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Articles by Paula Munier
9 SELLING POINTS FOR HISTORICAL FICTION
By Paula Munier Historical fiction can be a hard sell these days, but there are ways you can boost your story’s appeal to agents, editors, publishers, and ultimately readers. Milk the following selling points, and you’re greatly improve your odds of getting published. Selling Point #1 Your story was based on or inspired by true events. Examples: James R. Benn’s Billy Boyle WWII series, Kate Quinn’s The Alice Network, Laura Knoy’s The Shopkeeper of Alsace.
National Mutt Day Writing Prompt
PAULA MUNIER is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A BORROWING OF BONES, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. BLIND SEARCH also won a Dogwise Award. THE HIDING PLACE and THE WEDDING PLOT both appeared on several “Best Of” lists.
5 Ways to Impress an Agent
Getting an agent can be a challenge. Given the sheer volume of queries agents receive—such largesse that many agents find it impossible to accept unsolicited queries—it’s not easy to make you and your project stand out. Here are some tips to help you to capture an agent’s attention—in a good way. X meets Y is a kind of shorthand many agents use when pitching.
Take Your Dog to Work Writing Prompt
PAULA MUNIER is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A BORROWING OF BONES, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. BLIND SEARCH also won a Dogwise Award. THE HIDING PLACE and THE WEDDING PLOT both appeared on several “Best Of” lists.
THE LAST PAGE SELLS THE NEXT BOOK: How to write endings that satisfiy readers
By Paula Munier There’s a saying in publishing: First page sells the book, last page sells the next book. This is a truth that we writers ignore at our peril. That’s because when readers consider buying a book, they look at the outside—the cover, the title, the author, the jacket copy—and if that all looks good to them, they turn to the first page. And that’s typically where the buying decision is made. Right there on the first page. Then they read the book, at least part of it.
Celebrate Your Writing Self
By Paula Munier The writer’s path can be as challenging and frustrating as it is exciting and rewarding. The trick is to hang in there through the good and the bad, the rejection and the bestseller list. This means nurturing, nourishing, and celebrating your writer self. Because if you don’t celebrate your writing self, who’s going to? Here are some ways—large and small—to help you honor the creative in you: Treat yourself to a trip to the stationary store.
At Sea Writing Prompt
PAULA MUNIER is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A BORROWING OF BONES, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. BLIND SEARCH also won a Dogwise Award. THE HIDING PLACE and THE WEDDING PLOT both appeared on several “Best Of” lists.
TOP TEN WRITER’S QUOTES TO LIVE BY
By Paula Munier As a reader and a writer and an agent, I am obsessed with not only with stories, but with storytellers. I read as many writer’s memoirs and autobiographies and biographies as I can find, I seek out interviews and podcasts and classes with writers, I go to conferences and book signings to meet my favorite authors. But most of all, I collect writer’s quotes, those sound bites of wisdom that I post above my computer and on my screen and on the frig and all around the house.
DEALBREAKERS: 5 Reasons Your Book Won’t Sell
PAULA MUNIER is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A BORROWING OF BONES, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. BLIND SEARCH also won a Dogwise Award. THE HIDING PLACE and THE WEDDING PLOT both appeared on several “Best Of” lists.
Haiku Writing Prompt
PAULA MUNIER is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A BORROWING OF BONES, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. BLIND SEARCH also won a Dogwise Award. THE HIDING PLACE and THE WEDDING PLOT both appeared on several “Best Of” lists.
Umberto Eco on What a Book Means
Umberto Eco on What a Book Means Books are not made to be believed, but to be subjected to inquiry. When we consider a book, we mustn't ask ourselves what it says but what it means... Umberto Eco
REVISION: A Round-Up of Rewriting Tips
Finish. Revise. Persist. That’s what it takes to get published. But too many writers skip the rigorous revision process so critical to making your book go from good to great. Because revision is where the magic happens. Here’s some insider tips from bestselling authors on how to make the most of the revision process. “The secret to good writing is rewriting.” —William Zinsser “Once I get over maybe a hundred pages, I won’t go back to page one, but I might go back to page fifty-five, or twenty, even.
SPRING CLEANING FOR WRITERS
It’s that time of year again. Here in New England, all the snow is melting, and the days are growing longer, and the sun is shining brighter, and wow! What a mess is revealed, from the dusty furniture and the dirty windows inside to the detritus-filled gutters and the weedy, overgrown gardens. But don’t stop there, your writing life could use some spring cleaning, too. Declutter your office.
