Month: May 2009

The Exciting World of Ezines

On By NikeChillemiIn Fun Stuff, The Writer's Craft4 Comments

There are so many publishing venues online. It’s exciting.

Newspapers and news magazines are loosing readership. Magazines of every ilk battle for a dwindling readership, while online magazines flourish. One of the reasons for this is the reader gets to comment on the ezine article. There’s an immediacy to that, a feeling of participation in the process.

That said, I’m happy to say I’m now writing for the online publication EzineArticles. http://ezinearticles.com/

You can most often find my articles listed under:

Book Reviews: Inspirational Fiction or Mystery/Thriller categories

Travel and Leisure: any number of categories

News and Society: Religion

Relationships: any number of categories

Education: Homeschooling

Self Improvement: Inspirational

I spent some time yesterday rummaging around in the ezine’s Book Review section, under Inspirational Fiction. I was most impressed by the review of my writing friend, Donald James Parker’s youth oriented novel, Love Waits, by Gail Pruszkowski. Her assessment is clear and to the point. Love Waits is Christian themed, but not preachy, is able to reach the younger generation with a timely message of the true meaning of love.

My inspiratinal fiction review of Another Way Home, by Christian author, Christa Parrish will be coming out soon in the ezine. That will be followed by my travel article on Cocoa Beach, Florida, one of my favorite spots.

Blood, Gore & Guts Can Be Fun

On By NikeChillemiIn Crime Fiction, Fun Stuff, The Writer's Craft8 Comments

Creating murder and mayhem with the pen is a blast for most mystery writers. The

Christian mystery, thriller, suspense and crime fiction writers I interact with are having a ball with their writing. Here are some tips for having fun writing crime fiction.
1. Write what you enjoy reading in a murder mystery or thriller.
2. Create a main character or a couple of main characters who you like, who tickle you, and/or who you think it would be fun to be around.
3. Create a supporting or minor character that makes you laugh out loud.
4. Write in a good, juicy “relationship” for your sleuth. Have your sleuth fall head over heals in love with a cop. Oh boy, that’s going to be a wild ride. Maybe you’re not going for a romance. Then have your sleuth totally frustrate his/her police department mentor, as in drive the older, wiser friend nuts. Create an antagonistic relationship where your sleuth butts heads with a veteran cop. Oh, the possibilities there.
5. Get your sleuth into an impossible and probably dangerous situation and then have him/her get out of it. If you make your sleuth sweat, your readers will also be sweating.
6. Find clever ways to knock off your villain.
7. Do you have someone in your life that’s a royal pain? Someone who doesn’t take a hint? Put them in your next novel and kill them. [Actually, I stole this idea from Danica Favorite. Don’t tell her.]