BONUS Post: Resource Central (Or, A bit of an update to my Road-mapping post)

 Hi Everyone!

I've decided to provide a post that was just a whole list of resources and info for authors. I've done this before (I think it was 2017) so yeah, it's time for updating. I've done the legwork of inserting hyperlinks so that all you have to do is click on the links of whatever item you're most interested in. There is a TON of information out there for authors and it can be overwhelming to search and file through websites/social media platforms, so hopefully this post can help take some of the stress out of your search. This is by no means an exhaustive list of resources, it's just some that I know about and some that I've even used. At the very end I provide a basic template for constructing a pitch line for your manuscript (this template has helped me tremendously!)

Let's Start With Websites/Resources:

Manuscript Academy -- Offers workshops and events for authors in various stages of their careers. Also offers consultations with editors from publishing houses, and literary agents.

Manuscript Wish List--Run by the people at the Manuscript Academy, has a huge database of literary agents and editors--the agents and editors post their wish lists there.

#MSWL: A lot of literary agents and acquiring editors use this hashtag on X and BlueSky when talking about what sort of manuscripts they'd like to see.

Savvy Authors: All kinds events and workshops for authors.

Association of American Literary Agents   Literary Agents who are members have to adhere to a certain code of conduct. This doesn't mean if an agent is not a member that they're a bad agent, though. It's a site an author can use to research agents.

Absolute Write Water Cooler: A forum for authors with info on literary agents and publishers (and can help with avoiding scams).

Writer Beware: Run by author Victoria Strauss, who keeps up with scams, news, etc in the writing and publishing industry.

Query Tracker (Query Manager): Some agents and publishers use this resource. There is an option to use it for free--but if you want full access, it's $25 (USD) per year.

Query Shark (Janet Reid): While Janet Reid has passed away (April 14, 2024), the previous entries and advice is still available on the blog. By looking through her advice that she gave authors over the years, an author can implement the advice to perfect their query letters.

#WritingCommunity: A hashtag you can search on X and BlueSky that authors, publishers, and literary agents often use to chat about current events, give advice, or offer services. (Doesn't cost anything to search this hashtag as of July 2025).

Various Literary agencies often post information for authors with the query process or submitting to publishers. A lot of it is found on YouTube. There are also a variety of podcasts, too.

Alyssa Matesic: Editor (who has worked for at least one Big 5 Publishers) has a HUGE amount of information available on YouTube. (she also has a website).

BookFox (industry professional) (John Matthew Fox) offers a ton of advice for authors on YouTube (and has a website).

Writer's Market is a book that is updated every year. You can find the 2025 version on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

PITCH EVENTS:

There are several and they are run at all different times. Some only operate on BlueSky and some operate on both X and BlueSky.

#UnhingedPit: A pitching event that uses unconventional methods to pitch a manuscript. (I'm their ambassador, so of course I had to mention this one first LOL). It's loads of fun and open to authors in various genres. The last event was on both BlueSky and X. You can find the rules and other info on BlueSky.     You can also find it on X.

#BluePit is specific to BlueSky. It is a pitching event, but it often also lists upcoming pitching events.

#PlaylistPit is a new (as of July 2025) an event that authors can participate in either (or both) BlueSky and also on X. Authors use lyrics to help pitch their manuscripts.

#QuestPit is (in their words): "a writers hype event that welcomes industry participation" Writers at any stage (whether writing, editing, or querying) can participate in this event. Held on X and BlueSky.

#SmallPit is for finished manuscripts. Authors can pitch to small/indie publishers. You can find info on BlueSky and also on X.

#PosterPit is a pitching event where authors turn their manuscripts into movie posters. (It's fairly new, with having only had one event, but the next one for 2025 is in August). It's held on X and on BlueSky.

#PitchDis is a pitching event opened to disabled (this includes neurodivergent) authors only. The next one, set for September 2025 and will be held on the PitchDis website.

There are several other pitching events--some are genre specific (like #CuPit which is for Romance authors and will be held on February 14, 2026 and #MiseryPit which is for Mystery and Thriller authors and the next one will be held on July 5, 2025--I'm writing this on July 4, 2025 if you're needing perspective or see this post after July 5). And there are other kinds of pitch events that are held throughout the year on both platforms--BlueSky and X. I don't have the time to list all of them here, but info on them is pretty easy to find on either BlueSky and/or X.