National K9 Veterans Day Writing Prompt
PAULA MUNIER is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A BORROWING OF BONES, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. BLIND SEARCH also won a Dogwise Award. THE HIDING PLACE and THE WEDDING PLOT both appeared on several “Best Of” lists.
VARIATIONS ON A THEME: A Round-Up of Advice, from Sam Abell to William Butler Yeats
Forget English class. Theme is simple: Your theme is what your story is really about. In this Career Authors Round-Up, you’ll discover what these terrific writers past and present have to say about theme.
HOW TO KEEP ON WRITING WHEN THE WORLD IS ON FIRE
By Paula Munier Okay, so the world is on fire. But that’s no excuse not to get our writing done. Or is it? Admittedly, the chaos happening out there in the world can distract us even when we’re tucked inside our writing room away from it all. Because we are living in the real world, after all, and not just in the imaginary world we’re living in when we write.
Beneath the Snow Writing Prompt
PAULA MUNIER is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A BORROWING OF BONES, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. BLIND SEARCH also won a Dogwise Award. THE HIDING PLACE and THE WEDDING PLOT both appeared on several “Best Of” lists.
LET GO OR GET DRAGGED: A Mantra for Writers
by Paula Munier I have a magnet on my refrigerator that says, “Let go or get dragged.” It’s a reminder, as the Buddhists say, that holding on to possessions, people, even our thoughts and emotions is not good for us. There’s a wonderful scene in the TV series Life with Damien Lewis that illustrates this idea of nonattachment perfectly.
How Many Words a Day Do Real Writers Write?
Every January the hand-wringing begins: What are my writing goals for the coming year? How can I boost my productivity? Why do some writers write ten times more words per day/week/year than I do? But do they, really? Here’s a round-up of some of our most prolific bestselling authors—and how many words a day they really write…. “I don’t write every day. I try to write eight pages a week.
In the Woods Writing Prompt
PAULA MUNIER is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A BORROWING OF BONES, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. BLIND SEARCH also won a Dogwise Award. THE HIDING PLACE and THE WEDDING PLOT both appeared on several “Best Of” lists.
10 New Year’s Resolutions for Writers
by Paula Munier Making resolutions is only fun if the resolutions are fun. And keeping resolutions is only possible if they’re fun and doable and effective. Getting good results is only fun when you celebrate those results. So resolve, persist, and celebrate your way to writing fun this year…. 1. Write for at least 30 minutes every day. Because, well, writers write! 2. Read for at least 30 minutes every day. Because, well, writers read! 3. Take a plot walk every day.
MOVIE NIGHT FOR WRITERS
by Paula Munier Okay, it’s that time of year again when we hole up and watch movies while it rains/sleets/snows/blows outside. So we may as well watch movies that teach us something. Years ago when I lived in California, I belonged to a writers club where we watched films together and analyzed them. When it was my turn to host the movie night, we watched AN OFFICER AND A GENTLEMAN, and I talked about the hero’s journey and Joseph Campbell and how that film reflected that journey.
The Snow Lies Deep: A Mercy Carr Mystery
THE SNOW LIES DEEP --- and perhaps nowhere deeper than in a small, picturesque town in rural Vermont at Christmas. Paula Munier takes us right into the heart of Northshire as it celebrates the holiday season in grand style.
Blizzards, Druids, and Dead Bodies: 5 Mysteries Set During the Winter Solstice
1 day ago The best way to fight doomscrolling in 2025? Getting off your phone and picking up a book. Luckily for us, there were plenty of un-put-down-able reads this year. Whether your genre of choice is literary fiction, romance, memoir, or fantasy, the year in books brought forth a deluge of enthralling …
Blizzards, Druids, and Dead Bodies: 5 Mysteries Set During the Winter Solstice
“To go in the dark with a light is to know the light.” –Wendell Berry Article continues after advertisement The best crime fiction—the best fiction, period—reveals the best and worst of human nature. And no season better delves the darkness and chases the light than winter. Especially the Winter Solstice, which celebrates the coming of the light after the longest night of the year.
BEHIND THE PAGES: THE HOUSE ON MOUNTAIN LAUREL LANE
In this exclusive interview, Career Authors sits down with The New York Times bestselling author Eileen Goudge, whose blockbuster page-turners have been gracing bookshelves for decades. Eileen is back with THE HOUSE ON MOUNTAIN LAUREL LANE, a wonderful story about a plucky widow who sets out to make her late husband’s dream come true–and ends up changing her own life in amazing ways. What’s the title of your book—and was that always the title? The title is The House on Mountain Laurel Lane.
