All Blog Posts Tagged 'writers' (184)

Really, real fiction... and Welsh detectives

The new blog I've started with fellow crime writers Christopher G. Moore, Colin Cotterill and Barbara Nadel has a new post from me today. It's about why I came to write so-called genre fiction. It starts like this:

Writers have it all wrong. They think they need to learn about other writers. I studied English literature at Oxford University and I read all I could find of the sort of literary criticism that makes a novel seem like a piece of East German economic analysis. Three years… Continue

Added by Matt Rees on July 16, 2009 at 9:10pm — 3 Comments

Great new International Crime Fiction blog

My good pal Christopher G. Moore -- who shares with me a birthday today -- came up with a great idea for a new blog on international crime fiction. Chris, who writes a gritty, stylishly literate series of crime novels set in Bangkok, wanted to set up a blog where several authors of international crime would come together to write about their work and share ideas. The result is online as of today: International Crime Authors Reality Check.… Continue

Added by Matt Rees on July 8, 2009 at 10:08pm — No Comments

Look out, God--Here's Shalom Auslander's Writing Life interview

“Fuck,” said God. …That’s a line from one of the short-stories in Shalom Auslander’s “Beware of God.” I live in the Middle East, so I feel like I hear God saying “Fuck!” almost every day. (If He doesn’t, then He’s not reading the newspapers.) “Beware of God” nails faith and the faithful as only a genius of satire can do. A very angry genius of satire, I ought… Continue

Added by Matt Rees on June 5, 2009 at 10:25pm — No Comments

Acid attacks, crucifixions and a new Patricia Cornwell: Caro Ramsay's Writing Life interview

Caro Ramsay’s debut “Absolution” is one of the most disturbing thrillers you’ll ever read. It features a beautiful woman who’s the victim of an acid attack and a series of disembowelments in the “Crucifixion killings” of young women. Caro’s also from one of the roughest neighborhoods of Glasgow, where she sets her… Continue

Added by Matt Rees on May 24, 2009 at 10:02pm — No Comments

The Queen of Quirky: The Writing Life interview with Tama Janowitz

Tama Janowitz has always been great at first lines (Remember her Slaves of New York opened with this: “After I became a prostitute, I had to deal with penises of every imaginable shape and size.”) Her new novel, they is us, will be out… Continue

Added by Matt Rees on May 21, 2009 at 7:42pm — No Comments

Early Morning Conspiracies: The Writing Life interview with David Liss

David Liss is the author of classics of historical fiction from his Edgar Award-winning debut A Conspiracy of Paper, which was rooted in his academic studies, through the fabulous tale of the Portuguese Inquisition and the Amsterdam commodities exchange,… Continue

Added by Matt Rees on May 18, 2009 at 1:16am — No Comments

Missed Connections

(Also posted on One Bite at a Time.)

Everyone has favorite writers. There’s something about each of them that resonates in you, even if the writer isn’t particularly popular. It may be because you’re ahead of the curve, or possibly his plots or sense of humor appeal to you more than others. Whatever the reason, we all have authors we like more than others, quality of writing aside.

The flip side of this are the authors we just… Continue

Added by Dana King on May 16, 2009 at 12:24am — 8 Comments

The Writing Life interview: Gregg Hurwitz

Gregg Hurwitz is the kind of guy other guys would like to be. Hollywood handsome, an accomplished athlete with a tremendous academic record, successful in his chosen field. He’s also the kind of writer other writers would like to be. His thrillers are intricate, thought-provoking, and breathlessly paced.… Continue

Added by Matt Rees on May 8, 2009 at 7:21pm — No Comments

The Writing Life: Warwick Collins

The riskiest thing for a writer to do is to try to enter the head of a great genius by making that genius the narrator of a novel. Why? Because if you aren’t a genius of at least similar proportions, it won’t ring true. Think of the tedious melodrama that passed for the life of Michelangelo in “The Agony and the Ecstasy”. When that genius is the greatest writer of all… Continue

Added by Matt Rees on April 28, 2009 at 6:53pm — No Comments

The Writing Life: Thomas M. Kostigen

Thomas M. Kostigen is the most important environmental writer in the U.S. That’s not only because he’s trekked through the Amazon to record how we’re destroying it, or because he climbed into the Fresh Kills landfill on Staten Island to…smell how badly it stinks. Or because his ground-breaking New York Times bestseller… Continue

