A mystery is only as good as the suspects that keep the reader guessing. In this blog, I explore what it takes to craft a good suspect and how to use them to your advantage in unraveling your cozy mystery narrative.
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Why does someone do what they do? When it comes to moving your plot forward, it’s not all about the actions; it’s about the internal motivations that make things happen. Learn what I mean in my latest blog article.
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Internal thoughts can add a lot to a narrative—when used correctly. From reasons for their usage to the formatting needed for each point of view, this blog article will help you understand how to show inner dialogue.
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Death is emotional, and if you want a death scene in your fantasy or cozy mystery that will elicit emotion in your readers, then you need to make it memorable and more. Learn how with this latest blog article.
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No one remembers the boring books they’ve read, ones with forgettable characters and predictable plots. In this blog article, learn how intentionally subverting reader expectations can make your book stand out and have readers clamoring for your next one.
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Writing a novel is difficult enough, but naming your characters can be a task of mammoth proportions. In this blog, I discuss what to consider (and not do) when naming characters in your fantasy novel.
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Every cozy needs a memorable protagonist. And crafting the perfect sleuth to investigate your crime requires a few staple ingredients. Let's explore what makes this genre's characters special and how to make your hero stand out.
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Characters reconcile with a new reality. Characters learn from their exact opposite. Characters are revealed to be much more than we thought. There are more than a few types of character arcs writers can learn from. These are three niche character arcs to know!
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Writing descriptive prose is an area any writer can practice and improve in. In this article, I walk writers through an exercise to enhance their character descriptions and avoid the common pitfalls of describing appearance.
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Cozy mysteries as a genre have some expectations around their antagonists that highlight the unique aspects of the genre, such as the tone and community-focus. Read my article on understanding these expectations and approaching writing a cozy killer.
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Writing a strong character motivation can endear writers to your story on multiple fronts, but they can be more than choosing a compelling backstory for a character. Read my article on how to bring your character motivations to the next level.
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There is more than one type of character motivation: things that consciously drive them and unconsciously drive them, internal motivations and external ones, rational desires and irrational ones. The things that motivate a character can be just as complex as they are in real life! Read my article on the different types of motivations and how they can interact.
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Character flaws can help explain a villain's downfall or provide the overall message of a book, but they are also what help make any character feel real, engaging, and relatable. Read this article on why your characters need imperfections and how to explore those imperfections on page.
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Stakes in a story are sometimes reduced to “How are the heroes going to survive this?” That’s why there are so many stories where the entire world or entire universe is in danger. Read this article on the different types of stakes you can have in your novels outside of survival and how to develop each one to get readers excited to turn the page.
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What makes a great twist on classic creatures from folklore? We all know versions of fantasy or paranormal or fairy tales where the mermaids can walk on land when dry or the dragons breathe water instead of fire. Read my article on how to balance adding your own flare to a cultural icon while keeping something like a dragon, mermaid, or ghost recognizable to the audience.
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Villains can be fascinating heroes of any story as they offer plenty of room to maneuver in terms of plot and character growth. In our final installment in writing villain POVs, we cover why a writer might want to craft a villain protagonist and how to depict them as believable, interesting, and highly motivated.
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Villain, hero, protagonist, antagonist, and everything in-between. What exactly is a villain protagonist? Writing a whole book from a villain’s POV can offer a range of interesting storylines to play with. This article outlines the different types of villain protagonists and the dilemmas a writer might face when crafting them.
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A good villain will challenge the hero on multiple levels, but what about writing as the villain themselves? Writing from a villain’s POV can enable writers to explore topics in new ways and heighten the story tension. Here is how to do it well in a book with more than one POV.
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From crime-sniffing dogs to curious cats, what makes a good pet character? There is more to it than writing them as “the dog” or “the cat” in a cozy mystery. Read this article on how to develop your pet characters into fully fledged members of the cast and endear them to readers.
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One unique aspect of the fantasy and paranormal genres is the supernatural creatures. I absolutely love reading (and editing) stories with mythical or magical additions to the cast. Let’s explore some popular and shared cultural legends.
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