Tag Archives: writing

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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Actually Useful Writing Books

Kate Flora: Over the years, I accumulated quite a library of reference books related to writing, to crime writing in particular, and to crime investigations of all sorts. I never stop acquiring books that someone I regard as credible has … Continue reading

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Characters

One of the things that will turn me off on a book is Tom Swift style characters, you know the hero who excels at everything they have ever done. You know The Great Leslie Gallant character of the Warner Brothers 1965 … Continue reading

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The Other Writer in the Family

Kaitlyn Dunnett/Kathy Lynn Emerson here. As you may have seen in a recent Weekend Update or on my Facebook page, I’m no longer the only writer in the family to have published a book. My husband, Sandy, is the author … Continue reading

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