Author Archives: matthewcost

I need variety in my crime. An assortment of styles is required to keep the pages from growing brittle and the mind stagnant. As of late, that has been accomplished all within the crime fiction genre. According to AI, Crime … Continue reading →

Writing is often a chance to escape. But, if writing contemporary mysteries and thrillers, wouldn’t it be a crime to erase the world in which the characters are interacting? I do not get up on a soapbox and preach politics, … Continue reading →

I make an outline for every book that I write. The kicker is that most of it gets filled in after I write. I base the outline on the idea that my chapters usually average around 2,000 words each. My … Continue reading →

Ninety-nine times out of a hundred, success is the result of hard work and does not happen overnight. I wrote my first novel in 1991 and twenty-nine short years later, in 2020, it was my first traditionally published book. I … Continue reading →

2025 was a good year for me. This year, as of tomorrow, I will have completed 62 writing presentations of one sort or another. Let’s break that down into categories. 23 COST TALKS at libraries. 11 PODCAST interviews. 9   Bookstore … Continue reading →

Writing, like life, comes with a whole host of rules. And like life rules, writing rules are often no more than recommendations. My advice? Be yourself. Know the rules, use the ones that work for you, and discard the ones … Continue reading →

It depends. That seems to be primary answer when researching this question. This in an artistic endeavor that seems to love hard and fast rules. Proper grammar. Don’t start with the weather. Show don’t tell. Active is better than passive. … Continue reading →

I grew up in the woods and now live in a different part of the forest. But I found my neighborhood in 2019. Writing, as they say, is a lonely pursuit. Unless, of course, you find your neighborhood. For me, … Continue reading →

Crime Wave in Portland, Maine, like any good mystery, has a good ole twist this year. Festivities start off on Friday, September 26th, at 4:00 with a special guided tour at the Maine Historical Society for the special exhibit, Notorious: … Continue reading →

I currently have four crime series out in the world. Two contemporary Maine, one historical, and one thriller series. I have another series set to debut in October of 2026. And there is a sixth series being shopped around. That … Continue reading →