Peg Herring's Blog – March 2009 Archive (23)

Pacing

Another interesting refresher at Sleuthfest concerned pacing. I'm a pantser and probably always will be, but I've learned over time that there comes a reckoning. I write until I get to a certain point. I know the beginning and the end, but there's that muddle in the middle that must be dealt with: things have to happen, people have to be spotlighted as either red herrings or to foreshadow their guilt in the end. But it can't lag or droop. It has to have focus, clarity, and… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on March 4, 2009 at 9:03pm — 1 Comment

What Characters Want

As announced, I'm summarizing things from Sleuthfest that served as reminders to me of what writing is all about. Today's blog focuses on what Brad Meltzer had to say about making readers want to read what you write. He maintains that you need to figure out what a character wants first.

What does your protagonist want? By asking yourself careful questions about what he/she desires from life, you know where to start. Then you need to acquaint the reader with that, of course in an… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on March 3, 2009 at 8:29pm — 3 Comments

What I Did on My Winter Vacation

What Michiganian wouldn't take a few weeks in Florida in the middle of February? Very few, apparently: we ran into fellow northerners everywhere we went. I did a tour of many Florida libraries, giving talks and letting people get to know my work, and ended the trip at Sleuthfest, a conference for crime writers in Deerfield Beach, Florida. I have to say, I plan a great vacation. Whether my husband/driver/book schlepper would agree is unknown, but he seems cheerful enough if allowed to sit… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on March 2, 2009 at 8:33pm — No Comments