New post is up: the stock characters we inherit as writers, and what we do with them. From the gay best friend to the final girl. Some of these types are just narrative shorthand. Others carry a lot more baggage than, sometimes, we admit. johncopenhaver.substack.com/p/start-with...

CrimeReads just published our Queer Crime Writers summer reading list! Check out the list and fill up your beach bag. crimereads.com/queer-crime-...

New Substack delivery! Part 3 of Writing Across Difference. Before you write a character from a marginalized group, learn the story the culture already tells about them, so you can complicate and push back on the dominant narrative. Check it out! johncopenhaver.substack.com/p/question-t...

Giving the first talk in a new lecture series at my hometown library, named for my mother. I’ll talk about setting and character — how place shapes who a character can be. Free, Sat July 25, 4-6pm, Marion Public Library. scplva.net/events/2026-...

Part 2 of Writing Across Difference is live. It's about the research that comes before all the rest: looking hard at the stories that shaped you. Give it a read and subscribe—it's free. Sharing is nice too. My mother taught me that. 😜 johncopenhaver.substack.com/p/research-s...

I’ve already shared my Volume 0 story “Waving Hello, Waving Goodbye,” but here’s the story behind the story: a cemetery clown, a teenage boy, and the ache of wanting to be seen. Also, events: Arlington Thurs at One More Page; RVA Sat at Book People. ➡️ johncopenhaver.substack.com/p/waving-hel...

Heat dome survival plan: JonnyPop + Issue 14 of Volume 0, featuring my story “Waving Hello, Waving Goodbye,” inspired by the creepy 2015 clown sighting at Rosehill Cemetery in Chicago. In it, I inhabit the clown. Boo! 🤡 Pick up the issue/subscribe: bit.ly/4xZP8Xa

Crossing lines of identity in fiction is an act of empathy, if done right. My new essay is up. The first in a series about writing across difference: why it matters, why it's at the core of fiction writing, and how to do it responsibly. johncopenhaver.substack.com/p/writing-ac...

20th place on Substack in “Rising in Fiction”… just a few below Michael Chabon! 😃 I’m really loving Substack and proud of the work I’m doing there. Follow and subscribe! ❤️ substack.com/@johncopenha...

HAPPENING NOW: "The Idea to the Reader: Selling and Marketing Your Queer Mysteries," w/ publisher Salem West (Bywater), editors Alexa Wejko and Taz Urnov (Soho Press), and publicist Brittani Hilles (Lavender PR). Event link: us02web.zoom.us/j/8698562744...

TONIGHT: Don't miss the panel at 7:00 PM ET: "The Idea to the Reader: Selling and Marketing Your Queer Mysteries," w/ publisher Salem West (Bywater), editors Alexa Wejko and Taz Urnov (Soho Press), and publicist Brittani Hilles (Lavender PR). Event link: us02web.zoom.us/j/8698562744...

I give my students 7 celebrated opening lines and ask them to rank them. The discussion always gets lively. New Substack essay on what great first lines actually do. Which is your favorite? johncopenhaver.substack.com/p/what-great...

Three recent limited series—Boots, Half Man, and DTF St. Louis —gave me more to think about than most think pieces on masculinity have. New essay on male loneliness and the tenderness our culture barely has language for. Enjoy! open.substack.com/pub/johncope...

Goddess of Love—cover reveal. D.C., 1964. Judy and Philippa were each other's world, then betrayal. Now a murderer from the past is coming for Judy. Pre-order today. Proud of this book—and the reveal video. 😂 Made it myself. No digital natives consulted. a.co/d/04J5K6AJ

Tomorrow, I’m finally revealing the cover of Goddess of Love—the final book in the Nightingale Trilogy. It’s queer, dark, and, yes, a little ruthless. I’m so proud of this one. Can’t wait until tomorrow? Preorder now for an early look at the full cover: bit.ly/4oktLLW

The Queer Crime Writers is out for Pride Month. Reading lists, author interviews, and the queer crime fiction community you've been looking for. Subscribe and pass it along. Here’s the link: open.substack.com/pub/queercri...

New Substack! What AI Writing Does to the Writer Using It. In today's post, I explore the spiritual gamble writers take when they hand the gesture of writing to AI. Read more about it here: johncopenhaver.substack.com/p/what-ai-wr...

Next Tuesday, RVA readers and writers: I'll talk about assembling and editing this anthology. It's a Hansen and Anthony Award nominee, with two stories headed to 2025's Best American Mystery and Suspense. Come hear about the journey with these wonderful writers.

I’ve said this in the space before and I’ll say it again: I’m so proud to have had the chance to co-edit this amazing anthology with all these talented contributors. If you haven’t had a chance to read it, order and pick up a copy today. johncopenhaver.com/order-crime-...

New Substack is up! Part Four: How Writers Control the Clock. Today’s post turns to the force that unifies all three: time itself. Don’t forget to subscribe to my free Substack. The final part of “The Art of Pacing” will be released next week! johncopenhaver.substack.com/p/the-art-of...

So absolutely thrilled that Crime Ink: Iconic is an Anthony nominee, alongside these other distinguished, inventive, and inspirational anthologies! Also, SO excited for Christa Faust and Cheryl Head, whose stories from Crime Ink have been nominated for Best Short Story! @bywaterbooks.bsky.social

Part three is here! The Power of What You Put Next to What. Today, one of the most powerful and underrated tools a writer has for propelling narrative: juxtaposition. If you’d like to catch up on parts 1 and 2, they’re available on my free Substack! johncopenhaver.substack.com/p/the-art-of...

New Substack is up! The Art of Pacing: pacing isn't speed ... it's a symphonic interplay of plot, tension, and time. Plus a close read of Megan Abbott's DARE ME. Love that book! johncopenhaver.substack.com/p/the-art-of...

Thrilled—as always—to share this slate of spring (and winter!) releases from fantastic LGBTQ+ crime writers. As an organization, Queer Crime Writers works to compile this list to help spread the word about the vitality and variety of LGBTQ+ authors writing crime fiction! ➡️ bit.ly/4t8dfQK

I’m thrilled to be talking about pacing at JRW’s The Writing Show with Nicole Glover, Alethea McCollin, and moderator Melissa Scott Sinclair! Come out and learn more about pacing—we promise the discussion will move at a swift clip! 😊 www.facebook.com/events/15579...

I’m so thrilled that Christa Faust's superb story, "Hollywood Prometheus," has been nominated for a Derringer Award. Congratulations, Christa! And congrats to all the other nominees!

Hey, hey—it looks like I’m a Distinguished Adjunct now. 😊 Truly, I’m thrilled to receive this honor from VCU CHS for teaching fiction writing, Queer Literature, and Intro to Crime Fiction at VCU.

Salem and I are over the moon that Crime Ink: Iconic is a finalist for the Joseph Hansen Award for LGBTQ+ Crime Writing. This honor belongs to the brilliant writers in the anthology. Congratulations to our fellow finalists—truly wonderful company. 🖤 @bywaterbooks.bsky.social

Richmond friends—I’ll be at Gayton Branch Library on Thurs., March 19 (6–7 PM) for Crime Fiction as Social Commentary, part of All Henrico Reads with Walter Mosley. We’ll explore how crime stories challenge our ideas about justice and society. Free and open to all—hope to see you there.

Crime Ink: Iconic made the Foreword INDIES shortlist for LGBTQ+ Adult Fiction. Over the moon! I’m so proud of this anthology and the talented writers who make it what it is. Also, a shout-out to the publisher, Bywater, which had four novels shortlisted. www.forewordreviews.com/awards/final...