Tips for Writers from Mike Wells

There is no finish line in writing. That’s what makes it so fascinating for me. You can improve all the time, whether you are a novice or a published author. The objective of most writers is to have their stories published. This process is, as you will find out if you haven’t done so already, is a long one and is by no means as easy as it sounds.  Today, I share a few articles that caught my attention on this topic from Mike Wells, in his website/blog Mike Wells Books/The Green Water Blog. 

Editing “Let The Dead Stay Dead”

A writing project I am currently engaged in is the editing of my third thriller, “Let The Dead Stay Dead.” I found it quite fascinating to return to this manuscript which had been put on the back burner in October 2012. You may recall that I had written the first 50,000 words for “Let The Dead Stay Dead” during NaNoWriMo of 2011.

Novel Writing Tips

I could feel the tension ease palpably as the book launch function of my second thriller, “Lucky For Some, 13” came to an end recently. It was also the time to summarize a few key learnings which might be of use to budding writers, if not to other writers. “Writing a 87,000 + word novel is pretty easy, its writing the less than 200 word back cover copy that is tough,” I quipped. There’s a lot of truth in what I said. Ask any author.

My 5 Rules for Writing Thrillers

““The way to write a thriller is to ask a question at the beginning, and answer it at the end.” This quote is attributed to the well-known writer of thrillers Lee Child, in this article in Writers Digest.

Credible Writing

Suspense/Thriller Writers is a group on Facebook which I visit quite frequently. It has interesting posts and interesting people, most of them keen on making a name in this genre of writing. Pat Bertram provoked thought with a recent post, as she does from time to time so effectively.

She said we know the  Big Five C’s in writing, which are:-

• Character
• Conflict
• Change
• Contrast (contrast in settings, between characters, in dialogue)
• Caring (what the character cares for, and making the reader care for the character)

We were asked to add to the list of “Cs” which make effective writing. My instinctive reaction was to add “C for Credibility”. This was top most on my mind for two reasons. The first is that I just finished a novel by a major best-selling author, who shall remain unnamed for the present. The book got off to a great start but left me disappointed at the end. I didn’t find it gripping enough. On reflection, I realized that what the protagonist was doing was totally incredible. He was superman personified and this was a huge let down for me. Have you felt the same any time?

The second reason and perhaps what strikes me even more is that as a writer myself, I am very conscious of making both my plots and my characters very credible. People should relate easily to them and feel the story is believable. If the plot or the characters are outlandish by far  they will be disappointed. You want them to think of the characters as people they have known, seen or heard about.

To me, therefore, credibility is a hallmark of a good writer. To be successful,  within the norms expected of the genre you write in, your plot and characters have to be credible.

Tribute to Authors- Frederick Forsyth

I first read “The Day of the Jackal” by Frederick Forsyth in the early ’70s and he soon became one of my favourite authors. I vividly remember the book ( and the subsequent movie) even to this day, decades later. Such was the appeal of the story. In  my view, it is one the best thrillers ever written. I was amazed to read that he wrote it in just 35 days! If you haven’t read it yet, grab a copy! You will not regret your decision.

3 Reasons Why I Write Thrillers

When I described myself as a thriller writer, I was once asked what drew me to this genre. What was it about thrillers that fascinated me so much? This was indeed food for thought. On reflection, here are the 3 reasons why I write thrillers:-

NaNoWriMo 2011

It’s been signed, sealed and delivered, as they say! I completed NaNoWriMo 2011 for which I wrote 54, 919 words in November for my thriller “ Let The Dead Stay Dead.” I have been a great fan of NaNoWriMo ever since I did it for the first time in 2009.

Great work, Steve Berry

What do authors do? Apart from writing, of course? Do they espouse causes? Do they have time for their non-literary interests? These questions came to me mind recently. By sheer co-incidence, I chanced upon this article in the Wall Street Journal about author, Steve Berry.

What Caught My Attention

Today I write about a few blog posts that caught my attention. They were informative to me and added to my knowledge and perspective on topics I would like to follow. The first one was an interview with  Barry Eisler in the New York Observer. Mr. Eisler speaks of how he views the future of publishing.