Author Archives: Robert T. Kelley

Rob Kelley here, musing this week on short books that pack a punch. One of the things I really like about The Writer’s Hotel writing conference is the “Major Workshop,” a critique and craft group led by a senior writer. … Continue reading →

Rob Kelley here, and I was talking to one of my editors, Scott Wolven, after he and his partner-in-crime at High Frequency Press, Shanna McNair, did a joint reading of their two new books at Portland’s Print Bookstore in late … Continue reading →

Rob Kelley here, and I’ll start with a writing conference shout-out. I’m just back from The Writer’s Hotel 2025, held right here in Maine at the Sebasco Harbor Resort. The conference was wonderful, with craft sessions, readings by workshop participants … Continue reading →

Rob Kelley here, following Vaughn’s and Gabi’s posts this week and thinking about getting unstuck. I was stuck for the last several days on a book that continues to fight me. But I have a strategy, or at least a … Continue reading →

Rob Kelley here, thinking this week about the origins of our stories, but less “where do your stories come from?” and more “why the hell would you write about that awful stuff?” (I have a very dear friend, a kind, … Continue reading →

Rob Kelley here, thinking about scams and cons in fiction and real life. So I’ll start by saying a nonprofit I volunteer for was the target of a scam this last week. I’ll come back to that in a sec. Con … Continue reading →

Rob Kelley here, thinking about place detail in fiction. Dan Brown, whose book The Da Vinci Code has inspired numerous Paris tours, also changes several physical details about The Louvre to serve his plot (adding a window in the bathroom from … Continue reading →

Rob Kelley here, exploring real-time character development, which I didn’t think was about characters spiraling out of control, but maybe it kind of is. My initial character creation process has evolved some since my first novel in which I did detailed … Continue reading →

Rob Kelley here, thinking about upping the stakes in mysteries, suspense, and thrillers. I’ve been working on revising my third novel (title TBD) and have been thinking about the suspense-heightening technique “Enter Late, Leave Early” (ELLE), as illustrated with Dick … Continue reading →

Rob Kelley here, talking this last weekend with my crime writing colleagues about the increasingly chaotic world of publishing. Last weekend was our beloved New England Crime Bake. The sessions featured new authors, experienced authors, and legends, talking about craft, characterization, … Continue reading →