AUTHOR GROUPS:

There are a myriad of author groups out there--some are genre specific, and some are not.

One genre specific group is SFWA (Science Fiction & Fantasy Writers Association).

Another is SCBWI --The Society of Children's Book Writers And Illustrators.

To find local or your genre author groups, I advise doing a web search (Google or whatever search engine you use).

Pitch Line Constructing Template:

This is a basic way to set up your pitch (I've seen various versions of this construct and I've found it really helpful). [CHARACTER(S)] in [status quo] until [inciting incident]. 

So you take your main characters (let's use Georgette Heyer's The Grand Sophy) One might pitch Georgette Heyer's novel this way using the template: When Charles meets his cousin, Sophy Stanton-Lacy, he's unprepared for how she'll turn his well-ordered life upside down and take hold of his heart in spite of her absurd antics. (This is a bit simplistic an "on-the-fly" pitch I constructed here, but I just wanted to create an example).

By the way, you can find The Grand Sophy on Amazon and Barnes & Noble. It's one of my favorite Georgette Heyer novels. I think Sophy is hilarious with how she just seems to brush everything off. It made me laugh.

In Conclusion

Like I said in the beginning, there is so much info out there. And, if you're an author who knows of a book, website, or person who can help authors (whether constructing pitches, query letters, synopsis, or general information on the writing craft itself or genre-specific advice) please do post the info (complete with links) in the comment section. Thank you!

Breaking It Down, Or Road Map 2017 Edition...

Happy Monday All,

Recently I've been posting on Tuesdays, but I felt like shaking things up, so I'm posting today.

Back in 2010, I wrote a blog post called "Road Map" talking about tips and things toward getting published. Some of that advice still works and some of it is a bit outdated (for one thing, Nathan Bransford isn't an agent anymore).

I figured I'd give a little update since I've gotten published and talk about some of those other things that helped me get here.

Let's start with the basics...

Know your genre. I have a whole blog post on genres (although, it's an overview and doesn't get into every one that's available nowadays).

Know your audience--this goes with genre, but it also speaks to who is reading that genre. Typically women read Romance, although, there are men out there who read Romance, too. Depending on the romance you're writing, you have to know how to tailor your story for that audience.

What route to publishing are you taking? Are you going for an agent, a publisher, self publishing? A contest? Know the guidelines for those people. Check the websites, the rules, all of it. This goes with knowing your audience.

Follow Industry Professionals Online. A lot of them have blogs. Some of them are on Facebook and Twitter. Find the ones you're interested in and see what advice they have to offer or what they're saying about publishing. They might have some tips and hints that could help you.

Format Matters!

In general, I have found that agents and editors and critiques and

contests will request that you use the following format for your novels:

*Either 12 Point Times New Roman or 12 Point Courrier New (so no fancy fonts--sorry).

* Double Space your work (easier to read)

* .5 indention for new paragraphs

*Center Title in Title Page and Chapter names (whether it's numeration or a title name, like Chapter 1: Fall Out--it'll be in the center of the page) (take off intentions when you're centering)

*1 inch margins all the way around the page (top, bottom, and sides)

*Save document in Word or as .rtf The only time I've ever seen a PDF file when working with published work is when I've gotten the

ARCs (Advanced Reader Copy) of my work. So don't use PDF unless instructed to do so. I don't know what format Wattpad uses, but I do know in general PDF isn't used unless it's an electronic ARC.

*Unless otherwise specified, put pages you're submitting directly in email. Generally agents and editors will request first 3 chapters or first 5 pages and a 1 page synopsis...within the email body itself.

*Page header on every page except title page to include the following: Title, Author Name, Page number (Page number upper right hand corner--unless otherwise specified).  Generally in contests, they will ask entrants to take their name OFF of the manuscript so that the judges don't know who the author is. The NWHRWA operates its Lone Star Contest this way.

Other Stuff...