Added by Matt Rees on April 24, 2009 at 4:28pm — No Comments

The Writing Life: Christopher G. Moore

Readers love to discover an author whose work suggests they’re a kindred spirit. Novelists, engaged in the often lonely work of writing, enjoy it even more. That’s how I feel about Christopher G. Moore, whose path is in many ways similar to mine (as you’ll see in this interview). Based in Bangkok, he’s the creator of one of the most striking sleuths in crime fiction: Vincent Calvino seems a distillation of all the most intriguing expats you’ll ever meet… Continue

Added by Matt Rees on April 19, 2009 at 2:34pm — No Comments

The Writing Life: Matt McAllester

I’m starting a new feature on my blog today—a series of interviews with authors about what it’s like to be a writer. I’ll be asking them the questions readers often ask me, and I’m intrigued to know how they’ll answer them. Be sure to follow this blog so you’ll see what these fascinating writers have to say in the coming months.

It’s a great pleasure to begin this series with my friend Matt McAllester. A Scot, he’s been one of the most… Continue

Added by Matt Rees on April 16, 2009 at 3:23pm — No Comments

On Interviews, Scary, Wary, and Flair-y

In the last month I've done interviews several different ways, and in the course of things also had to be on the other side, interviewing a local celebrity for the newspaper. It got me thinking about the process, and you know by now that whatever I'm thinking, I write about here.

Least threatening are print interviews where an interviewer sends you a list of questions and you answer them at your leisure. You have time to reflect, change a word here and there, and think about what you… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on April 9, 2009 at 10:43pm — 2 Comments

Introducing Writers Radio Show

Hi! I am inviting you to join my new group for Introducing WRITERS radio show! I hope you will join us and keep up with the guests who will be on the show, their books, and all the great fun and information hosting this show will bring!

It is on facebook.com and it is called Introducing Writers Radio Show.

If you would like a gander at the show before you join, you can find it here:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/kims

Added by Kim Smith on March 4, 2009 at 12:54pm — No Comments

Interview with Moi

Come over and check out the new interview of me. It's out in advance of my virtual book tour which begins next month

California Chronicle

Hope you enjoy it!

Added by Kim Smith on January 13, 2009 at 3:55am — No Comments

New Publishing Company

Melanie D. Calvert-Benton and Gary L. Benton have announced the future

opening of Dancing Fox Publishing. Dancing Fox Publishing of Jackson,

Mississippi, will strive for excellence in the publishing field.

Gary a professional web designer is designing a web site and we should be

online within a couple of weeks. We will consider any writing genre, except

porn, or manuscripts with

We have decided to make our services free of any… Continue

Added by Melanie C. Benton on January 10, 2009 at 1:57am — No Comments

Jumpstart the Muse!

Register now for:

How to Jumpstart the Muse by Kim Smith

Have you ever had long stretches where your Muse goes on holiday and didn't invite you? Did it take off and didn't leave a forwarding address? I have too! Daily writing prompts and free-style writing can save the "empty mind" syndrome every time. Come and join in the fun as we "locate" the Muse once it takes a hike and leaves us still on the porch.

Date: January 26

Time: 7pm… Continue

Added by Kim Smith on January 9, 2009 at 8:50am — No Comments

St. Francis as a Mystery Writer?

Okay, maybe not. But I keep remembering the prayer, because it applies in every situation, throughout life, and for all eterniity.

We have to have the serenity to accept what can't be changed. The economy is lousy, the industry is quirky to say the least, and the process of getting published is often unfair and illogical. Accept it; it's what we've got. In addition, each writer has certain talents and lacks others. You may tell a great story but lack the ability to make your… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on January 6, 2009 at 10:02pm — No Comments

Those Who Prey on Authors

I present workshops for those who'd like to publish, and I'm constantly surprised at both the naivete of writers and the gall of scammers. Here are a few things I would avoid as a pre-published author:

An agent who charges a fee. There are LOTS of agents around, and the good ones don't charge except (maybe) for mailing. My experience with this was tough to take. I was so excited when an agent wrote and said she loved my characters and thought I had real promise. Then at the bottom of… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on August 1, 2008 at 10:42pm — No Comments

Crime Writer's Dagger Awards

Well the Crime Writers' Association Awards evening is now over (10 July 2008) and the winner of the Duncan Lawrie Dagger is Frances Fyfield. Well done to Frances. Well done also to Craig Russell who won the Dagger in the Library Award, which, now the hush-hush secrecy is all over and done with, I can reveal that I was nominated for it. OK, so I didn't make the shortlist but I was delighted and excited to get to the long list having not been around in crime… Continue

Added by Pauline Rowson on July 14, 2008 at 12:54am — No Comments