How to Get Published

by Al Kalar

There’s a TV show called In Plain Sight that does a great job of making the lead character’s life a living hell.

Mary is a Federal Marshal that works the Witness Protection detail in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Yes, “Albakoikee” the place where Bugs Bunny should have made a left “toin”.

She has ongoing problems with her alcoholic mother and dysfunctional (ditzy) younger sister who both live with her; and she spends a good portion of her time trying to solve their problems. (more…)

When dealing with rejection as writer, remember: it’s a numbers game. You have to go through ‘no’s to get to ‘yes’. Play the game!  -Cheryl Tardif

by Al Kalar

Some of the best writing on television goes into the production of 24, the high-tension fast-moving thriller staring Kiefer Sutherland as agent Jack Bauer.

What makes the show so riveting? What can novelists learn from the show?

A huge appeal of the show is the almost non-stop action. There is always something happening. For twenty-four hours (over 24 episodes), the characters are constantly challenged by the “bad guys”. No rest, no ruminations, no time to sit down and just chat.

And forget about sleeping.

Every episode is filled to the brim with tension. Not something you want to view just before going to bed.  But their formula brings you back every week to see what happens next; especially if you’re an action junkie like me. (more…)

Victory Crayne

A good story is not just what happens to the characters. As a matter of fact, the most important element of a good story is what happens to the reader. The reader is like an invisible participant in the story. The best stories are designed not just to “tell a story” that resides in the imagination of the writer, but are designed to touch the insides of the reader, her emotions, her insights into human nature, her understanding of herself. (more…)

by Penny C. Sansevieri

It’s one thing to write a book, it’s an entirely different thing to write one that’s a saleable, viable, marketable product. Ensuring the success of a book is something even the biggest publishers have never been able to guarantee. Mitigating circumstances, flash trends, and world events will all affect buyer preferences. That said, there are still ways to leverage the sales-factor in your favor and here’s how you do it. (more…)