The book that I’ve been querying is many things, but at its base, it’s a whodunnit-style mystery. Sure, I also throw in a YA coming-of-age narrative, LGBTQ+ Romance, and some paranormal intrigue… but I spent a lot of time researching and studying the mechanics of the mystery genre while crafting my novel. Like many areasContinue reading “Tips For Writing a Mystery Novel”
Author Archives: L. P. Savage
Books of 2022: Ratings & Rankings
Wow. 2022 was BOOKED for me. I had a goal of 50 books and exceeded that by 10 for my grand total of 60 books read. Today, I present you with my rankings and ratings of all 60 books. Please keep in mind that this is all a matter of preference and my personal opinion.Continue reading “Books of 2022: Ratings & Rankings”
15 Holiday Tropes + More
I, personally, am trash for tropes and believe they make the world of fiction go ’round. But love ’em or hate ’em, there’s something about holiday tropes that hit a little extra. This article is dubbed “holiday” as it centers on the tropes we often see in rom-coms around the winter holidays. But I willContinue reading “15 Holiday Tropes + More”
When A Plotter Goes Pantsing
How Your Writing Style Can Impact Your Writing No, I did not spend November running amuck around my peers pulling down their pants. However, I did spend this past NaNoWriMo doing something that might have been just as uncomfortable. I wrote a story by discovery writing. I have always self-declared my writing style as aContinue reading “When A Plotter Goes Pantsing”
How to use Sanderson’s Laws of Magic to Build a Better (fantasy) Story
Coincidentally, this is not in reference to the Hocus Pocus Sanderson Sisters, but instead is a system of three laws developed by fantasy author, Brandon Sanderson. I first heard of the Sanderson Laws of Magic while listening to the Writing Excuses podcast (which is a podcast I recommend to newbies and seasoned writers alike). AsContinue reading “How to use Sanderson’s Laws of Magic to Build a Better (fantasy) Story”
The Horrors of Vanity Publishing – With Guest Author Shelly Connor
As we say goodbye to spooky season, many of us are saying hello to NaNoWriMo. It’s a true measure of commitment and endurance to write a novel in one month, but sadly that is only the first step. Once you have written your novel, you have to move on to editing, and then figure outContinue reading “The Horrors of Vanity Publishing – With Guest Author Shelly Connor”
View post to subscribe to site newsletter.
11 Most Common World-Building Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
When creating a whole new world, your goal is to build something that’s unforgettable! Shining, shimmering, splendid, should just be the tip of the iceberg. It can be a lot of fun to dream up ideas about alien spacecraft or magical laws. World-building is an opportunity to let our imagination run rampant and go BIG!Continue reading “11 Most Common World-Building Mistakes & How to Avoid Them”
Add Tension and Build Suspense with Try/Fail Cycles
In the first imaginings of our stories, we often have an end goal in mind. Character X is put into situation Y and comes out changed (whether that’s for better or for worse depends on whether it’s a positive or negative character arc). Our story would be rather short if the goal you set forContinue reading “Add Tension and Build Suspense with Try/Fail Cycles”
Word Choice – How Anglo-Saxon vs. Latinate origin words can impact your writing
This article is not intended to be a grammar lesson. Instead, I want this to call attention to something I found fascinating. Since researching word origins, it has educated my word choice while writing to have a stronger intention. I strongly advocate writing with intention. It’s the same way I believe you need to understandContinue reading “Word Choice – How Anglo-Saxon vs. Latinate origin words can impact your writing”
Instagram for Writers – With Guest Author S.E. Schneider
This month’s guest article is written by my fabulous critique partner who is absolutely incredible, the lovely S.E. Schneider. She brings us her unique insights on storming the Instagram platform and taking no prisoners! With close to 13k of her own followers, she knows a thing or two about being a writer on Instagram. InstagramContinue reading “Instagram for Writers – With Guest Author S.E. Schneider”
Newbie to Novelist 