ProWritingAid Science Fiction Writers’ Week 2023
Further resources for the webinar by Samantha Skal
Villainous Intent: The Key to Unlocking the Mystery in Your Science Fiction Novel
Presentation links + further reading
(All links will open in a new window)
An article I wrote for Jane Friedman’s blog: Villain Logic: The Key to Solving Your Thriller’s Climax Block
A post I wrote for Author Accelerator talking about the dos and don’ts of self revision
A post I wrote for my friend and book coach’s blog, Emma Dhesi, about writing twists and reveals
Jennie Nash | Blueprint for a Book: Build Your Novel from the Inside Out
Rachel Aaron | 2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love
Allison K. Williams | Seven Drafts: Self-Edit Like a Pro from Blank Page to Book
Tiffany Yates Martin | Intuitive Editing: A Creative and Practical Guide to Revising Your Writing
Recent favorite Mystery/Thriller/Suspense books (not an exhaustive list — there are so many good books out there!) :-)
The Last Word - Taylor Adams (read it in one sitting - a can’t put down thriller)
All the Dangerous Things - Stacy Willingham (master class in twists)
The Cloisters - Katy Hays (fab final twist)
The House Across the Lake - Riley Sager (scary, and fab twists)
The Writing Retreat - Julia Bartz (scary, very engaging)
Shana Merchant Novels (4 and counting) by Tessa Wegert (fab writing, great sense of place, good backstory, great mysteries)
Author Accelerator’s Book Coaching Certification Program* (a program I adore and recommend 1,000%)
*As a proud affiliate of the book coaching program, I receive an affiliate payment if you use this link.
If you’d rather not use my link, you can find the Author Accelerator certification information page here.
Interested in working with me?
My coaching practice focuses on novel planning, and revision coaching + brainstorming twists/reveals (which includes Inside Outline coaching) for thriller, mystery and suspense (of all kinds), as well as pitching preparation when the manuscript is ready. To discuss your project and how we might work together, fill out my form below to get started. We’ll set up a no-obligation free 25-minute video chat where we’ll get to know each other, you can learn how I work and get all your questions answered, and I can get to know your project and your goals!
Here is the information on the type of high impact / highly specialized 1:1 coaching I do: https://www.samanthaskal.com/book-coaching
Here is my (extremely fun, very brainstorm focused) group coaching program: https://www.samanthaskal.com/group-coaching
Here is my mini-course, focused on villain and twist brainstorming: https://www.samanthaskal.com/howtothrillertwist