By Paul Goat Allen
I’ve had the opportunity to interview some legendary authors in my 25 years as a book critic and editor—Michael Moorcock, Dean Koontz, Laurell K. Hamilton, China Miéville, Kim Harrison, Joe Hill,
March 27, 2023
Writing Tips
January 9, 2023
4 ways indie authors go wrong writing a bio
Every book needs an author bio. It lets readers know who you are and why you are uniquely qualified to write the book at hand. Readers expect this at the back of your book. And booksellers and other industry professionals expect it on your press releases and other marketing […]
September 12, 2021
Emotions in Motion: Does Your Novel Move Your Reader?
By Paul Goat Allen
Some writers are so engrossed with the minutia of their work-in-progress that they lose sight of an obvious indicator that should be a primary focus: reader experience. And a big part of that overall experience is feeling an intimate connection with the characters, feeling what they’re feeling—be it sorrow, joy, […]
January 26, 2021
The Big Genre Fiction Shift to Watch in 2021—and Beyond
By Paul Goat Allen
As a genre fiction book reviewer for almost the last three decades, I’ve seen firsthand the slow but persistent evolution of all genre categories—science fiction, fantasy, romance, mystery, horror, etc.—and it has been a glorious growth to witness. There is no question about it: today’s genre fiction is much different […]
December 16, 2020
Where’s the Hook? Five Ways to Make Your First Chapter Unputdownable
By Paul Goat Allen
If you’re writing a novel with the hopes to entertain—to facilitate the literary escapism of your readers—you want those readers to pick up your book and not be able to put it back down. I’ve described these kinds of reads as “unputdownable” in the past—they’re page-turners, and everyone loves a […]
November 2, 2020
3 Elements Writers Need to Create Great Characters
By Paul Goat Allen
Well-developed and complex characters are integral to creating a novel that resonates with readers and critics alike. Even with other noteworthy narrative attributes like readability, immersion, plot intricacy, and thematic profundity, a storyline is inevitably going to fail without interesting and identifiable characters.
July 27, 2020
The Business of Writing: BlueInk Review Talks with Shelley Adina/Adina Senft
By Paul Goat Allen
Shelley Adina is the author of 42 novels published by Harlequin, Warner, and Hachette, as well as Moonshell Books, her own independent press. She writes steampunk and contemporary romance as Shelley Adina; writes classic Regency romance as Charlotte Henry; and as Adina Senft, writes Amish women’s fiction. She holds an […]
June 29, 2020
5 Thriller Elements to Consider Adding to Your Novel
Peruse any national bestselling list and I’ll bet you that somewhere near the top is a thriller of some kind—a psychological thriller, a crime thriller, a legal thriller, a medical thriller, etc. They’re everywhere! There’s an obvious reason for this—thrillers are the perfect (high-octane, fuel injected) vehicle for a few […]
June 22, 2020
4 Reasons to Consider Writing a Genre-Hybridized Novel
A few years back I wrote an article for Writer’s Digest detailing my thoughts on the future of genre fiction: Cross Pollination: The Future is Genre-Blending. Having reviewed various genre fiction categories for the last two decades, I saw—and continue to see—this evolution firsthand. Simply put, […]
June 16, 2020
Making the Words Work for You: BlueInk Review Talks with Sara Lunsford
By Paul Goat Allen
Merriam-Webster defines “prolific” as marked by abundant inventiveness or productivity. The word also perfectly describes Sara Lunsford, best known perhaps for her paranormal romance series like Ambrosia Lane (Desperate Housewives of Olympus, et. al.) and After Dark (Furyous Ink, et. al.). The […]
