You would think that A.J. Finn would know all the rules of writing genre fiction especially psychological thrillers. Just before his first novel hit the #1 slot on the New York Times bestseller list four weeks ago, he was an executive editor at William Morrow publishing company working on the novels of authors like Karin Slaughter and Val McDermid. Yet, in The Woman In the Window ( Rear Window, the movie, meets The Girl On The Train) Finn breaks a lot of big rules. Continue reading “What He Did Wrong; What He Did Right : How A.J. Finn Wrote A #1 Bestseller”
Category: Writers
How A.J. Finn Landed At #1 On The New York Times Bestseller List
You may not be instantly familiar with the name A.J. Finn. But I bet you’ve heard of his book,The Woman In The Window ? Yep, that’s the one that catapulted straight to #1 on the New York Times bestseller list the week it was published. Okay, now you know the one I’m talking about, right? The NYT one-liner description of this psychological thriller is: “A recluse who drinks heavily and takes prescription drugs may have witnessed a crime across from her Harlem townhouse.” Continue reading “How A.J. Finn Landed At #1 On The New York Times Bestseller List”
The Good & Bad News About E-Books: An Indie Author’s Tips For Success
If you’re a reader nothing beats the ease of downloading a book to your Kindle. No matter that you prefer to hold the real thing in your hot little hands. When you hear about a brand new thriller, and you just have to have it right now, right this minute, then you can. A couple of clicks, and an 80,000 word novel is delivered wirelessly to you in less than a minute.
If you’re an author and you want your novel to be available on Kindle, it works the same way — but in reverse. You write and format your manuscript, and a couple of clicks later, you’re uploading it to Amazon where it’s then available to millions of readers. Continue reading “The Good & Bad News About E-Books: An Indie Author’s Tips For Success”
What I Discovered About My Favorite Authors & The Holidays
I’m in the middle of reading a delightful memoir, Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat To The Craziest Campaign In American History by MSNBC-TV anchor Katy Tur. It’s about the year she spent covering the presidential campaign of Donald Trump. The lovely thing about Katy is that she acknowledges that she got the job while still a relatively unknown TV reporter because no-one really thought that Trump would win either the Republican nomination or the presidency. Continue reading “What I Discovered About My Favorite Authors & The Holidays”
The Trouble With Holidays If You’re A Writer (Or Live With One)
Most writers want to write. They don’t like interruptions to their writing routines. However painful it is to sit in front of a laptop or computer staring at a blank screen, it is more painful NOT to be sitting in front of your laptop. It is especially painful when you can’t stick to your writing routine because, yes, for sure, that is precisely the time when you feel you would be doing your best work.
If you’re a writer, you know where I’m heading with this because the season is upon us, and the big question becomes : How to keep writing without upsetting family and friends during the five to six weeks from Thanksgiving through Hannukah, Kwanzaa, Christmas and New Year’s Eve? Continue reading “The Trouble With Holidays If You’re A Writer (Or Live With One)”