations will be […]
Learn how to be a writing, publishing, and marketing rockstar.
Join the SkipJack Online School for courses as inexpensive as the free “5 Simple Tips to Sell a Ton of Books” to $5 individual classes or $50 for the whole writing, publishing, and marketing bundle. Selections below. Taught by the best-selling, Silver Falchion-winning, What Kind of Loser Indie Publishes-writing mystery author, Pamela Fagan Hutchins. Click images […]
What’s in a (character’s) name?
When your imagination first gives birth to a story, the characters are nameless, and choosing names is an important step in fleshing out their identities. The names must fit the personalities. Huck Finn stiffens up if you call him Jackson Remington Pollack, III, and D’Artagnan of The Three Musketeers loses all his steam if you name him Humphrey Clinker. […]