Tag: story research

10 Unsolved Murders That Inspired Books, Movies & Music

I was listening to the radio about a murder that happened years before, and the men who perpetrated it were found not guilty after 15 to 20 years of their lives in prison. Now, the social justice part of this story is another post. As a writer, I had another tangent that I went off on: in popular culture, how have unsolved murders manifested in books, movies and music? Here are some of the more […]

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Whatever Happened to Rasputin’s Schlong? (Yes, I mean THAT part)

Unless you’ve lived a Happy Feet existence somewhere with polar bears, you’ll have heard of Grigori Rasputin. He was a trusted advisor to Tsar Nicholas II and Tsarina Alexandra after “treating” their son Alexei. He’s a mysterious figure, the holy lothario who’s the subject of much speculation, which makes him ripe for authors and writers. But did you know that his hefty schlong has its own story? Pull up a chair, and let’s take a […]

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How To Write the Story You Want Despite Reader Distrust

As an author, I’ve encountered reviews and opinions about how a story doesn’t resonate with readers because it didn’t seem “real enough.” My first push-back response to that criticism is usually a strong defense of the genre. “It’s fiction and by definition, ‘not real.’ ” But, when you look deeper at what the reader’s trying to say, you realize that this critique is neither trite nor glib. Here’s what I mean:

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Baxter Family Saga Book 4 Story Research: Black Monday 1987

It was October 1987. I was a pre-teen mooning over a cute boy I was starting to like and thinking about Halloween candy. I was clueless, to say the least, about what happened. I’m sure my parents knew what happened but I don’t remember being upset, sad or worried as others were. The rest of the U.S. and the world reeled from what became known as Black Monday where those who were rich on paper […]

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