Read in your genre. If you're doing romance, read romance, if you're doing mystery, read them. YA, read YA. Mid-grade, read it. It helps you know what's being published, what's being read. What's selling, which brings me to following:

Don't Follow Trends. Trends come and go. Write what you want, but don't write it just because it's currently popular. That popularity can fade as quickly as a day. With that said, if a popular trend is Vampire Unicorns and you

absolutely ADORE Vampire Unicorns, then write it. But, if an agent or editor says "ABSOLUTELY NO VAMPIRE UNICORNS" do NOT query them your Vampire Unicorn novel.

Resources...

Know industry terms. Do you know what mss is? What a query is? What an ARC is? Do you understand editorial terms? Find a book on writing and study it. Writer's Digest has some pretty good resources. They have a Free Advice section.

Research where to submit your work. A good website is Preditors & Editors. Jeff Herman's Guide To Book Publishers, Editors, & Literary Agents is pretty much updated every year and the 2017 one is available on Amazon and on Barnes & Noble. It has a wealth of information, but make sure you use this book in tandem with looking up the agent/editor you're interested in on their website because sometimes they have more information on their website and may have updated since the publication of the book. It's a resource, not a bottom line tell-all.

When I was starting out I read The Complete Idiot's Guide To Novel Writing (not that anyone is an idiot, that's just the title). Unfortunately, I don't think there is an updated version of the book. So, some of the advice might be a little dated.

Study The Industry...

Are you falling for a myth about publishing? 
Long ago, before I got serious about writing I thought writers had to pay to have their books published.

Here's the reality:  At the time, this was vanity publishers and they were known to take advantage of authors.

So's what's the scoop nowadays?
Most of the time you don't pay anything out of pocket to have your work published unless you self-publish and depending on how you

do that will determine how much you pay. I don't pay anything out-of-pocket to have my work published because I'm working with a publisher that isn't a vanity publisher. Agents and editors aren't supposed to ask you for up-front fees (although, I think there are times there might be a reading fee, but I haven't seen those in my research of agents and editors). Agents are paid through taking a percentage of an author's royalties. Editors get paid by taking a percentage of royalties, too.

Add A Bit Of Polish To Your Work...

Yay! You finished your manuscript. It's lovely, it's amazing, it's got a great plot and engaging characters...you've studied the industry, you know what you want to do...you're ready to publish...

WAIT A MINUTE!

Did you edit your work?

Edit? What? Huh?

Yep. You've got to edit. Find those pesky repetitive words, look for sneaky spelling mistakes. Can you get rid of as many gerunds as you can. Can you say the same thing with 3 words instead of 12? Do you really need that 2-page description about the Vampire Unicorn's castle, or can you cut it down to one paragraph? All these things must be done before you publish, no matter what direction you take.

Bethany Averie & Kerrelyn Sparks

This is where critique partners come in handy. You polish up your novel the best you can on your own, then someone (typically another writer, but it can be anyone with a good eye that you trust) goes through and gives you feedback.

This can be hard. That story is your "baby". You worked hard on that thing. And someone's telling you that place you just loved, loved, loved...doesn't work. Sure, some of it can be one person's opinion--which is why it's good to have more

Bethany Averie, Kerrelyn Sparks, & Christie Craig

than one person look at your work.

Over the years, I've worked with several different critique partners. (Disclaimer, I've never critiqued with any of the authors in the pictures here, these are just fellow authors I'm friends with, not my actual critique partners) They always tell me what works and what doesn't. A good critique partner will give you the "skinny" in a such a way that's honest, but not completely spirit crushing.

My personal critique style: I try to use the sandwich method--constructive criticism, something positive, and then another

Bethany Averie & Terri Thackston

constructive criticism. You don't want someone who just says "This sucks, you suck, it all sucks, throw pie at it." You want someone who's going to tell you what you do well ( example: "Excellent use of dialogue." ) and what you need to work on. (Example: "I think this part is a little word, can you cut it down?")  Maybe even give you ideas on HOW to fix something (I try to do that, and I have critique partners who do this).

But you do not, not, not (did I mention, not?) want to send anyone your first draft. Trust me. And trust me when I say, if you can take some time away from a manuscript and come back, you're likely to

find MORE stuff to fix (this has happened to me).

Either way, rushing the process just leads to mistakes. Fix that baby up until it's just so pretty even the laziest cat with the most sour disposition can't resist snuggling it. (That's metaphorical language. Most cats don't read--at least, I don't think so. I never had a novel-reading cat).

