Today, I'm excited to introduce fellow mystery writer and guest blogger Jane Isaac. Jane is the author of the psychological thriller, An Unfamiliar Murder . Jane lives in rural Northamptonshire , UK . She studied creative writing, and later specialist fiction with the London School of Journalism. Jane is not only a mystery writer, she is also an avid reader, a mum, a dog lover and a traveler. Recently, she has had two short stories accepted for crime anthologies, so please listen up – she knows what she’s talking about. Here is her fact-filled essay: The Devil is in the Detail No matter what genre you write, every book carries some element of research and, for crime fiction, the weight is a heavy one. There’s not only police procedure, plotlines, areas and events to study, but also people. What’s the secret formula behind the great characters in fiction? Research. Investment into creating and layering our characters gives them the depth to become ‘real’. ...
I've spent 6 days on the first two paragraphs of my latest short story. I'm close to getting them the way I want. They're not quite there yet. I want them to flow. I want the reader to slide into the story without realizing he is being taken for a ride. I want him/her to feel as if they are floating with the current on smooth seas, not fighting against it, which means, I want to give the reader as much information as I can, enticing him to continue reading, but not overloading him with too much information. Let me show you what I mean. Here are the first few sentences from my story before editing: One day I came home and found a man lying on my living room rug. Ordinarily, this would have been a delightful surprise, but my discovery was far from normal. The man was dead! Here is the new version: I went for a walk one morning, and when I returned, I found a handsome man stretched out on my living room rug. I’m gay, so ordinarily this would have been a delig...
Would you like to know the success perception big companies use to make millions? Of course you would. You could use it in your business. Well, I’m going to tell you what it is. But first, you’ll need to change your perception to believe what I’m about to say. “Perception?” you ask. What is that? What do you mean? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines perception as: “Our ability to see, hear, and be aware of something through our senses.” In business, you need a Business Perception. Your Business Perception supports everything you think, know, and believe about how you do business. Your most essential understanding of business success begins and ends with your perception. So, what if I asked, “Will you let me change your business perception, if it will increase your chances of business success?” Would you go along with that? Sure. Why not? Many business professionals believe that marketing, like insurance, is simply a necessary business expense. You dump a bunch of mon...
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