Author Archives: Nancy Gardner

About Nancy Gardner

Nancy Gardner’s short stories have been published in magazines, anthologies and online. Currently she’s working on a mystery set in Salem Massachusetts and featuring a present-day Salem witch who uses her ability to walk into the dreams of others to learn their secrets and solve crime.

Bending Fiction, Serving Reality

Posted on June 21, 2020 by Nancy Gardner

Stephen King, one of my favorite writers, once said about writing, “You can never bend reality to serve the fiction. You have to bend the fiction to serve reality.” He also said, “You may be entranced with what you’re learning … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

Yoga for Crime Writers: AKA Corpse Pose

Posted on November 10, 2013 by Nancy Gardner

Crime Bake is a wonderful way to connect with writers, agents, editors, publishers and readers who love crime writing. But the annual conference also carries with it some baggage, in the form of physical and mental stress. Enter author and … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime Bake, Michele Dorsey, Nancy Gardner, Uncategorized, Writers, Writing, Writing resources | Tagged agents, author, authors, creativity, crime bake, exercise, member, relaxation, SinCNE, writing, yoga | Leave a comment

Linda Barnes Interview

Posted on May 24, 2013 by Nancy Gardner

Linda Barnes, one of New England’s most celebrated mystery writers, author of four Michael Spraggue novels and twelve Carlotta Carlyle novels, has kindly agreed to talk to us about her newest novel, The Perfect Ghost. Welcome, Linda. Nancy: After your … Continue reading →

Posted in Book promotion, Carlotta Carlyle, Craft, Em Moore, Interview, Linda Barnes, SinCNE, Social Media, Uncategorized, Writers, Writing, Writing resources | Tagged author, character, craft of writing, creativity, Facebook, fiction, Linda Barnes, member, Sisters In Crime New England, Social Media | 9 Comments

Side Effects: Learning from Movies

Posted on April 27, 2013 by Nancy Gardner

Like most people, I’ve always loved a good movie or TV drama. In fact, my earliest remembered dream is of sitting behind the Lone Ranger and Mickey Mouse as we gallop down the street on that magnificent white horse, Silver. … Continue reading →

Posted in Craft, Nancy Gardner, Uncategorized, Writers, Writing, Writing resources | Tagged Larry Brooks, Scott Z. Burns, Side Effects, Stephen Soderbergh, Story Fix Blog | 3 Comments

Swain Again-MRUs

Posted on March 2, 2013 by Nancy Gardner

During Mary Buckham’s recent online Pacing class, she suggested we improve our scene pacing by following a model found in Chapter 4 of Dwight V. Swain’s book, Techniques of the Selling Writer. That model involves breaking scenes into goal/conflict/disaster, followed … Continue reading →

Posted in Craft, Readers, Writers, Writing, Writing resources | Tagged craft of writing, Dwight V. Swain, Motivation/Reaction Units, MRUs, Pacing | 4 Comments

Steering Action Through Scene and Sequel

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Nancy Gardner

Lately I’ve been struggling to figure out how to improve the pacing of my scenes. Enter the SinCNE-sponsored online class taught by Mary Buckham. The class covers much more than scene pacing, but scene pacing has stymied me for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Craft, Event Recap, Nancy Gardner, Of Interest, SinCNE, Uncategorized, Writers, Writing, Writing resources | Tagged author, authors, character, Debra Dixon, Dwight V. Swain, Mary Buckham, mysteries, mystery, mystery writing, new england, Pacing, scene, sequel, SinCNE, sisters in crime, Sisters In Crime New England, writing | 3 Comments

Mary Buckham Interview

Posted on December 29, 2012 by Nancy Gardner

In a just few days, SinCNE will proudly sponsor a specially adapted Mary Buckham online class: Pacing: How to Create a Page Turning Mystery Manuscript. If you haven’t already signed up, do so here: http://www.sincne.org/events/register-our-customized-online-pacing-course-mary-buckham Mary is an award-winning romantic-suspense … Continue reading →

Posted in Craft, Interview, Nancy Gardner, Of Interest, SinCNE, Uncategorized, Upcoming Events, Writers, Writing, Writing resources | Tagged author, authors, creativity, Mary Buckham, member, mysteries, mystery, mystery writing, new england, Pacing, page turner | 8 Comments

Bending Fiction, Serving Reality

Posted on December 1, 2012 by Nancy Gardner

Posted in Craft, Nancy Gardner, SinCNE, Uncategorized, Writers, Writing, Writing resources | Tagged author, character, fiction, mystery writing, reality, research, Sisters In Crime New England, stephen king | 4 Comments

Elevator Pitching

Posted on November 3, 2012 by Nancy Gardner

Here it is, November 3rd, and Crime Bake is less than a week away. If you’re a new writer and new to Crime Bake, I think you’ll find it a wonderful opportunity to schmooze with fellow writers, attend workshops and … Continue reading →

Posted in Conferences, Marketing, Nancy Gardner, SinCNE, Uncategorized, Writers, Writing | Tagged agents, author, authors, crime bake, elevator pitch, marketing, new england, SinCNE | 2 Comments

Talking To Tace Baker!

Posted on October 6, 2012 by Nancy Gardner

Nancy: Welcome SinCNE member and mystery author, Edith Maxwell, a.k.a. Tace Baker. Thank you for talking to us today as Tace Baker, the name under which you recently published your first mystery novel, Speaking of Murder. First of all, what … Continue reading →