In my humble opinion, the most important aspect of thriller writing is characterization—does a hero leap off the page? Is a villain memorable? And the big question—does the reader give a damn about either of them? Would I give a damn about either of them? As I see it, a great plot is nothing but…
There by the lift, on that last day, Bond asked Moneypenny if she thought he had a cold heart. “No,” she said. “That’s the problem.” Before she could add another word, M had called James back, and she never told him what she meant. That his heart, or his sentiment, or whatever you…
Ten novels—and more than a few screenplays—into my writing career, an interview question rather took me by surprise the other day. What prompts you, I was asked, to open your computer and start writing a new story? Is it the characters, the setting, the politics, the moment in time? And I thought; hell, yes, what…
Crime fiction is kinder than most genres to older women. Where they can be a little harder to find in other genres, mysteries and thrillers like to give the woman of mature years some time in the spotlight. She may be a sleuth or—less common but perhaps more interesting—a villain. Either way, the woman over…
