The Maine Crime Writers
Tag Archives: writing
How I (Don’t) Plot a Novel
Kaitlyn Dunnett/Kathy Lynn Emerson here, thinking about how the plots of some of my published novels came about. Since I’m not one for advance planning, the route from idea to book was often roundabout, but throughout my career I have … Continue reading
Posted in Kaitlyn's Posts
Tagged 1513, Henry VIII, historical novels, Kaitlyn Dunnett, Kathy Lynn Emerson, plotting, recycling ideas, rejections, story ideas, writing
1 Comment
On the Scent of Murder
by Kait Carson Writers are encouraged to use all five senses and incorporate them into every scene. Hearing, easy, touch, a slam dunk, sight, got it covered, taste, a bit harder, but everyone has to eat sometime. Then there is … Continue reading
Musings on the Demise of the Thank-You Note
Kaitlyn Dunnett/Kathy Lynn Emerson here, today taking “inspiration” from my annoyance at a certain political ad running on local TV stations. You may have seen it, or one like it. Designed to tug at the heartstrings, paid for by out-of-state … Continue reading
Posted in Kaitlyn's Posts
Tagged etiquette, Kaitlyn Dunnett, Kathy Lynn Emerson, thank-you notes, writing
17 Comments
Writing Tip Wednesday: Comp Titles? What’s that?
Ok, so Comp Titles, also known as Comparison Titles, are officially used in query letters once you’ve written your book and are seeking a literary agent or a small press. They are needed for the sales pitch, but I hope … Continue reading
The Life of a Bookmark
First, thank you to the Maine Crime Writers blog for inviting me into the fold. I have been reading this blog from the moment I learned of it at the New England Crime Bake conference, many years ago. It is … Continue reading
Posted in Allison's Posts
Tagged Allison Keeton, author, book blog, bookmark, debut novel, imposter syndrome, Maine Crime Writers, Maine Crime Writers news, Maine mystery, Maine writer, midcoast maine, mystery series, mystery writer, mystery writers, New England Crime Bake, writer, writing
10 Comments
HOW SEARCH ENGINES WORK
In my last post, I discussed Search Engine Optimization (aka SEO) and why it’s important to us as writers. In this blog, I’d like to dig a bit deeper. In order to fully understand SEO, we need to understand the … Continue reading
Posted in Uncategorized, Vaughn's Posts
Tagged book marketing, Google, maine mysteries, search engines, SEO, Vaughn Hardacker, website design, writing
3 Comments
How the Pomodoro Technique Can Boost Creativity*
I recently came across an interesting article on the L&L Blog. It details a writing strategy that I found interesting. The article was written by Kirk McElhearn and was posted on April 16, 2025. The greatest challenge that I face … Continue reading
Paring Down the Prose
Kaitlyn Dunnett/Kathy Lynn Emerson here, today sharing some examples of what I do when I revise the mysteries in my Face Down series and its spinoff, the Mistress Jaffrey series, both set in Elizabethan England. First off, I have to … Continue reading
When Do You Get Your Ideas?
It’s a classic question at author readings – where do you get your ideas? A better question, I think is when do you get your ideas? Where are you and what are you doing when your characters’ voices whisper in … Continue reading
Let’s revisit: Joyce? Wordsworth? They’re just like us!
Hi all, I can’t hit the keyboard this month, so for your reading pleasure, I’m reprising a favorite column. Enjoy! For several years, I was a judge in nationwide self-published book contest. I was a first-tier judge, which meant I … Continue reading
Posted in Maureen's Posts, Uncategorized
Tagged James Joyce, Museum of Literature in Ireland, Wordsworth, writing
2 Comments
