Thrillers and Mysteries

Thriller gets its own top-level category these days, so you can dive in over there and go deep, but I want to take a moment to talk about it in the crime and mystery context. Until recently, thriller was a sub-genre of the larger crime category. What changed? Indie Publishing. So many Indie started writing thrillers that it got moved out to become its own BISAC top level. What is thriller, then? Energy. Pure and simple. Start generally somewhere in the middle, and then amp up everything, running like hell. Usually with a ticking clock or a burning building. Kidnapping....

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Market Report 4/3/24

I have updated all the business reports in the genre guides. Let’s look at the headlines. Top Tier Genres Mostly Steady Most of the top tier genres stayed steady with a few exceptions: YA Still Promising Though the young adult genre itself stayed steady, growth in many of the SF and fantasy subgenres continued or held. If you’re looking at writing any genre, check for a YA subgenre and consider whether your book could be marketed there. Indies Dominating Norse Legends Top 100 List Big sales for indies in a niche category with a usual floor of 1k. Look at...

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Should I Write Colonization/Exploration/First Contact?

You should consider writing in one of these genres if…

You love reading them.

You watched (and loved) The Expanse, For All Mankind, and Alien

You find yourself constantly looking at the stars and wondering "What if...?"

You should probably try a different genre if…

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Horror Story Builder

For this exercise, you should have a document open where you can write. Now copy the text in the box and paste it into that document. This will be the blueprint  for your story. You'll fill it in as you go through the exercise and end up with a basic outline for your horror novel. You may also want to post your story outline in the forums to get some ideas from other forum members. 

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Horror Blueprint

Please note that there are a number of horror novels that don't follow this blueprint exactly, and almost none of them follow it perfectly. If your book will still be terrifying and interest readers without one of these pieces, or with some of them done differently or in a different order, feel free to do your own thing. This blueprint is just so that you can understand the basic format that your readers will expect from the genre. 

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Ergonomics for Writers

Ergonomics is the study of humans in their work environment. The part of it that matters to us is how it relates to keeping us healthy and safe and avoiding aches and pains and repetitive motion injuries. A comfortable writer is a productive writer, so don’t skimp on your office setup.  Everyone is comfortable in slightly different positions. So, before we get into the “correct” ways to work, let’s look at some general advice that should always trump whatever specific advice you get if the two are in conflict.   What The Experts Say  Correct ergonomics, according to the experts, means...

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Should I Write Dystopian?

Dystopian fiction is not for the faint of heart. Not necessarily horror, it still has a darkness that creeps into your soul — then burrows in. Even if the hero triumphs — not a guarantee in this genre — the knowledge of how close we will always be to this kind of future remains. If you can handle that darkness, or if you already swim in it, then dystopian novels might be a natural fit for you.

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