"

Conflict and character are the heart of good fiction, and good mystery has both of those in spades.

"

When I turned 35, I thought, 'Mozart was dead at 36, so I set the bar: I'm going to start writing a book on my next birthday.' I thought historical fi...more

"

But it wouldn’t have half the power of a story in which Jamie and Claire truly conquer real evil and thus show what real love is. Real love has real c...more

"

You don’t need to know the purpose as you write, but when you read over something you’ve written, you should be able to point to any given element—be ...more

"

Dialogue doesn’t take place in a vacuum. Dialogue is contradictory, in that it can either speed up or slow down a passage.

"

You want to anchor the scene with physical details, but by and large it’s better to use sensual details rather than overtly sexual ones.

"

Okay. This has to be a credible threat. Ergo, we have to have seen (and heard about) the real damage Randall has done to Jamie thus far; we have to be...more

"

Pointing out the emotion in a scene is like laughing at your own jokes.

"

Watch a good movie sometime without reference to what’s happening but only with attention to how it was photographed; you’ll see the change of focus—z...more

"

Don’t let characters talk pointlessly—they only talk if there’s something to say.

"

As a rule of thumb, four consecutive lines of dialogue is about as much as you want to have without a tag.

"

Don’t go overboard in avoiding “said.” Basically, “said” is the default for dialogue, and a good thing, too; it’s an invisible word that doesn’t draw ...more

"

To some extent, emotions are universal and can be treated that way; no matter what the participants’ orientation or preference, they have sex for the ...more

"

If you can’t look a line of dialogue in the face and say exactly why it’s there—take it out or change it.

"

Just as an effective advertisement or page layout includes a lot of white space, a powerful scene requires immense restraint. Show things as simply as...more