BEHIND THE PAGES: THE SHOPKEEPER OF ALSACE
In this exclsuive interview, Career Authors sits down with longtime radio personality Laura Knoy, who left the news business to write her first novel, a wonderful work of historical fiction called THE SHOPKEEPER OF ALSACE. We talked to the smart and talented Laura about her transition from journalism to fiction, the writing of her debut, and her success. What’s the title of your book—and was that always the title? The Shopkeeper of Alsace is my book’s title, but it was not my first.
The Snow Lies Deep
. (Mercy Carr, bk. 7). Dec. 2025. 320p. ISBN 9781250389985. $29. MYSTERY COPY ISBN Munier’s seventh Mercy Carr mystery (following The Night Woods) has former army MP Mercy laser-focused on making her daughter Felicity’s first Christmas the best one ever. This means visiting Santa Claus, negotiating among family members about who gets to decorate the house, and finding the perfect gift for her husband, Troy.
Write Something True Writing Prompt
PAULA MUNIER is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A BORROWING OF BONES, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. BLIND SEARCH also won a Dogwise Award. THE HIDING PLACE and THE WEDDING PLOT both appeared on several “Best Of” lists.
WRITING CHRISTMAS: A Dickensian Primer
I’m 100% Team Christmas. Though I’ve never fallen off the roof of my house while trying to attach a flying Rudoph to the eaves, something that does happen to the protagonist of my new novel, Merry, I do go more and more overboard each year. Tinsel, firecrackers, caroling, and so on. So when I decided to write a Christmas novel, I knew I had the right mindset. But I suspected there’d be more to the job than just me gushing onto the page. I needed to know what makes Christmas novels work.
TALK LIKE A PIRATE! WRITING PROMPT
PAULA MUNIER is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A BORROWING OF BONES, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. BLIND SEARCH also won a Dogwise Award. THE HIDING PLACE and THE WEDDING PLOT both appeared on several “Best Of” lists.
Joyce Carol Oates on Writing Beginnings
Joyce Carol Oates on Writing Beginnings I always rewrite the very beginning of a novel. I rewrite the beginning as I write the ending, so I may spend part of morning writing the ending, the last 100 pages approximately, and then part of the morning revising the beginning. So the style of the novel has a consistency. Joyce Carol Oates
CHARACTER 101: A round-up of advice from bestselling authors on creating compelling characters, from Isabel Allende to August Wilson
When it comes to writing fiction, it’s all about character. Even in genre fiction, where plot may be seen to rule, it’s still all about character. As my editor, Pete Wolverton of Minotaur/ St. Martin’s Press, and the recipient of the prestigious Ellery Queen Award, likes to remind me, “Readers come for the mystery, but they stay for the characters.” Amen to that.
YOU’VE GOT THE CHOPS, NOW WRITE A BREAK-OUT BOOK
As an agent and author, I spend a lot of time at conferences meeting writers looking to break into traditional publishing. And so many of these writers are THIS close to getting published. Meaning that they’ve been working hard on their craft, putting in the ten thousand hours or a million words it takes to master the art of fiction. In terms of craft, they may be there. But in terms of the marketplace, they often are not. Like most agents, I’m looking for clients who are truly READY to be published.
Hawaiian Shirt Writing Prompt
PAULA MUNIER is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A BORROWING OF BONES, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. BLIND SEARCH also won a Dogwise Award. THE HIDING PLACE and THE WEDDING PLOT both appeared on several “Best Of” lists.
BEHIND THE PAGES: THE MUDFLATS MURDER CLUB
It takes a cop to know a cop–and no one writes cops better than retired homicide detective Brian Thiem. In his wonderful new series, Brian is inspired not just by his many years on the force and in the military, but by his real-life work on a cold case team comprised of former law enfoicrment in his adopted South Carolina. Career Authors talked to Brian about THE MUDFLATS MURDER CLUB, the compelling debut in what is already acknowledged by readers and critics alike as Brian’s best work ever.
Christmas in July Writing Prompt
PAULA MUNIER is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A BORROWING OF BONES, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. BLIND SEARCH also won a Dogwise Award. THE HIDING PLACE and THE WEDDING PLOT both appeared on several “Best Of” lists.
Alison Espach on Writing Dark
Alison Espach on Writing Dark I think other writers feel that too. That you avoid in your fiction what you tend to avoid in life. So I felt like if I write this dark character, everyone’s going to think I’m her. Or if I display a knowledge of sadness and grief, people are going to think I’m sad, and not wanting to be perceived that way. Alison Espach
FUN WITH STORY STRUCTURE: 10 Frameworks for the Novel
Structure is the underpinning of the novel, the pillars that support the narrative from beginning to end. Without a strong structure, your story can fall in on itself, like a Jenga puzzle in freefall. But that doesn’t mean structure has to be boring. Here are 10 time-honored ways to play around with structure. Check out this list, and the examples provided. Revisit these stories in their various forms—and this time, take notes.
