TRAVEL: RESEARCH OR FUN?

by Chris Goff As a writer and avid traveler, I'm often asked, "Do you travel for research or fun?" Good question! Of course, the answer is both. What starts as travel for a variety of reasons often turns into research, and--for me--travel is always fun. I think most writers find it hard to go...

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GEORGE MEHOK GOES ROGUE

K.J. HOWE: Daughters have a special bond with their fathers, and George Mehok explores it in depth in his debut thriller Going Dark. Daughters in Fiction: Building Legacy and the Father-Daughter Bond By George Mehok An exploration of two dynamic daughters—Emma Knox, a brilliant MIT computer...

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FAVORITE DETECTIVES: ChapGTP and I compare notes.

By Lisa Black Since last month I asked ChatGPT to tell me who it thought the world’s favorite book villains were, this time I thought I’d ask for the world’s favorite detectives. Its response was singularly unsurprising. Chat GPT's Top 6 Favorite Detectives 1. Sherlock Holmes Created by Sir Arthur...

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BRAIN SCIENCE FOR WRITERS: BINAURAL BEATS

By Isabella Maldonado As a writer, I often find myself navigating the delicate balance between logical complexity and emotional depth. My stories are filled with intricate codes, riddles, and mysteries, while also delving into deeply emotional themes of betrayal, redemption, and resilience. To...

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ON TOUR WITH DEAD WRITERS: MANHATTAN GOTHIC

ZJ Czupor's On Tour with Dead Writers brings us clues to a mystery author each second Tuesday of the month. Dust off your investigative skills and send your answer to mysteryminutecontest@gmail.com by the 20th of the month. You may not know this author's name, but you'll certainly recognize his...

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FIVE VILLAINS: ChatGTP AND ME WEIGH IN ON OUR FAVORITES

By Lisa Black As an experimental time-saver, I asked ChatGTP to write me a 500 word blog on ‘the five favorite villains from books.’ I didn’t specify whose favorites or give any other instructions. Minus its flowery prose and possibly speciesist comment on how ‘true evil is not always found in the...

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WHAT’S REAL? WHAT’S FICTION?

By Alex Kava Most fiction writers sprinkle in real-life bits and pieces. Sometimes it’s from our own experiences. We might use locales we know. Throw in landmarks and even have our characters stop by our favorite café or coffee shop. It gives our fiction a sense of authenticity. And if we’re...

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A WRITER’S SACRED PLACE

By Alex Kava Mark Twain’s private writing study as it is today, relocatedon Elmira College’s campus in New York. Ask full-time writers where they write—not how or when, but where—and many will name a specific place that’s unique to us. That place might be a local coffee shop or a favorite...

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WRANGLER OR TOSSER?

Dispatches from the Desk By Tracy Clark I’ve heard stories of writers stopping two-thirds into a novel and shredding the whole thing because they weren’t happy with what they’d written. I’ve heard stories of writers who have finished an entire book, submitted it, and then asking their editor to...

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