Story Creation
Posted by Rick on Sep 14, 2009 in Blog | 284 comments
Story creation is (for me anyway) a lot like pearl creation for an oyster. It starts off with an irritating little idea in the back of my head that won’t go away. If it doesn’t get rejected during the process of adding layers to it, it eventually becomes a book. Here’s how that layering process works: Story summary. I try writing up a short...
Read moreThe Author as Terrorist: How to Think Like a Suspense Writer (#1)
Posted by ninja on Aug 29, 2009 in Blog | 360 comments
I love a good suspense novel–the kind that grabs you with the first line, slowly tightens its grip for 400 pages, and doesn’t let go until the very end. I’ve also written suspense since I was in high school, and now I even get paid for it.So when CAN invited me to join this blog, it was only natural to do a series of posts on suspense...
Read moreAbout that Demon Pig Story …
Posted by ninja on Aug 19, 2009 in Blog | 275 comments
The Demon Pig story posted on Brandilyn Collins’ blog (http://www.forensicsandfaith.blogspot.com/) has generated quite a few questions. Here are a few of the more popular ones: Is there really a Possumneck, Mississippi? Yes. The town itself is little more than some ruins and overgrown graveyards today, but it still shows up on maps and locals still refer...
Read moreLegal Stuff: Are Surprise Witnesses Real?
Posted by ninja on Mar 26, 2009 in Blog | 150 comments
I’m a practicing lawyer as well as an author, so I get a lot of questions from other writers about legal stuff. I’ll address some of the more common ones in a periodic series starting today. If you’ve got a particular question you’d like to see answered, leave a comment or e-mail me through my website: www.rickacker.com. Question: ...
Read moreThe Cost of Those AIG Bonuses
Posted by ninja on Mar 25, 2009 in Blog | 139 comments
The collective wrath of all right-thinking people in and out of Washington D.C. has now intimidated AIG employees into disgorging $50 million in bonuses. Well, good. They weren’t the same ones who got AIG into trouble(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/18/AR2009031804104.html), but so what? They worked at AIG, and they are...
Read moreCollege Football
Posted by ninja on Sep 28, 2008 in Blog | 133 comments
I spent yesterday afternoon watching the Cal Bears beat the Colorado State Rams and had a blast (thanks again for the ticket, Chris!). The thing is, I don’t normally root for either team. So why did I enjoy the game so much? There really is something special about college football–something pro ball lost years ago. The fans cheer for good...
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