by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73
Last weekend, I went to my annual writing retreat with my fellow Sisters in Crime. It was my third retreat and, as always, great fun. Our weekend instructor was Tim Esaias, and he provided not only tons of useful information, but made me laugh so hard Saturday night that my sides hurt. And he let me help with an impromptu self-defense demo Sunday morning, which is always fun. Continue reading “Growing and stretching”
The Time has Come
by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73
By george, I think I’ve got it.
If you’ve been following me on Facebook or Twitter, you know that I’ve had random, episodic scenes coming to me for, oh, the last month or so. The story has, I think, finally come to together.
It is time to move Jim Duncan and Sally Castle from the world of short fiction to the novel. My main project for October will be plotting and writing the synopsis/summary for the first Laurel Highlands Mysteries novel, tentatively titled Every Other Monday is Murder. Continue reading “The Time has Come”
Random Updates
By Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73
I had a lot of posts last week (well, a lot for me), so some random updates. Continue reading “Random Updates”
The Long and Winding Road
By Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73
Note: I’m going to try to avoid spoilers. But if you are a regular watcher of “Waking the Dead” or “Longmire,” and are not up-to-date on your viewing, you might want to catch up and come back later. Or not. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.
One of the staples of fiction is the concept of the “twist” and “turn.” These are the little things that happen in a story to make the reader go “Wow!” Often times they take the story in a different direction, or reveal something to the reader. Continue reading “The Long and Winding Road”
It’s Not Too Late
By Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73
The start of the school year always puts me in a reflective mood. And here’s what I’m reflecting on this morning. Continue reading “It’s Not Too Late”
Goals for 2013 – at halftime
by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73
It’s hard to believe, but 2013 is half over. The weather is warm, the kids are out of school, and it’s time for me to review how far I’ve come with my goals for this year. Continue reading “Goals for 2013 – at halftime”
Being a Stereotype Doesn’t Make it Untrue
by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73
One of the reviews for Power Play: Hero’s Sword Vol. 1 mentioned that the conflict between the main character, Jaycee, and the “popular” cheerleaders was a bit stereotypical. When I read that, I kind of stepped back. Was I stereotyping? Maybe. Perhaps I was relying on my own memories of middle school a little too much. Maybe it’s become sort of an overused trope of writing. Continue reading “Being a Stereotype Doesn’t Make it Untrue”
Pennwriters 2013 in Review
by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73
Last weekend I attended my first ever Pennwriters conference (first for me, that is). Sorry, I don’t have a lot of pictures. I was too busy having my mind blown. Continue reading “Pennwriters 2013 in Review”
Scrivener Writetip: Using the Cork Board
by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73
Note: I am using Scrivener for Mac. If you are using Windows, please allow for differences.
Okay, okay. So writers are not supposed to write about, um, writing. Or writing tips at least. But my earlier posts on Scrivener continue to get hits and I continue to get asked questions, so perhaps it’s time for a little “Scrivener writing tip” post. Continue reading “Scrivener Writetip: Using the Cork Board”
Citizen’s Police Academy Wrap-up
by Mary Sutton / @mary_sutton73
For the past few months, I have been attending the Citizen’s Police Academy hosted by the Pittsburgh
Bureau of Police. When you write police-procedurals, it’s kind of important to know how real police work, um, works. And while I’d love to attend the Writer’s Police Academy organized by Lee Lofland some day, this one was right here – and free. How do you say no? Continue reading “Citizen’s Police Academy Wrap-up”