How to Get Published

by New York Times bestselling author, Joseph Finder

VANISHED, the book that’s coming out in just a few days (!), will be the first in a series featuring Nick Heller, a high-powered investigator with a private intelligence firm . . . and his friends and family.

Creating Nick’s world took longer than I expected, because it was so important to me to get these characters right. It wasn’t just the facts about what guys like Nick - “private spies” - do. It was the essence of the man, the personality, the likes and dislikes, the quirks and the rough edges. It’s always been important to me to like my characters - even the bad guys - and since this gang will be with me for years to come, if all goes well, it was even more important than usual.

Never forget: novels are about people. The more interesting the character, the more interesting the book. Good characters can sometimes save a bad plot, but - with very rare exceptions — good plots can’t save paper-thin characters.

But does that mean that your hero, or your main protagonists, have to be likable? Yes, I really think so. When you’re writing a thriller, it’s especially important. (more…)

by Al Philipson

“The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug.”  -Mark Twain

Okay, your muse is on strike and your editor is begging you for another great story like the last one. What do you need to do to feed the stubborn creature?

For me, one of the things I do is just look around. Story ideas are everywhere in “real” life. The news is full of them if you can stand to pay attention to the twaddle that passes for “news” these days. People around you have personal experiences that might make the germ of a story. Your own experiences might give you an idea. (more…)