My "vintage" mystery concerns a prim young woman of the '60s, Carrie, who meets a recently-returned Vietnam vet, Jack. Their first meeting is a bit rocky, but they soon learn to appreciate each other's good points. Carrie admires Jack's courage in facing the problems life has thrown at him. Jack admires Carrie's ability to see the good in the world and help him see it as well.

I chose not to dwell on the politics of the Vietnam war. If you're looking for a commentary on why we…

You have an idea. Maybe you have the first three chapters done. But somehow, the rest isn't coming. Is it writer's block? Is it bad plotting? Will it ever become a novel?

Experts everywhere have one answer: butt in chair. You have to write. You have to sit there. You have to keep at it. Will it be good? Maybe, maybe not. But you can't fix it if it isn't there.

Write a whole story. Once you're written "The End", then you can worry about whether it's good or not and…