Piper Bayard & Jay Holmes *** For those of you who write about covert operatives, we invited Bayard & Holmes back to share some insider tips on how to write believable spies. Enjoy! *** The basic function spooks serve is to spy on people and organizations. Technology makes that task easier. One major segment of […]

Margie Lawson I’ve talked to dozens of agents and editors about what makes them stop reading submissions. We’ve chatted on planes and on yachts, in several countries, on several continents. We’ve chatted at luncheons and dinners and late nights in bars. Some agents and editors shared general ideas regarding why they quit reading. They said […]

Chuck Sambuchino To celebrate the release of the brand-new 2015 Guide to Literary Agents, I am bringing back one of my most popular recurring contests: The “Worst Storyline Ever” Contest. Except this time, it’s hosted on the Writers in the Storm blog. So if you’re looking for an agent and want a big database, check […]

  What is Cadence? To me, it’s Like Porn, in that it’s not easy to define, but I know it when I see it. Webster did manage to define it though (which makes me want to look up ‘porn’): Though Webster wasn’t talking about writing in the above definition, he came close. To me, Cadence […]

Sierra Godfrey Most authors have a day job, and sometimes we’re lucky enough for that be writing-related. They say that the creative brain has the ability to be creative in multiple ways, and you’ll often find those who write also paint, act, sing, compose. In my case, I’m both a writer and graphic designer –and […]