What does it Mean to "Show Not Tell?"

A familiar axiom of writing is “show, don’t tell”. We hear it everywhere: from teachers, in articles, in writing workshops. For a long time, I had no idea what it actually meant. What do you mean, don’t tell? Aren’t we storytellers? My natural inclination was to sit down and tell what happened; hovering above my…

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Writing Advice – Take it or Toss it?

Every year, I spend four days in New York with the best of the best in the thriller game. This year was my eighth Thrillerfest conference, and once again, it was illuminating, informative, and inspirational. The hardest decision to make during those action-packed days is what sessions to take when all the options are equally…

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Are you a Panster or a Plotter?

            At Thrillerfest 2012, I had the pleasure and honor to meet and hear from the best in the industry. A variety of topics were presented on the craft of writing including: Crafting a Story Outline, Finding Your Storytelling Voice, Creating Mind Blowing Twists, Creating Compelling and Complex Antagonists, as…

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Where is the Best Place to Write?

Everyone needs a room of one’s own – at least according to Virginia Woolf. Whether this is a literal or metaphorical dictum is open to interpretation – the state of women’s rights in Woolf’s day vastly different from today. Still – the idea that a dedicated writing space was integral to my success as an…

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Lose the Lukewarm Writing – Going from Tepid to Torrid

  I’m inclined to agree… I was a little upset… It was almost too much to bear… He was kind of difficult… She was barely passing… She was practically salivating… These limp descriptions are the tepid water of writing – the equivalent of a timid hand raised half way with no real expectation of being…

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