Rack

Suzanne McLeod is the author of the Spellcrackers.com urban fantasy series about magic, mayhem and murder – liberally spiced with hot ...more

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Ghost Writer

By OFW editor Carlos J Cortes

Agatha Christie

I must have dozed. Trains have always had a notable soporific effect on me, even the subway. Besides, riding an empty car at four in the morning—while nursing the binge’s after-effects—helped. The first thing I noticed was an old lady sitting on the opposite seat. We were pulling away from 23 Street and I surmised she would have boarded there. To reach my destination at St Lawrence Avenue, would take another thirty minutes.

The woman looked a little odd, her black clothes contrasting vividly with her wavy silver hair.

When she held my gaze and smiled I suddenly had a feeling that her face was oddly familiar. ...more

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Quote of the Day

Compiled by OFW editor Henry Lara

If a writer wrote merely for his time, I would have to break my pen and throw it away.

Hugo, Victor

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The Craft of Writing

By OFW chief editor Carlos J Cortes And Renée Miller

Elements of fiction: Pace: Sequencing Part 2

Is every event necessary?

Do events follow a linear sequence?

Are transitions smooth from event to event?

Does the ratio of events increases with tension?

Are there missing events in the plotline (holes in the story that might baffle the reader)?...more

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Word

Compiled by OFW editor Donna Johnson

Conjecture. Noun and verb

Literally, a casting or throwing together of possible or probable events; or a casting of the mind to something future, or something past but unknown; a guess, formed on a supposed possibility or probability of a fact, or on slight evidence; preponderance of opinion without proof; surmise.

Just because you’ve spotted Anthony coming out of Tiffany’s I wouldn’t conjecture he’s thinking marriage.

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Doubts

Compiled by OFW editor Annette Benjamin

Sleep Over / Sleepover

“Sleep over” is the verb and “sleepover,” the noun. Bad boy. You can sleep over in the corner. Tatiana asked if I would like a sleepover.

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Spotlight

Reviewed by OFW editor Renée Miller

Lux the Poet by Martin Millar

Amid shouting mobs, police shields, and the hurled bricks of the ’80s Brixton riots, Lux is searching for Pearl—the love of his life. Her home has been burned down by a stray petrol bomb, and she’s searching for sanctuary along with her friend Nicky. Nicky is traumatized after having killed her computer—her best friend—and is herself being followed by Happy Science PLC. It is their plan to breed a superior next generation by implanting the sperm of genius men inside beautiful women. She knows too much about the plan. Lux is helped in his quest by Kalia, a castaway of Heaven attempting to get back in God’s good graces by performing one million good deeds over countless lifetimes. There’s also a thrash metal band, a riot-party, past lives, and KY. Lots of KY....more

this month

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Fiction Collision

By OFW editor Renée Miller

True Blood Versus the Sookie Stackhouse Novels

Often when a book is adapted to film, whether for television or movies, a little of the magic is lost. I’ve found myself excited to see my fictional world brought to life many times, only to be disappointed with what Hollywood presented me. The problem is that writers have the luxury of however many pages it takes to convey our story, characters, setting, etc. to the reader. A screenwriter does not. So, he must pull what is necessary from the plot and dialogue, and then the setting is created based on what the filmmakers see when they read. This can differ greatly from what you or I imagine. ...more

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Editorial

By OFW chief editor Carlos J Cortes

A Matter of Trust

Some writers—even household names and sacred cows—create instant bestsellers, often followed by one or two sequels that keep readers gasping for more. Then, they release a title that fails miserably. After that, seldom if ever, do they recover their former glory. If we consider that a successful writer knows how to craft page-turners, one wonders what set of circumstances contrived to lead them astray. What happened? What went wrong? These are questions that often crop at gatherings, posed by hopefuls seeking the incantation that once learned would transmute a shoddy manuscript into a work of art....more

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Featured Article

Reviewed by OFW editor Renée Miller

On Writing Well: Part 2

By Gwendolyn McIntyre

A friend of mine recently began editing and publishing a journal. Remarking upon the necessity of rejecting submissions that did not meet the journals published submission standards; her public comment was followed by the inevitable snarky remark about reveling in the power of the publisher. I sympathize with her plight.

I've been an editor for many years and have found myself in the position of having to explain to audiences both large and small the reasons that writers must comply with the house standard when submitting manuscripts, short stories or editorial commentary....more

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Take Ten

By OFW editor Renée Miller

Ten Reasons why your main characters can’t be together

By OFW Member Maril Swan

Many romance novels use the "so close, yet so far away" conflict, in which the main characters love each other, but they just can't seem to get together. This creates tension and anticipation for the reader, but sometimes the writer is less than imaginative when it comes to what is keeping her characters apart. Here are ten commonly used reasons why your main characters can't be together that you might want to avoid. ...more

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Flash Me

By OFW editor Carlos J Cortes

Martin

Martin came into Patrick’s life as a sick joke two days before he’d broken off a year-long relationship with his girlfriend Susan, this time permanently. There was no use, really. They had nothing in common and a widening gulf in habits, outlook, and character, had reduced their lives to a nightmare of rebukes and silences. Not comfortable silences, mind you—like the ones shared with a soul friend—but the terse spells when sharp looks ricochet off walls like shrapnel....more

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Terms of the Trade

Compiled by OFW editor Luis Cano

Subhead

Small headline in the body of a text.

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Soapbox

By OFW member Renee Miller

The Death of Paperbacks? I Think Not.

On my blog I once ranted about whether or not e-books would be the death of the paperback. Are those marvelous little stacks of paper going to be a thing only mentioned in history class a decade from now? Will libraries consist of nothing but computers and comfy chairs? No more glorious rows and rows of shelves and that awesome musty-mystery smell that only libraries have?

My answer at the time was: I don’t care. ...more

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed on this article are solely those of the original authors, and do not necessarily represent those of OFW, its staff, and/or any/all contributors to this site.

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Mockingbird

By OFW chief editor Carlos J Cortes

Amazon generals don’t read Sun Tzu

As you all know, the verb “decimate” (meaning the removal of one out of every ten) describes a form of military discipline in the Roman army to punish mutinous or cowardly soldiers. A unit selected for punishment by decimation was divided into groups of ten; each group drew lots, and the soldier on whom the lot fell was executed by his nine comrades, often by stoning or clubbing...more

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Hindsight

Compiled by OFW editor John Courtney

May 19, Day 140 of 2012

Today is day 140 of 2012

The Spanish Armada set sail from Lisbon (now the capital of Portugal) in 1588. With sober hindsight, it would have been much better to keep the ships at anchor.

On this day in 1897, writer Oscar Wilde was released from jail after two years of hard labor. His experiences in prison were the basis for his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol, published in 1898....more

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What's New

Fri, 18 May 2012 14:11:12 EDT
Transaction Publishers Joins the Espresso Book Machine Network
By Press Release

Thu, 17 May 2012 10:59:40 EDT
Red Wheel/Weiser Inspiration Now More Widely Available Via The Espresso Book Machine
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Thu, 17 May 2012 12:16:35 EDT
Amazon Now Lets U.S. Authors Sell Their Self-Published Print Books in Europe
Self-published authors can already sell their e-books on Amazon’s international sites when th

Thu, 17 May 2012 11:45:26 EDT
Trajectory To Publish Original Classics Illustrated Comics in Digital Formats
Trajectory Inc., a Boston-based e-book and app developer and publisher, has acquired the digital ri

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1. THE PASSAGE OF POWER, by Robert A. Caro 2. IN T

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