Nikah North, Author

lol 😂

Delete the scene where everyone tells the truth. Keep the one where they almost do.

Finished a chapter where no one says what they mean. Took four drafts. Writing subtext is like building a second story underneath the first.

Shadows don't lie. They just show up uninvited.

Plot problem: my victim is more likable than my detective. Not changing it. Discomfort is the point.

If your reader feels safe, you're writing the wrong genre.

Working title under consideration. No one gets mercy in this one either.

The house in chapter seven won't stop talking. It has an opinion about everything. When your setting becomes a character, you listen.

The guilty don't confess. They revise.

Today's research: how soundproof are basement walls, psychology of guilt, average response time for emergency calls. My search history is a red flag.

Trust no one, not even the voice in your head. Especially if it's mine.

Writing thrillers means living in two timelines: the one where I'm drinking tea at my desk, and the one where someone's about to discover something they can't unknow.

My narrator just lied to me. Again. We're no longer on speaking terms.

Rain on glass. Breath on mirrors. The truth always fogs first.

The best plot twists are the ones your characters see coming but your readers don't.

Deleted 1,200 words today. They were good words. They just knew too much, too soon. Sometimes the best writing is knowing what not to say.

Writing tip: If your protagonist sleeps soundly, you're doing it wrong.

Three hours into revisions. My coffee is cold. My protagonist finally suspects the right person. Progress looks different every day.

Every liar needs an audience. Mine just doesn't know they're watching a performance.

If the setting feels safe, you're not describing it right.

New scene: someone says "I trust you" and means "I'm watching you."

Stop apologizing for emailing your subscribers. They literally asked to hear from you. Send that email with confidence.

The protagonist isn't the hero. She's just the one still standing.

Shadows under the door. Footsteps in empty rooms. Words that echo wrong.

Plot problem solved: made everyone guilty of something. Now the question isn't who did it. It's who gets caught.

A lie told often enough becomes someone else's truth.

Your reader should question everything. Especially the things that seem obvious.

Today's accomplishment: made a scene so tense even I held my breath.

Every good mystery is a magic trick played in reverse.

The house remembers what the people forgot.