Final Words of Advice...

Even if this is a career choice for you, find a way to enjoy it. Writing can be hard, it can have good and bad days. But if you're

passionate about it, if it's what you really want to do more than anything else, stick with it, even on those hard days. I

guarantee you, you aren't the first or the last author to have a bad day or a good day. We all have them. But you have to find a way to enjoy the process or it just becomes a drag. I love what I do. Some days it's easy to love, some days it's hard to do. But I can't imagine not doing it. If you feel the same way, then chances are you're passionate enough to chase the publishing dream. If you don't want to publish, then just write for fun. Nothing wrong with that. I have plenty of things I've done for fun that I'd never do professionally.

Have A Marvelously Merry Monday!

Doing That Networking Thing...

Happy Thursday All,

Lately I've been working on a couple of new projects. One of them has to do with one of my published novels, and the other one is a WIP. Both projects are moving along pretty well and I'm looking forward to seeing what happens with them.

One of the projects deals with another side of writing that's often talked about, but some authors struggle with--networking.

It's funny, but I get asked about this more often than I thought I would. I really don't consider myself an expert on the subject, I'm pretty much doing what everyone else does--picking which social

Me with the amazing Christie Craig
If I didn't open my mouth and network
I wouldn't have gotten to know this gem of a person

media works for me, going to writer's group meeting, attending the annual conference, talking to readers, seeing what opportunities open up for me.

A lot of authors are shy and/or introverts. Some aren't, but the majority I've come across actually are. I count myself one of them. 

"YOU?!!" people cry in total disbelief, while assessing me to make sure I'm not having a mental breakdown. (Okay, maybe that's an exaggeration, but their expressions make me wonder if they think that I am having one).

Me and the very talented Teri Thackston
We've enjoyed many a fun conversation
and she's an imaginative author to boot.

"Uh, yeah," I answer, wondering if I just said something taboo. (Is it wrong to say you're shy? Does this somehow mean I'm not as good as someone who isn't?--yeah the questions circle my brain sometimes).

"But-but you talk all the time! You approach people. You're no introvert and you can't be shy." (Somehow being an introvert translates to people are incapable of talking or approaching others ever in their lives. Which makes me wonder how would we interview for a job or pitch our novels or meet our spouses if we didn't open our mouths once in a while?)

I usually smile and/or laugh and say "Oh, I am, honest." (Because it's true).

Unless they know me really well, they never believe me (or rarely believe me). However, my Girls' Night Out ladies do.

One of them I've known since the 4th grade will flat out tell you I'm

Authors Jennifer Bray-Weber & Stacey Purcell
such sweet encouraging ladies
So much talent!

shy.

Another one of the ladies I've known 20+ years and she'll be like "Bethany? Oh yeah, she's introverted and shy. Definitely."

And the other, who is like a little sister to me--I've known her several years (although not as long as the other two). She'll say, "Oh, yeah, she's an introvert and shy."

You see, they've seen the woman who gets quiet the more people there are around her. They've seen me go several minutes without saying a single word. In fact, sometimes they ask me if I'm okay. Generally I'm fine. I'm just thinking about things. Reviewing stuff or daydreaming. I'm a writer, so those daydreams are potential novel material.

The reason most people don't accept this about me is because they

Me, Christie Craig, and Thriller-author, Will Graham
Christie & Will are such awesome people
extremely good writers, too.

rarely (if ever) see it. By nature, I'm a talker. I love conversations and getting to know people. But it does take a lot for me to approach people.

However, I grew up in a house where learning to talk to people was part of living in the family. I'm one of eight kids. We talk to each other our, parents, relatives, friends. So yeah, I know how to verbally communicate reasonably well.

Then of course, my parents were active in the community. They did a lot of work for the church and they had many friends (they still do). So we'd have open houses and parties and family reunions. I had to be able to carry on conversations, even know how to do "small talk". 

