Episode Description

Leslie & Alyssa critique the opening of CS Manley’s Awakened. They discuss the opening device (amnesia), tension, setting, and the high polishing techniques that will make your writing lean.

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Show Notes

“The research is the easiest. The outline is the most fun because you can do anything. The first draft is the hardest, because every word of the outline has to be fleshed out. The rewrite is very satisfying, because I feel that everything I do is making the book a little better. When I’ve finished, I enjoy the feeling that I’ve paid the rent for a couple more years. ”

— Ken Follett

Ready for the rest of the book? Read Awakened now.

Check out C.S. Manley's website.

Inline Critique

Episode Description

Alyssa & Leslie critique the opening pages of an as-yet-untitled Adam Park thriller by A.D. Davies. They discuss the genre and maintaining tension, and get into some granular detail on verb tense and dialogue tags. Put your grammar hat on for this one!

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Show Notes

“The gruesome, the grotesque and the generally shocking are always present in a good thriller. There are reasons people seek escape in books and one of those reasons is that the boundary of what can happen is beyond what we do — or would want to see in real life.

Ultimately, a great thriller is a roller coaster ride. I like to think that’s a promise I have never failed to keep, and one that I’d say has served my books well.
”

— James Patterson

Check out the first Adam Park thriller, The Dead and the Missing by A.D. Davies. You can find out more about A.D.'s books on his website.

Here's a link to the Self-Publishing Podcast featuring our own Leslie Watts.