Humor is one of the hardest effects to pull off consistently. Bente Gallagher, Charlene Johnson, Gail Oust, Nancy West, Robert Spiller, and Susan Smily share examples from their own work while discussing the craft behind effective comedy. They examine language control, tonal balance, and the challenges of blending humor with sex, crime, and violence without losing reader trust.
Nuggets of Mystery: How Short Mysteries Deliver Big Impact
Barb Goffman, Janet Hutchings, John M. Floyd, Laura K. Curtis, Shelley Costa, and Terry Moran break down the craft of short mystery fiction. They discuss how to deliver tension, character, and surprise in a limited word count, and why small stories can leave a...