Over 30 years of doing all this, I've developed a motto. It goes like this:  "You have to take your shyness, put it under your feet and stand on it." That is, you can't let it get in your way. So yeah, you

Cows on a friends' ranch, because, why not?
They don't seem like they'd make good conversationalists, though

go up to that person you're considering saying hi to and you chat them up. Sometimes you luck out and make a new friend. Sometimes they barely say 2 words to you and you walk away analyzing every last thing you said and wonder if you said the wrong thing. Sometimes you do that even if you said all the right things. But you have to make that move even if it's hard.

As an author the main person who will promote me is me. How else will people know about the new projects I have going? Or what books are about to be

Because it's Throwback Thursday...
Me, senior year of high school. Eek!

published? Not every reader in the world follows me on social media and who knows what new readers I can gain. My existing fans want to know what I'm up to and if I can't promote it, how will they know (unless they're checking Amazon a million times a month to see if I've published something new or checking my website all the time).

The really cool thing is, most of the conversations I strike up end up being really good. People are usually supportive and interested. They like the idea of having met the author personally and hearing

Me, with authors Kerrelyn Sparks, & Christie Craig

about the books straight from the author him or herself.

So, take a deep breath, put your shoulders back, paste a smile on your face, and walk up to someone and say, "Hi! Can you believe the weather we're having? Hot, then cold, and rain. Yuck." (well, if that's the weather you're having, anyway). Once you've engaged them, you can say something like, "Do you like to read?" and go from there. You never know--they might even want your card or bookmark or website address. You don't know if they will get your novel, but they definitely won't if they don't know about it.

When I meet editors and agents at my RWA's chapter's annual conference, I generally open with "Welcome to Texas. I hope you're

My editor, Debby Gilbert from Soul Mate Publishing,
and me at the 2014 NWHRWA Conference

enjoying your stay." and go from there. (Speaking of which, my chapter has its annual conference coming in October--Saturday, October 1st. Check for details here).  Editors and agents are people, too, and you never know which ones will want what you're writing, if you don't talk to them when the opportunity presents itself.

I understand it's not easy. It really isn't easy for me, either. But it's doable and sometimes you're pleasantly surprised.

Best wishes!

Have A Tremendously Thrilling Thursday!

It's All About The GMC...

Happy Thursday All,

Smokey Mountains in
Gaitlinburg, TN, 2013

In writing, editing, critiquing, and being a judge (yes, I've done a little judging for a contest) there's a few things about writing that are true all the way across the board--no matter what genre, no matter if you're a newbie, or best seller, or somewhere in between. Or if you're a "pantser" or a "plotter". And that's organizing your story.

Every writer is different and every writer does this differently. I call myself a "half-in-half" writer because I do a little plotting and I do a little pantsering. But the main things every writer needs whether they do it before they write the first draft, or in the editing process are for every important/main character(s) in one's novel:

Me, at the NWHRWA
Lone Star Conference, 2014

Goal, motivation, conflict.

Yes,  GMC that leads to the actual plot.

Whether you're writing the hero, heroine, villain, whatever character, you have to know their GMC.

I'm not the first author to talk about this, and I doubt I'll be the last. I won't say my way is the only way to do things, it's just one idea of how you can organize your characters' GMC and a method that has worked for me.

Me, holding paperback copy of
ALL'S FAIR IN LOVE & LION
(I believe this was 2014).

In my files I have what I call my GMC Worksheet and I make this up for every main character I write. (Side note: I didn't use one when I wrote All's Fair In Love & Lion), in my writing it became apparent I needed something to refer to so that I didn't write myself into a corner, so here's what I do:

I have the title of the new novel--usually a working title or something that says what the novel will be, if I don't know the title. Like say I write something about a magic coat, but I don't know the title, yet. I'll put "Magic Coat Story"

Below that I have the following information:

GENRE:

Name:

Type of being:

Hair:

Eyes:

Physique (height/weight):

Goal:

Motivation:

Conflict:

I have these categories outlined for every character, and then at the very bottom I put in a basic plot line--I write out a draft of what the story will be about. (By the way, I have "type of being" because I write Fantasy and Paranormal, so not every character is strictly human--although, I do have some fully human characters).

And this is how I organize my work. This is how I know what each story is going to be about. If I can't sit down and start the story right away, I have the worksheet on file and can refer back to it whenever I want. These worksheets help me figure out what direction my story will take, where I am going and what I'm doing. I didn't do a detailed one for each of the Immortal Dreams books because I had a basic idea of what was going on after Book One. But I played with some ideas. But I do use this worksheet for every other novel I haven't written or finished yet. It gives me a chance to hash out ideas.

