In the Name of Research by Terry Odell Tina Whittle addressed writing what you know in her Let’s Talk post a while back, and how research is important. Google is a writer’s friend, but so are contacts with experts. My Triple-D Ranch romantic suspense series is set against the backdrop of a Colorado cattle ranch, […]
Series, Standalones, or Connected Books? By Terry Odell Series, Standalones, or Connected Books? I write all three, but what’s the real difference? In a series, such as my Mapleton Mystery series, there’s one featured protagonist throughout the entire series. Think Harry Bosch, or Lucas Davenport, Elvis Cole, Joe Pickett—and of course the mystery authors here […]
Five Authors Share About Spring by Maggie Toussaint, Nancy J Cohen, James M Jackson, Terry Odell, and Tina Whittle With Spring comes nice weather, and the temptation to get outside and enjoy the sunshine. Of course, for writers, writing is their job, just like any other job, but it’s easy to want to set aside […]
St. Patrick’s Day by Terry Odell My week here starts on St. Patrick’s Day. Americans have adopted this holiday, although our country’s traditions aren’t the same as they are in Ireland. One of my daughters now lives in Northern Ireland, and pointed out that corned beef and cabbage are not part of the celebration. Nor […]
Welcome to our new “Let’s Talk” format. The authors at Booklover’s Bench would love to know more about what you like—or don’t like—about the books you read. Each week, we’ll add Q&A to our short posts, and we’d love to have you share your opinions. Also, on February 1st, we’re celebrating our third anniversary, and […]
Does Genre Matter? by Terry Odell When I started writing, my reading preferences were primarily mystery, so that’s what I wanted to write. I had a basic premise—a cop who never crossed the line, and a woman as a victim of a crime he’d investigate. I figured it would be about his investigation, but as […]
Halloween Treats by Terry Odell Where I live, out in the boonies, Halloween is a low key night. Our houses are too far apart, the roads aren’t paved, no street lights, and it’s really hilly. Too much effort for too little reward. Instead, our community hosts a “Trunk or Treat” one afternoon before the big […]
When Research is Too Much Fun Terry Odell Last time, I talked about throwing out the “Write What You Know” rule, and mentioned writing what you can learn. Sometimes, we authors get to have Too Much Fun doing just that. I recently attended a conference devoted to helping writers get it ‘right’ with all things […]
Learning While Writing Terry Odell Congratulations to Connie Williamson, who won a cool Windswept Danger magnet and a download of the book. When I started writing, the first rule was “Write What You Know.” But aside from knowing any book I wrote that conformed to that rule would be boring as all get out, part […]
Turning the Tables By Terry Odell I thought I’d switch things around this week. Normally, I try to figure out what readers might find interesting, and fill a page or so with my thoughts on the topic. But this time, I don’t want to try to second guess your questions. I’ve got some of […]
