The following is a guest post by Channing Whitaker, author of Until the Sun Rises. Imagine the villain of your favorite story and ask yourself, what might have gone a little differently in their lives which could have led them to be the hero instead? This is something I ponder on whenever I create antagonists. I love a villain who might otherwise be downright likable if not for a few circumstances, and…
Tag: characters
Creating Memorable Characters
The following is a guest post by Jamie Cortland, author of Dying to Dance. Have we talked about creating characters? I hope so because if you’re ready to begin the book of your dreams, that’s exactly where we should begin. But, you say you’ve already thought of a great plot, the background, and even the background music if it becomes a movie. Great. But that’s not where to begin, no matter…
Behind the Scenes of The HomePort Journals
The following is a guest post by A.C. Burch, author of The HomePort Journals. His new book, A Book of Revelations, will be released by HomePort Press in June of 2016. With the upcoming launch of my book of short stories, I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the genesis of my first novel, The HomePort Journals. My transition from musician to author was somewhat of a distraction in those early…
What makes a great suspense story?
The following is a guest post by Kaylin McFarren, author of Banished Threads, the third book in the Threads series. If you would like to write a guest post on my blog, please send me an e-mail at contact@cecilesune.com. Even though I’ve written four romantic suspense novels during the last five years, I truly don’t consider myself to be an expert in this crazy wordsmithing business. Perhaps I will after book twenty hits…
Writing by the Seat of your Pants
The following is a guest post by Gerrie Ferris Finger, author of Running With Wild Blood. If you would like to write a guest post on my blog, please send me an e-mail at contact@cecilesune.com. I appear on lots of panels, do radio, answer blog questions, go to book festivals and am, without fail, asked this question. How do you construct your plots? Do you outline or do you write “by…
The relationship between writing and doctoring
The following is a guest post by Raymond Barfield, author of The Book of Colors. If you would like to write a guest post on my blog, please send me an e-mail at contact@cecilesune.com. I graduated from medical school in 1993 and from residency in 1996. Work hour limits for medical students and residents were established in 1997 (the new rule was that students and residents can work no more than 80…
The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows
Willa Romeyn, a bright 12-year-old girl who loves reading, one day notices things are happening around her that she doesn’t fully understand. She decides she needs to pay more attention and starts watching and listening more closely, but this seems to raise more questions than answers: Why is her father, Felix, disappearing days at a time without explanation? Why did her mother, Sylvia, abandon them several years ago? Why is…
Why I am a Writer
The following is a guest post by Mike Martin, author of the Sgt. Windflower Mystery Series. If you would like to write a guest post on my blog, please send me an e-mail at contact@cecilesune.com I sometimes get asked why I chose to be a writer. The truth is that I didn’t choose it as much as writing chose me. Having three older sisters, two of whom turned out to…
And I Love Her by Suzanne Elliott
The following is a guest post by Suzanne Elliott, author of And I Love Her. If you would like to write a guest post on my blog, please send me an e-mail at contact@cecilesune.com. In the Author’s Own Words I like to place fictional characters into real life events which fascinate me. All of the events which happen in my novel actually happened – a man was publically hanged towards the…
Keeping Track of Everything in a Project
The following is a guest post by Jan Christensen, author of A Broken Life. If you would like to write a guest post on my blog, please send me an e-mail at contact@cecilesune.com. With all the things we have to remember in today’s world, it’s hard to keep track of things. That’s why calendars and to-do lists were invented. Writers have an extra layer to add for keeping track–character details. Their…