If you're someone who has trouble getting that first draft written, I

Me at the Botanical Gardens in Arkansas
2013

really recommend doing something like this. It'll help you get started. Whether you're a pantser or a plotter, sometimes playing around with ideas without the pressure of actually being within the manuscript itself can make the difference between writing yourself into a corner and knowing where you're going. I've been on both sides of the fence and I can tell you I do a lot less writing myself into a corner since I started thinking in terms of GMC than I used to do.

But, every writer is different and whatever way you write, you have

to know your strengths and weaknesses and what helps you and what doesn't. No writer is perfect. Trust me. I run across best selling authors who tell me such-and-such thing is their Achilles' heel. It happens. But if a writer learns from his or her mistakes and keeps working, he/she will get better. You don't get better if you don't work on your short-comings and sharpen your strengths.

Hope you all are having a great week! I've been getting a much needed break while waiting for my proofreader to finish with Immortal Love. That doesn't mean I'm not doing anything. I've done some writing and I'm doing some reading and stuff with the family. Also sleeping. Pregnancy is tiring at times.

Have A Totally Tantalizing Thursday!

He Said/She Said...

Happy Friday All,

Again, I've been MIA! I've got to stop making this a habit. I'll keep working at it. Meanwhile, follow what's going on by following me on Twitter (@WriteByBethany)--you can also see what I tweet/retweet in my Twitter Feed in the margin of this blog. Or find me under my name, Bethany Averie, on Facebook. Facebook and Twitter are updated regularly.  I've also joined Goodreads, for those who get on that.

Been thinking about updating the Road Map that I posted in 2010 (you can find it in margin of this blog...you'll have to arrow down a bit).

But I also thought it would be fun to let y'all know what advice the authors I've interviewed had to give to aspiring authors. Since I've done several interviews, I'm going to post this list with author's name and genre. You pick which one you want to check out (or read the whole interview for that matter).

By the way...I do intend to do author interviews this year. I have one already lined up (can't say when or who, just stay tuned). I also have a couple of others in mind to ask (can't say who, like I said, just stay tuned).

Anyway, each of these interviews should (and if they don't, I'm sorry, I thought I asked all of them this question) have an answer to the question "What advice do you have for aspiring authors?" All of these authors were a joy to interview. The list is set up from "oldest" interview to "newest" interview (that is, dating back from 2010 to 2012)  Just click on the author's name (even if it's not in blue font color):

Elizabeth Pina (Inspirational Romance)

Laura Childs (Mystery)

Christie Craig (Romance & Non Fiction)

MaryJanice Davidson, with Anthony Alongi (Paranormal Romance / YA Paranormal)

Kim Lenox (Paranormal Romance with Historical setting)

Shanna Swendson (Fantasy--think "chick lit" type voice)--UPDATE on this interview:  Books 5 and 6 of her series ARE out. At the time of the interview they weren't). P.S. I haven't read book 6, yet, so if someone has, don't tell me anything! But Book 5 was definitely a welcome addition.

Will Graham (Supsense/Thriller)

Ciara Gold (Romance--Sci-Fi/Fantasy & Historical)

Anna Kathryn Lanier (Romance -- both Historical & Western)

Kerrelyn Sparks (Paranormal Romance / Historical Romance)

C.C. Hunter (YA Paranormal)

Jane Heller (Women's Fiction & Non-Fiction)

Tess St. John (Romantic Suspense / Historical Romance) --Yes, this is my Illustrious Critique Partner.

