Mystery. Thriller. Romance. Science Fiction. Horror. The publishing industry uses these labels for what are called “genre” novels. Literary critics often dismiss genre novels as lightweight, even trivial. But are they? After all, it can be argued that even classic...

I was delighted by the many replies I received to my article a while ago on Why Writing is Good for the Soul. There was enthusiastic agreement about the joy of tapping into that transcendent "zone” where the currents of creation flow. However, although we writers can...

When I mentor writers, the same questions come up quite regularly. So let me share with you five questions I'm asked most often, and my answers. 1. What’s the difference between a story’s “hook” and its “inciting incident”? A story’s “hook” is simply its opening...

(Painting: Katharine Pyle) A writer sent me this intriguing question: “Barbara, I’m told my writing is too fast paced. How do I slow it? – Robert L.” It’s an ironic predicament because so often a novel is praised for its fast pace. A thriller, for example, or a...

My dear friend Laurie recently fell and broke a bone in her right hand. That’s a nasty experience for anyone, but especially Laurie because she’s an artist – a right-handed one! She can’t paint for at least six weeks. I called her to sympathize and offer to help in...

It was a delight to see my daughter’s pleasure at my Christmas gift to her of watercolor paints. Sara runs a busy business and says she finds joy in painting because it engages her in a way completely distinct from work. Art engages her soul. I find the same pleasure...

You can kill a story with kindness. I see it sometimes when I mentor writers: an avoidance of conflict in the manuscript. It’s as if the writer doesn’t want their characters to suffer. Alas, this just weakens the narrative, because nothing moves forward in a story...

(Painting by Caspar David Friedrich) The Secret Power of Setting Want to know a secret? I’ll tell you two. They’re both techniques about writing a story’s settings. Its locations. The first technique you may already be using. If so, bravo! The second, however, is not...

Breaking News! I’m delighted to announce that I’ve just signed the contract with my publisher for my new novel, The Deadly Trade, the first book in a series of murder mysteries featuring animal rights activist Natalie “Nat” Sinclair and her team of volunteers as they...

We’ve all binge-watched TV series during this pandemic, haven’t we? It’s been a boon, soothing strained nerves. I imagine it’s made Netflix very rich. An interesting result of all that viewing is that it’s sharpened writers’ awareness of what makes a strong narrative...