Happy Release day to us! THE SIXTH DAY trade paperback is on sale today! Look at this gorgeous artwork! It’s stunning, and I love it! ... Read Full Article

I’m psyched to announce that I have an essay in Hollywood vs. the Author, out today.Hollywood vs. the AuthorIt’s (almost) every author’s dream to sell their book or series to Hollywood. But most know very little about the actual process, despite the vague and slightly terrifying rumors—which authors tend to Read Full Article

ACT TWO, PART ONEby Alexandra Sokoloff, from STEALING HOLLYWOOD: Screenwriting Tricks for Authors(Elements of Act I checklist is here).Get free Story Structure extras and movie breakdowns In a 2-hour movie Act II, Part 1 starts at about 30 minutes, and ends at about 60 minutes.In a 400-page book Act II, Part Read Full Article

Wrapping up our new cover scheme for the Samantha Owens novels is the 4th book in the series, WHAT LIES BEHIND. For your enjoyment, here is the origin blog post for the book, which was a complicated... Read Full Article

Hello, friends! A fun week has drawn to a close. Toured Chapel Hill with my BFF from high school, took part in a great panel on Villains at the Chapel Hill Library (thanks to Tracy Babiesz, Susan... Read Full Article

If you didn’t know, TOO FAR GONE is out and has been since last week. I’ve just been really bad about blogging for the last year (or three!) so forgot to announce (though I did send out a newsletter!) TOO…Read more › Read Full Article

by Alexandra SokoloffNow that the U.S. has stepped back from the brink of hell and restored checks and balances to the country, I can breathe - and return to Nanowrimo prompts.Here are some questions and prompts to think about to help you finish off Act One (the first 100 pages or Read Full Article

Three New Books! THE WIFE is now out in paperback in both the US and UK.  Hardbacks can still be found, and of course audio and e-book versions are available with a couple of taps! Angela Powell’s seemingly perfect life is rocked when her high-profile husband is accused of sexual Read Full Article

“Death hath a thousand doors to let out life: I shall find one.” — Philip Massinger I saw this quote years ago, and it sparked an idea. Now, over a decade later, you get to see what Massinger... Read Full Article

Hello, friends! What a week it’s been. Halloween was uneventful but terribly small this year, which meant Nov 1 was spent digging through the candy bowl, picking out my favorites, until I finally had... Read Full Article

by Alexandra SokoloffOn the eve of Nanowrimo, here's a road map (or cheat sheet!) for you, incorporating various elements of the Eight Sequence Structure, the Hero/ine's Journey, and other structure paths. I'll be posting questions and prompts throughout the month for Wrimos.But also I have something to say to writers who Read Full Article

Hello, friends! Welcome to another Sunday. It’s a weekend of huge change around Casa Ellison. I’ve started the major renovation of my office. Five of the 6 bookshelves are in (we mis-measured and... Read Full Article

Today is St. Crispian's Day, the anniversary of the Battle of Agincourt. I thought I would post a couple of clips of one of my favorite Shakespearean monologues, to mark the day and as an example of a perfect SETPIECE SCENE, our next Nanowrimo Prep topic. We will go into Read Full Article

by Alexandra SokoloffSo you've been working on your index cards to build your story (see HERE). Or maybe not! Either way, here are three questions that will help crystallize what you're writing.     What does your protagonist WANT?     What is her PLAN to get it?     Who and what is standing in Read Full Article

Hello, friends! Happy Sunday to ye. It’s finally chilly in Nashville — we had our first fire this week. It was a fun week, kicked off in Charlotte, NC with the WNBA Bibliofeast. I met so many lovely,... Read Full Article