Melissa Ohnoutka (Romantic Suspense)

Nancy Gideon (Paranormal Romance)

Jennifer Bray-Weber (Pirate Romance)

Cheri Jetton (Sweet Romance / Romantic Suspense)

Loretta Wheeler (Romance & YA Paranormal)

Beth Fantaskey (YA Paranormal)


Have A Fun-Filled Friday! And a wonderful weekend. :-)

Spotlight On Author: Will Graham (edited)

**EDIT: 1/13/2025:  Author Will Graham, a friend, mentor, and when I was a member of Northwest Houston RWA, a chapter-mate passed away sometime in 2020 (not from Covid-19). He's greatly missed by those who knew him. Hope he's happily in Heaven, regaling everyone with his theories on Sherlock Holmes and James Bond.**

Happy Tuesday All,

Today, it's my honor to introduce to you author Will Graham. He generously agreed to do an email interview with me. I hope you'll be sure to check out his story in Suspense Magazine, entitled Perception. It's really excellent, and I honestly didn't know if the character was a good guy or a bad guy until the end of the story.

So be sure to go check it out, but first join me in getting to know a little bit about Will:

Me: What was the inspiration behind your story, Perception, which appeared in Suspense Magazine?


Will G.: There was no one real thing that triggered the idea, but it started after a conversation with someone about how the common perception of behavioral analysis is different from the reality. It's not psychic visions, it's not "getting inside" someone's mind, it's slow, patient, methodical work.


Me: Are all your stories suspense/thrillers?


Will G.: Pretty much, yes. Sometimes, I'll try and do a straight out mystery like Agatha Christie or John Dickson Carr used to write, but no one ever sees those because I've yet to make it work successfully!


Me: You mentioned you had a novella published in an anthology once, can you talk more about that?


Will G.: I'd been writing from the age of seven, and back in the 1980's had some extremely minor success in television. After that, I decided I could mount a television series, and spent eight years of my life trying to make it happen. At one time, things looked very very good, but it came apart at the very last moment. That experience was so disheartening that I stopped writing for many years. In 2000, Rosemary Edghill asked me if I wanted to submit anything for a new anthology she was editing, and I politely said "No." A couple of days later, I 'saw' the events in my story like a movie in my head, got it down on paper, and was fortunate enough to have to accepted for the anthology MURDER BY MAGIC. That re-ignited the spark and I started writing again.


Me:  For fun: What's your favorite TV show?


Will G.: No single one. I do have a fondness for British series from the 1960's: THE SAINT, THE AVENGERS, THE BARON, THE PROTECTORS, etc. Current favorite is CASTLE; it's terrific to have a hero who's a hero, instead of the dark characters that became popular in the 80's and 90's.


Me: How does your real life career influence your writing and can you tell this blog's readers more about it?


Will G.:  I am a Licensed Computer Forensics Investigator, and have been since 2000. Doing that kind of work you learn first hand the truth of the adage "Once you see something, you can't un-see it." I've caught myself more than once going far too dark in my writing sometimes thanks to a particular case I've dealt with. That's why we have a DELETE button.... :)


Me:  What advice can you give to aspiring authors?


Will G.: Tell one hell of a story. And keep it YOUR story. Don't get caught up in critiques, comments, or start writing to editorial order unless there's a really good reason. It's your voice, it's your story, tell it your way. And don't ever give up. The stories and legends about novels that were rejected yet went on to become Classics is long and large. Lightening strikes all the time, it may as well strike you.


Me: For fun: What's your dream car and can you tell this blog's readers about it?


Will G.: Mine would be a 1974 Cadillac Convertible in Screaming Red. The kind of road monster that gets 10 miles to the gallon but man, it sure looks awesome going down the highway!


Me:  What has someone told you about writing that you find particularly helpful?


Will G.: Never give up. It's easy to get discouraged, it's easy to quit. If you reach a point where you decide you don't much worry about getting published, that's fine, it's your decision. But don't ever quit writing.


Me: Do you have any favorite characters and why are they are your favorite(s)?


Will G.:  Too many to list...:) From Rhett Butler to Scaramouche to Captain Blood to Tom Sawyer to Simon Templar to Robert DeClercq to Travis McGee to Lucas Davenport to Blaine McCracken to Spenser and Hawk to James Bond to Hercule Poirot to Holmes and Watson to Tarzan, the list would be endless...:)


Me:  Anything else you'd like to add?


Will G.:  Thanks for having me here today!


Thank you, Will Graham for coming on here and sharing a bit about yourself.


I hope everyone gets an opportunity to go check out his story in Suspense Magazine.  You can find a copy of Murder By Magic on Amazon.   Click here to find it at Barnes & Noble.


Have A Thrilling Tuesday!