Blog | Laura McNeill

Jan 5, 2019
2 min

Cooking the Books: Twisty Sourdough Pretzels

In my house, we love enjoying fresh-baked treats while reading our favorite books. Today, I wanted to share one of our favorite recipes – Twisty Sourdough Pretzels! They’re buttery, delicious, and melt in your mouth when they’re still warm. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare 2 baking sheets with parchment paper, lightly oiled (use olive or vegetable oil). Makes 10 pretzels. Ingredients: 1 cup unfed sourdough starter* at room temperature (quick recipe below) 3 cups all purpo

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What Decorating Cookies Can Teach Writers About Story Detail

Laura McNeill

Dec 12, 2018
2 min

What Decorating Cookies Can Teach Writers About Story Detail

I adore the holiday season. I love the twinkle of lights, stockings hung by the fireplace, the nip in the air (even in Birmingham, Alabama), and the scent of delicious treats, fresh from the oven, wafting through the house. In our house, the holiday season means baking cookies. Lots of cookies. Batches of sugar cookies. Snickerdoodles. Gingerbread cutouts. We whip up loads of royal icing and gather bottles of sprinkles and colored sugar. It’s a relaxing, fun, and messy way to

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3 Over-Caffeinated Lessons Learned from NaNoWriMo 2018

Laura McNeill

Dec 5, 2018
2 min

3 Over-Caffeinated Lessons Learned from NaNoWriMo 2018

Yes, I’m one of the (semi) crazy ones. This year, over-committed and over-caffeinated, I joined hundreds of thousands of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) writers worldwide. By signing on, authors accept the challenge of writing 50,000 words in a month. That’s a commitment of 1,667 words every day, rain or shine, despite relatives, work, school, and national holidays. With several novel ideas rattling around in my brain, I settled on penning the first book of a dystopi

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Laura McNeill

Nov 7, 2018
1 min

Fabulous Fall Giveaway – Books, Coffee, Mug, T-Shirt, & More

Hi Friends, I am in deep in the middle of NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), working on my next book, but hit the pause button today to visit the blog of Karen Pokras Toz! Jump on over to Karen’s site for all of the details on my new Lauren Clark novel, The World Breaks Everyone. Fabulous Fall Giveaway from Lauren Clark & Karen Pokras Toz Entering is easy and free! Best of luck and I hope you’re having a spectacular November! xo, Laura BTW – Karen is a fabulous writer!

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Six Writing Lessons Learned from Watching ‘Stranger Things’

Laura McNeill

Oct 21, 2018
3 min

Six Writing Lessons Learned from Watching ‘Stranger Things’

My 13-year-old son loves Stranger Things. He sits on the sofa, rapt, as the music starts and the action begins. He can’t wait for season 3. And, not long ago, he invited me to watch it with him. I figure it’s either because I’m the coolest mom on the block or he’s expecting the fright of his life. (I know, I know. The latter.) Still, as a parent, I savored the experience, absorbing the show and his reactions. The grins. The shrieks. The looks of horror. The bouncing up and do

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Five Reasons Why Taking a (Temporary) Writing Break is Okay! (And What to Do in the Meantime)

Laura McNeill

May 23, 2018
2 min

Five Reasons Why Taking a (Temporary) Writing Break is Okay! (And What to Do in the Meantime)

Nearly two years ago, I had reached writer-burnout. I’d released two suspense novels back to back, done large, multi-state book tours, and was about to enter my second year of graduate school. I had moved for a new full-time job (with two growing boys) and was trying to wrap up the final pages of my third suspense novel. The story, set in New Orleans, begins with an attack on the daughter of a famous restauranteur. She escapes and goes on the run, attempting to figure out why

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Laura McNeill

May 3, 2018
1 min

Best Writing Books, Part 2

I’m back today with three more “best writing book” recommendations. Two of today’s choices may seem a bit out of the ordinary, as they fall in to the film and screenwriting industry category, but I have found that both are exceptional when it comes to capturing the magic of story construction and creating compelling characters. Story: Substance, Structure, Style and the Principles of Screenwriting Save The Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need The author, Blake

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Laura McNeill

Apr 29, 2018
2 min

Best Writing Books, Part 1

I’m often asked about my favorite books on writing. I have shelves of books on writing, editing, publishing, story structure — you name it. But, when I’m asked to recommend the best writing books, the same volumes comes to mind. On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft I agree with King. As an author, reading as much a possible gives you fuel. It revs up creativity, inspires, makes you think, and makes you laugh or cry. As for the keeping your butt in a chair statement, it might sou

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Writer Wednesday – Do’s and Don’ts ~ Part 3 (Networking)

Laura McNeill

Oct 21, 2015
2 min

Writer Wednesday – Do’s and Don’ts ~ Part 3 (Networking)

This is the third part of three in my series of Do’s and Don’ts for New Authors. I’ve covered Work-Life Balance (Part 1) and Marketing (Part 2), and as promised, will talk about Networking this week! So, as a new author in the publishing business it is important to connect well with many groups of people, but primarily these three: Readers Other authors Bloggers Why are these three groups so important? It may seem obvious, but without readers, we as authors couldn’t do what w

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Writer Wednesday: Do’s and Don’ts for a First Book ~ Part 1 (Work-Life Balance)

Laura McNeill

Oct 7, 2015
3 min

Writer Wednesday: Do’s and Don’ts for a First Book ~ Part 1 (Work-Life Balance)

A few weeks back, I served on a writer panel in Dallas with three wonderful and smart authors — Kristy Cambron, Katherine Reay, and Mary Weber. All fresh off our first year in the traditional publishing industry, we shared our thoughts about the whirlwind that’s been the last 12 months … in the hopes the information and discussion would be of help to other aspiring authors! Today, I thought it might be fun to share portions of our talk. Here are some of the questions that our

