Aug 2Author Support from Other Writers: A Writing WinYour Best Writing Support You don’t need to go it alone as a writer. Other writers understand your process. While you may struggle to explain to friends, a spouse, relatives, or co-workers, other writers understand your struggles, help you through your shortcomings, refer editors and agents, a new way to approach character development, and…Mystery Writing4 min read
Jul 26Conflict or Menace? Which Drives Your Mystery Story?Get Your Sleuth in Trouble Readers love conflict. It keeps them wondering how the story will turn out. What will the hero do next? How will she get out of this one? Good storytelling needs conflict. Conflict builds suspense by creating tension. For a reader, tension raises the question of what will happen next. …Story Conflict3 min read
Jul 18A Surefire Way to Get Back Into Your Story: Be Like Your DetectiveIt’s not unusual to stall when writing your mystery novel. For most writers, that sag happens somewhere after the middle to about three-quarters through the story. Not only do setbacks happen to writers, but setbacks are also a normal part of the writing process. …Mystery Writing3 min read
Jul 12Deepen Your Mystery Novel With Clues and Solve The Case At The Same TimeMystery Novel Clues — Tiny Tidbits That Tell A Story Used the right way, mystery novel clues, pieces of information interpreted correctly, offer the reader the chance to solve the case alongside the detective. They come in many forms and relate to multiple characters. Clues are more than data bits. Your job as a mystery writer is to use your…Amwritingmystery4 min read
Jun 28Why Mystery Authors Have a Leg Up Mastering the Difficult Muddy MiddleThe Muddy Middle Conquered Mystery writers have a great advantage in conquering the muddy middle. In many genres, the vast middle, about 75 percent of the story, has main plot points-first pinch point, middle, second pinch point, etc.-but not much about how to write those 200 pages. What comes before the midpoint? What happens…Mystery Writing3 min read
Jun 20Read for the Music of Words: Get Inspired by Other WritersSmall Pieces Add Up to Power Years ago I was listening to a classical music station and the young, music intellectual introduced a piece by Beethoven saying, “Beethoven is about power.” I thought, listen more, the music is about the beauty of notes. I had recently listened to Alfred Brendel playing Beethoven Concertos with Simon Rattle…Writersread5 min read
Jun 7How to Add Details to Your First Draft to Show Your Reader the Effects of SettingDetails Bring Your Story to Life Story details ground your reader, making them feel as though they are there-in your story. To keep your reader present in the story, add details to each scene. You’ll help your reader experience the sensory world in your setting. You guide them into the story world with sensory images that…Editing4 min read
May 31Introduce Character Emotions by Degrees for a Realistic, Engaging Reader ExperienceEmotional Tension Connects With Readers Just as you increase the stakes in your story, you build reader connection with degrees of character emotion. So, you want the emotions toward the end of your mystery, to be stronger than those at the beginning. The degree of emotion reflects the importance of the stakes. Knowing the different…Character Emotions3 min read
May 24Is Your Mystery Protagonist a Type or a Character?If you are writing to market, mysteries, are a high-selling category on the large digital book market on Amazon. You want your mystery protagonist to appeal to your genre readers. So, you want a type of detective to fit your mystery subgenre. Book sales analytics from K-lytics suggested that: Mystery…Character Development4 min read
May 16Are You Crafting Your Writing Craft?You Can Always Be A Better Writer Today’s self-publishing world emphasizes book production. Get those books out there as quickly as possible. But you are doing your readers and yourself a disfavor if you don’t hone your craft. The more you write, the better you write. But you can shortcut your improvements by using craft improvement aids…Writing Craft4 min read
