LAURENCE MACNAUGHTON

  • Did you know that book reviews on the Amazon UK site don’t appear on the regular Amazon.com site? That means any book can have two entirely separate sets of reviews. You have to admit, there’s something slightly weird about that. But…

  • I’m always happy to answer questions from aspiring authors. This week, I got some tricky ones: Q: How do you know when to end one chapter and start the next chapter? A: You end a chapter as soon as the…

  • You can win 50 pages of intense story development editing in the Brenda Novak diabetes auction: http://brendanovak.auctionanything.com/Bidding.taf?_function=detail&Auction_uid1=3405168 If you’re a writer, or you know someone who is … Find out how you can get my undivided attention and advice for a full…

  • Just did a revealing interview about the truth behind ghost towns, cash-sniffing border patrol dogs . . . and even a tarantula migration. True story. Check out my latest stop on the book tour for The Spider Thief, at the outstanding Omnimystery…

  • Over the years, I’ve interviewed dozens of bestselling authors — and they all had the same advice. I’ll tell you what it is in this interview at the Littleton Writers Critique Group. I’ll also reveal the surprising advice my literary…

  • Have you ever needed to write something, but you didn’t know how to get started? As a professional writer, I face that problem daily. Luckily, I’ve discovered a super-simple way to organize any writing project. And I’m about to share…

  • Quick reminder: SFSignal.com is hosting a giveaway of The Spider Thief, now in paperback — and today’s the last chance to win! Enter to win on SFSignal.com > Over a hundred people suffered serious memory loss after a serious outbreak of food poisoning…

  • Who doesn’t love comic books? They’re the perfect way to get kids hooked on reading. And face front, True Believer, ’cause grown-ups can enjoy ’em too! In fact, here’s the sensational Stan Lee to tell you all about it:     So…

  • A new five-star review for The Spider Thief, Part 1: Stolen Memory: “Fast paced, thrilling, smooth and beautifully written. The very beginning captures you, takes you in and won’t let you go.” Read the review on Kelly ‘Steam’ Renée’s Book Blog…

  • SFSignal.com is hosting a giveaway of The Spider Thief, now in paperback! Win it on SFSignal.com > Many years ago, I lost several crucial minutes of my memory, and in that time I almost died. There’s a funny thing about having your…

From the blog

  • Want to Get Published? Read This.

    I’ve talked to dozens of best-selling authors about their early years, before they were published. And the similarities between them are striking. On average, they wrote about half a dozen unpublished manuscripts before they sold a novel. (By the way, this is what I call the Myth of the First Novel. Because it’s hardly ever…

  • Compelling Character Arcs in 4 Easy Steps

    I’ll let you in on a secret: readers want your character to change. They know, deep down, that your character is unhappy with the status quo at the beginning of your book. Something is terribly wrong in your character’s life, and things can’t keep going on this way. Something’s got to give. Readers fervently hope…