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Laura McNeill

Jul 22, 2015
1 min

Book Launch Party for Center of Gravity

It’s been such a whirlwind since Center of Gravity‘s launch July 14th, but I was so fortunate to be able to stop and visit with my very best friends in Mobile, Ala. at Carpe Diem Coffee & Tea Company last night! Here are just some of the photos from the evening…. I’ll be in New Orleans tonight (Wednesday, July 22nd) at Garden District Books (6 pm-7:30 pm) and Page & Palette in Fairhope, Ala. Thursday evening, July 23rd at 6 pm! Friday, July 24th, I head to Seaside and visit S

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Writer Wednesday: 10 Ways to Fuel Motivation

Laura McNeill

Jun 17, 2015
2 min

Writer Wednesday: 10 Ways to Fuel Motivation

A lot of people tell me that they’ve always wanted to write a novel. They have an idea, a synopsis, an elevator pitch, and interesting characters. They have a setting, a But, they explain, when it comes down to actually writing — actually putting fingers to keyboard — life gets in the way. And I understand. A job definitely gets in the way. Family, friends, and the laundry can distract. There’s also the mail. And the latest HBO original series. Pretty soon, there’s no time le

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Writer Wednesday: Word Count or Word Quality

Laura McNeill

Jun 3, 2015
2 min

Writer Wednesday: Word Count or Word Quality

There is a belief among writers that, every day, authors must put pen to paper, or fingers to keyboard and reach a certain word count. Stephen King has said, more than once, that he writes 2,000 words a day and rarely takes a day off. Jodi Picoult admits to sneaking away to her office to write on weekends. For much of his life, Frederick Forsyth insisted on working, 7 days a week, without fail. Like many other writers with lofty writing goals, I initially found it easy to get

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Laura McNeill

Apr 29, 2015
2 min

Writing Wednesday: One Million Words

One of my favorite books about writing craft contains a quote that really resonates with me. In On Writing, Stephen King offers this sage advice to budding authors: “The first million words are practice.” That sentence is powerful enough to make anyone stop and re-think his career. Those six words might have a person doubt her own drive and ambition. I’ve been there. More than once. But I also haven’t given up. And that’s the stuff of writers are made of. A note before we get

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Signing ‘Center of Gravity’ Sept. 5 & 6, 2015 – Decatur Book Festival

Laura McNeill

Apr 1, 2015
1 min

Signing ‘Center of Gravity’ Sept. 5 & 6, 2015 – Decatur Book Festival

I’m super-excited to be a part of the 2015 Decatur Book Festival, taking place from Sept 5 – 6th. I’ll be speaking briefly and signing books for about ten minutes I will have an exact date and time in the coming weeks and will share that with you as soon as I have it! The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Decatur Book Festival is the largest independent book festival in the country, drawing people from all over the metro Atlanta area and North Georgia. See more at: https://www.dec

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Creating Unforgettable Settings: Mobile, Ala.

Laura McNeill

Mar 30, 2015
2 min

Creating Unforgettable Settings: Mobile, Ala.

Recently, I asked my Facebook friends about their favorite novel settings. The answers were awesome, and varied, with people mentioning everything from the graveyards of New Orleans to the Deep South and the streets of New York City to San Francisco. Natchez, Miss. There’s no doubt that a novel’s setting, when done well, improves a reader’s experience. For example, I can’t imagine Greg Iles’ Natchez Burning in anywhere other than small town Mississippi. Gone Girl needed a sub

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Laura McNeill

Feb 23, 2015
2 min

5 Ways to Write A Fantastic First Line

There’s no one perfect formula for writing fantastic first lines. They can be short or long, descriptive or straightforward. The choice, ultimately, is up to you. For more ideas, peruse your favorite books and study the first lines that really grab your attention. Figure out why. How do those first lines make you feel? What questions come to mind? Here are examples of five great ways to open your novel: 1. Be Suspenseful – “She heard a knocking, and then a dog barking.” – T

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Laura McNeill

Feb 23, 2015
2 min

7 Seconds to Make A Great Impression

According to leading psychologists, you have only 7 seconds to make a good first impression. It’s barely the blink of an eye—enough for a smile, a firm handshake, and a warm hello. Other experts suggest a 30 second window might exist—which is better—but still barely enough time to get in a who, what, where, why, or how. It’s the same for your novel. In a snippet of time, readers glance at a novel’s cover, scan the book’s summary, and if compelled, open their e-readers to the

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5 Ways to Write Great Scenes – The Tiny Details

Laura McNeill

Feb 23, 2015
3 min

5 Ways to Write Great Scenes – The Tiny Details

Last time, I talked about 5 key things to keep in mind when writing scenes. Today, let’s break down the small, but crucial details. 1. First sentence – Is anyone taking a shower, having a dream, or drinking tea? Please, please, please skip all of these as scene openers. Donald Maas says this in Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook: “…cut scenes set in kitchens or living rooms or cars driving from one place to another, or that involve drinking tea or coffee or taking showers or

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5 Ways to Write Sensational Scenes – The Big Picture

Laura McNeill

Feb 23, 2015
3 min

5 Ways to Write Sensational Scenes – The Big Picture

Read a novel lately that you couldn’t put it down? What about a book that haunted you in your sleep or kept you up at night? The author of this novel, no doubt, wrote a fantastic story, and that story consisted of some pretty fabulous scenes. That’s what a novel is, after all. It’s a series of well-written scenes. Those scenes are sewn together in such a way that the reader is compelled to turn page after page. Think about scene writing like climbing up a giant cliff overlook

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