E. Lockhart's Family of Liars is an exceptional follow up to We Were Liars. Put this on your must-read list! I consider We Were Liars as one of the best books I’ve read in the last decade, with probably the most powerful twist ending ever. So I’m not sure why it took me so long to read Family of Liars. Perhaps I thought there was no way it could compare to the first book, even though it’s a prequel. But I’m so glad I finally decided to pick it up. Family of Liars takes …
The Five Worst Ways to End Your Novel (with examples)
What are the five worst ways to end your novel? Don't worry, I'm going to tell you, and I'll give you some examples!
Of course, it's all a matter of opinion.
But I did some research, and combed my own memories of novels I’ve read with disappointing or even infuriating endings, and categorized them into five types of endings to stay away from. *Note–there are spoilers ahead of well known, popular novels. Also, a lot of …Book Review: Never Lie by Frieda McFadden
Never Lie, by Frieda McFadden, was definitely a page turner. Newlyweds Tricia and Ethan are stuck in a remote house during a blizzard, and oh yeah, the house's past owner is missing, probably murdered. Tricia starts seeing things like strange footprints and moving portraits, and then she discovers a secret room full of secret recordings... The premise is great, and McFadden is a master at creating suspense. Her writing style, with short chapters alternating between past and present, …
How Do You Add Suspense to Your Stories? Here are 6 Tips For Awesome Plot Twists!
My new novel, Beautiful Little Furies, (released 12/21/23 by Black Rose Writing), is not exactly a thriller, but it is psychological women's fiction. So, I needed to add some suspense. That should be easy, right?
Actually, no.
I have a hard time with suspense and plot twists. Done well, they can surprise, delight, and shock readers, giving a new perspective on the plot. Truly great plot twists are unexpected and logical, yet still …
How and Why You Should Publish Short Fiction in Online Literary Magazines
If you write novels, I bet you can connect with poor old Sisyphus, who Zeus punished in the underworld by forcing him to roll a boulder up a hill for eternity. Every time Sisyphus almost reached the top of the hill, the boulder rolled back down. Isn’t that a lot like publishing? Maybe you’re lucky and/or extremely talented, and you’ve procured a lucrative publishing deal. Or, you’ve self-published and figured out how to beat Amazon’s algorithms, and have …