Daily Archives: November 2, 2009

Spelling counts

Some of the worst advice I’ve heard writers give aspiring writers is not to worry about spelling or grammar. Sure, once you’re a successful author, you can hire people to spiffy up your rumpled manuscript, but when you’re first trying to break into print, having a manuscript with sloppy spelling and gross grammar errors will …

November 2, 2009 – 4:01 PM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in writing | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Figuring it out … backwards

After my interview with Charlaine Harris, I found out that there’s another way to write mysteries effectively. I always assumed the author would figure out an intricate plot first, and then start writing. But that’s not necessarily always the case. In my interview with her, Harris revealed that while she has an idea of where …

November 2, 2009 – 3:55 PM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in writing | Tagged , , | Comments (0)

Adding depth

Instead of moving forward in the narrative, I recently spent a couple days adding information to my prologue. It was still new material, not a rewrite; but one of my most-trusted first readers is my wife, who is a huge fan of the types of books I happen to be writing right now. Her advice …

November 2, 2009 – 4:57 AM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in writing | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Finally making progress again

I’m finally making progress again on my mystery novel, thanks in no small part to having a lighter load on Torah commentaries. I’m writing new pages of copy several times a week. That’s progress, and I’m thankful for it. I’m glad it happened before I needed to start searching for the best wrinkle cream out …

November 2, 2009 – 4:53 AM | By Craig Hansen | Posted in late night writing | Tagged , | Comments (0)