Writing – and reading – like a scientist
Thinking like a detective I recently read an article in Psyche, the digital magazine from Aeon, titled How to think like a detective. The article caught my attention because, as a writer of true crime and crime fiction, I understand the importance of employing the...
Our Most Effective Weapon is Imagination
Last year, I wrote a piece called The Prince of Paradox and the Light-Beam Rider in which I discussed the power of awe and wonder. One of the two key players in this piece is Albert Einstein, the preeminent scientist who understood that “He who can no longer pause to...
One True Sentence
To get started, write one true sentence. My wife and I have been watching the documentary on Ernest Hemingway by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. Hemingway did his best work very early in the morning. While I would never...
How to create compelling characters
An interesting take on developing fictional characters that are believable, engaging and compelling. In my opinion, great character-driven fiction requires empathy and curiosity.