WRITERLY WIT & WISDOM: The Best One-Liners from David Baldacci, Alex Finlay, Lisa Gardner, John Grisham, Charlaine Harris, Jennifer Hillier, David Morrell, Walter Mosley, Neil Nyren, John Sandford, Lisa Scottoline & Lisa Unger • Career Authors
For me, the coolest part of writers’ conferences is the off-the-cuff words of wisdom you hear from the great crime writers of our time. I take notes—and at the recent ThrillerFest 2025 I gathered some great advice from some master storytellers. Here’s a quick round-up of my favorite writerly bon mots heard this year at this swell event. On creating the protagonist’s arc: “From zero to hero.” –Lisa Scottoline On character vs.
D-Day Writing Prompt
PAULA MUNIER is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A BORROWING OF BONES, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. BLIND SEARCH also won a Dogwise Award. THE HIDING PLACE and THE WEDDING PLOT both appeared on several “Best Of” lists.
Matt Weiner on Ideas for Stories
Matt Weiner on Ideas for Stories Now I have a ton of stuff like that I’ve saved, things people have said to me that are concise and devastating and sum up some moment in their lives. When I’m talking to some woman on an airplane, and she says, I like being bad and going home and being good, that is very useful. Matt Weiner
WRITING IN THE AGE OF DIGITAL DISTRACTION: 7 ways to beat clickbait and focus on work
We live in a world more determined than ever to distract us—and the distractions are winning. More than sixty percent of us find ourselves distracted at work by social media, emails, and other digital communications, according to a recent study by Udemy. We’re losing 2.1 hours per work day to this insidious digital diversion, and it’s adversely affecting both the efficiency and quality of our work. Not to mention our creativity, which requires deep focus.
Spring Fever Writing Prompt
PAULA MUNIER is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A BORROWING OF BONES, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. BLIND SEARCH also won a Dogwise Award. THE HIDING PLACE and THE WEDDING PLOT both appeared on several “Best Of” lists.
Hemingway on His Iceberg Theory of Writing
Hemingway on His Iceberg Theory of Writing If a writer of prose knows enough about what he is writing about, he may omit things that he knows and the reader, if the writer is writing truly enough, will have a feeling of those things as strongly as though the writer had stated them. The dignity of movement of an iceberg is due to only one-eighth of it being above water. Ernest Hemingway
“Hope” is the Thing with Feathers… Writers on Metaphor, from Aristotle and Goethe to Percival Everett and Jane Smiley
Metaphor is the lifeblood of language. And no one knows this better than poets. As the month of April comes to a close, and with it National Poetry Month, it would behoove all of us writers, poets or not, to remind ourselves of the power of the metaphor. Here’s a round-up of writers on metaphor: “The greatest thing by far is to be a master of metaphor. It is the one thing that cannot be learnt from others; and it is also a sign of genius.” –Aristotle “I love metaphor.
Wear a Hat Writing Prompt
PAULA MUNIER is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A BORROWING OF BONES, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. BLIND SEARCH also won a Dogwise Award. THE HIDING PLACE and THE WEDDING PLOT both appeared on several “Best Of” lists.
SH#T MY EDITOR SAYS: A Tribute to “Pitbull Pete” Wolverton, Recipient of the 2025 Ellery Queen Award
“Just get it down on paper and then we’ll see what to do with it.” –Maxwell Perkins Behind every successful writer is a very tired editor. I say this with great respect and admiration for writers and editors, having served as both for more than twenty-five years. In the writing of my Mercy Carr mysteries, I am lucky enough to call the bold and brilliant Peter J. Wolverton—“Pitbull Pete” to me—my editor.
"X meets Y" 101 • Career Authors
PAULA MUNIER is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A BORROWING OF BONES, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. BLIND SEARCH also won a Dogwise Award. THE HIDING PLACE and THE WEDDING PLOT both appeared on several “Best Of” lists.
Wild Encounter Writing Prompt
PAULA MUNIER is the Senior Agent and Director of Storytelling for Talcott Notch Literary and the USA TODAY bestselling author of the Mercy Carr mysteries. A BORROWING OF BONES, the first in the series, was nominated for the Mary Higgins Clark Award and named the Dogwise Book of the Year. BLIND SEARCH also won a Dogwise Award. THE HIDING PLACE and THE WEDDING PLOT both appeared on several “Best Of” lists.
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