Category Archives: Nancy Gardner

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

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

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

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 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

A Trip Report and a New Journey

Posted on September 13, 2012 by Nancy Gardner

A while back I posted a blog about an upcoming vacation David and I were taking to Quebec City and how we would follow the trail of a favorite author’s sleuth—Louise Penny’s Inspector Gamache, the protagonist of her novel, Bury … Continue reading →

Posted in Craft, Nancy Gardner, Opinion, Readers, Writers, Writing, Writing resources | Tagged Bury Your Dead, Gamache, literature, Louise Penny, science, vacation, Wired for Story | 6 Comments

Sylvie Kurtz Interview: Rejuvenate Your Practice

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Nancy Gardner

Thank, Sylvie, for joining us today to share your personal insights on how to keep a writing practice fresh. Question: Would you start by telling us a bit about your experience with a stale writing practice? Answer: After writing twenty-one … Continue reading →

Posted in Craft, Nancy Gardner, SinCNE, Writers, Writing | 2 Comments

Excavating Story

Posted on April 26, 2012 by Nancy Gardner

Lisa Jackson’s recent blog posting about story length got me thinking about my own complex, exhausting process for writing a short story. I’m curious how other writers do it. For me the easy part is finding my protagonist. He or … Continue reading →