Brilliant

Box Office

The Ultimate Gift

Each time I sit down to write a column, I have to face a conflict within myself. The screenwriter in me wants to champion the movie, but the novelist in me wants to champion the book. At the very least, this gives me a unique perspective of each month’s selection. But it can also make it almost impossible to choose a favorite. This...

For Writers

Whose Will?

Daddy told me there are two kinds of people in the world. Those who learn from the mistakes of others . . . and the “others.” I fall firmly in the camp of the latter. I hope that by sharing my journey, you will be able to glean what I’ve learned, without all the anguish, and...

Making A Scene

Lying to The Reader

A few months ago on Twitter I posed the question “What annoys you most when reading a novel?” In a few hours over eighty readers responded, and I listed their answers in a blog post titled “Readers’ Rants.” This answer caught my attention:

When you get to the end, and the author has lied to the reader. It’s one thing to pull the wool over my eyes (ala Murder of...

Author By Night

When Inspiration Strikes

Inevitably inspiration strikes at the worst possible moment. It’s the middle of the day, and I’m busy working at . . . well . . . work. I work in the publishing industry and spend a lot of my day writing. My problem is that the flash usually isn’t for any sort of work-related writing.

Short Stories

Cyndi sat at the kitchen table and poured her first cup of coffee. She winced at her reflection in the chrome toaster. Thirty-five today. No man and now no job. The doorbell chimed....

With the many interruptions to her already loaded schedule, when would she find the time to kill Rita?

Margo Kawalski let herself into the house, blocking the cat with one foot and...