5 THINGS TO AVOID WHEN WRITING FOR YOUNG ADULTS

Avoid these pitfalls for maximum success.by Sonja StoneThere aren't a lot of rules when writing for the young adult (YA) market, but there are a few pitfalls you'll want to avoid.My youngest heads off for college in a few weeks, so it's time to drag out my binder-full of lectures (Why You...

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TRUTHS MY FATHER TOLD ME

By Francine MathewsAs the country has gone through a deep chasm of soul-searching this August, I've cast my thoughts back to a childhood I never knew, only heard about in stories: my father's early years in rural Western Pennsylvania. Why? Because he watched a cross burn in front of a good...

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Sex Scenes in Thrillers: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

SWIPE RIGHT!So, how many of you know what I'm talking about? Most, I imagine, but the thriller crowd skews over thirty so most readers haven't used the latest apps. I'm talking about Tinder, where you upload a picture of yourself and some allegedly true facts in a bio ("I like long walks by the...

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Love Scenes in Thrillers?

Submitted by Karna Small BodmanThis month my Rogue colleagues have been contributing various ideas about creating love scenes in thrillers: are they wanted...needed... to truly enhance the story and develop the relationship of the key characters?  (Believe me -- I've heard many...

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WHY SPIES SHOULD HAVE MORE SEX

by K.J. HoweThe theme for the Rogue Women Writers this month is...sex. Well, an interesting topic to be sure.  If you're writing an international thriller featuring espionage, you might want to consider giving your protagonist a romp in between missions.  After doing a little research on...

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SEX AND THE WRITER’S BRAIN

S. Lee Manning: Okay, I admit it. The title is to get your attention – and to do an acknowledgement of the topic of the month even though I’m writing off-topic.Just in case you ever wondered how we Rogue Women Writers select the topic for the month: we brainstorm ideas and then narrow them down to...

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IS SEX REALLY NECESSARY?

by Gayle Lynds:  Is sex really necessary in fiction?  I have industry secrets to reveal about this hotly debated subject, at least about how it relates to my career and the careers of other authors.  Then you should judge for yourselves.... I wrote my first novel, Masquerade,...

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WRITER’S BLOCK—FACT OR FICTION?

by Chris GoffI didn’t get to attend many panels at ThrillerFest 2017. The fact is, I ended up sick—really sick. I felt it sneak up on me on Friday afternoon, halfway through conference. So I ditched out. I went back to my hotel room around 4:30 pm, lay down for a nap and woke up the next morning...

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SENT FROM MY IPHONE

TEN DAYS OF 'NO SERVICE'by Sonja StoneTwo days ago I woke up in Crested Butte, Colorado. It was 43 degrees. This morning, back in Phoenix, I woke at 0400--it was already 90 degrees.I've just returned from a semi off-grid road trip to Alpine country. I panicked for the first 36 hours or...

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