Author/Writing Links

The official Pete Grimm and Jake Driver Website

Other Links:

THE OFFICIAL SITE OF JAKE DRIVER AND PETE GRIMM

On this page readers will find links to many of their favorite authors and writers will find a short distillation of some of the guidance I received at the outset of writing Old Scores. I got much of this guidance from a two hour one-on-one meeting with NY Times bestselling author Robert Dugoni, who also holds writing seminars, and a writer's workshop held by NY Times bestselling author Steve Berry. I highly recommend that prospective authors take the opportunity to attend such a workshop. In the spirit of "pay it forward" here you go:

Here is a link to the Thriller Writer's Association. On the Author's page you will find profiles of over 1000 thriller authors and links to their web sites: http://www.thrillerwriters.org Here is a link directly to the authors pages: http://www.thrillerwriters.org/connect/home.php

The six books every author must have and study (from Robert Dugoni):

1. The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler (The most valuable reference you can find for developing plot and structure)

2. Stein on Writing – Sol Stein (Things to think about when creating and describing characters and scenes and when you go to edit)

3. Self-Editing for Fiction Writers – Browne & King (This is the book most editors keep on their desks and will help you to present a clean and professional manuscript. Robert Dugoni's editor at Time Warner told him that The Jury Master was the cleanest manuscript he had ever read. Reportedly many publishing houses no longer do extensive editing (or any at all...). If a submission is not squeaky clean at the outset it is simply rejected.)

4. Elements of Fiction Writing – Conflict Action & Suspense / Beginnings, Middles & Ends / Scene & Structure. (Very good books also on structure. They are thin text books but a lot of practical instruction)

5. The Sell Your Novel Toolkit / Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write – Elizabeth Lyon. (When you are ready to send out query letters and synopsis etc… you are crazy if you don’t get this book and study it. She shows you how to use the writer’s journey to create a one page query and one-page synopsis with all the buzz words to catch an editors eye)

6. Writing Genre Fiction : Thomas H. Milhorn

Steve Berry's Ten Rules for Writers:

1. There are no rules (I lean on this one a bit too much....)

2. Don't bore the reader.

3. Don't confuse the reader.

4. Don't get caught writing (avoid "author intrusion").

5. Don't lie to the reader (avoid a "deceptive narrator").

6. Don't annoy the reader.

7. Writing is rewriting (polish, polish, polish).

8. Shorter is usually better.

9. Story never takes a vacation.

10. Tell a good story (for your audience).

Here are some of Berry's Do's and Don'ts for writing:

1. Start a story as close to the end as possible

2. Don't quit. Keep writing.

3. Develop a disciplined schedule and stick to it.

4. Every scene should accomplish as many of these as possible: a) Advance the plot. b) Develop character(s). c) Maintain suspense. d) Provide comic relief.

5. "Show" don't "tell" (as much as possible).

6. Use flashbacks carefully and sparingly.

7. Avoid adverbs ("ly" words) as much as you can.

8. Use strong verbs. Substitute strong verbs for was, put, took, had etc.

9. Avoid using an exclamation point. Let the action and words provide the emphasis. Never use "!?" in your story.

10. Never use the word very.

11. Avoid the use of the word "well" in dialogue.

12. Eliminate "hello" and "goodbye" as much as possible in phone conversations. Don't waste words.

13. Don't use passive voice.

14. Dialogue is not filler. Good dialogue shows the reader conflict, character, plot etc.

15. Keep to one point of view per scene.

Sounds easy, doesn't it? I thought so too. It turns out that when you finish the first draft you are really only about halfway through what needs to be done to produce a good finished product. Then you could labor through five unpublished books and eight years while working at your day job, like Steve Berry did, before you become an "overnight" success.

There are thousands of books and web sites on writing. I'll leave you with a couple of final pieces of advice. Don't let "the rules" change your voice. Tell the story your way first. Get it down, then worry about the rules. Just remaining cognizant of point of view and some of "the rules" will probably add enough discipline to your initial drafts.

A few words about publishing: Don't despair if you cannot or do not find a publisher. The times, they are a changin'. Traditional "Dead Tree" publishing is rapidly being replaced by electronic publishing and self-publishing. Amazon is now paying authors whose books sell on Amazon as much as 70% of sales. Smashwords is paying as much as 85%. This puts immensely more revenue and power back into the hands of authors. Paper publishers are going to need to become marketing experts if they want to justify the paltry 10% margins they pay authors.

The problem for the heretofore unpublished author will be getting your book found on the electronic shelf. There are millions of books out there with hundreds of thousands more being added each year. Polish your viral marketing skills if you want to have any success.

--Pete Grimm