Sitemap - 2024 - PRESENT TENSE: Suspense Fiction and More

My year in books

Can you laugh and be scared at the same time?

Two boats and a helicopter but make it Writing

An Equine Mystery with Heart and Humor

Suspense lessons from a Pulitzer Winner

Do We Care About How Memory Really Works?

Things you can say when people ask when your book is coming out

Cover Me, I'm Going In

Fake facts and real bias

"A mingled inner and outer haunting"

Where Do We Even Start?

How Limitations Spark Creativity

Writing from the wound

Let's Talk Podcasts with Liz Alterman!

Mid-maternity leave update

Not Knowing What You Know

How to Write a Sex Scene

Let's Talk About Presumed Innocent

When a Novel is a Masterclass in Suspense

Tell us what you're reading...

The problems with dual-timeline novels

Keep Your Monsters Close

Why Books Shouldn’t Depend on Twists

The Value (& Fun) of Adding Humor to Suspense Writing

Due dates as deadlines

Genres Aren't Boxes, They're Planets

writing self-destruction, exploring grief, and hiring an outside publicist

A Mother's Story

suspense formulas, tuk-tuks, mothers & mothering

Expectations, genre labels, and how to sell—and spoil!—books

Reading to learn craft, inspire jealousy, and fill the spreadsheet

The fourth book

Mistress of Vibes: Your Quick Guide to Megan Abbott Novels

The author I am on vacation

Gold stars, red herrings, and writing on proposal: Megan Collins, queen of dark family secrets, shares her thriller (and TikTok) savvy

Writing with small children

Let’s Talk about Psychopaths!

How to nail a twist

"Writing is not a persona or a lifestyle, it’s something squeezed into everyday life..."—Lisa Jewell, author of 22 novels and counting

Suspense lessons from a book that isn’t “suspense”

The “Quick” Leap into Writing Suspense that Took Four+ Years

The story of my big, sexy debut

Search for a True Locked Room Mystery

The Secret History's secret weapon

Suspenseful Resolution Pairings