The Detective Finds Clues in the Killer’s World Let the complications roll! Your detective screws up, asks for help from the wrong people, stumbles over his weaknesses. If it’s bad, bring it on. In the final section of Act II (Four-Act Structure) your detective dives deeper into the killer’s world as the ultimate exploration of…
Photo by Arthur Edelman on Unsplash How to Bring Action to Your Mystery Mystery tropes like – the corpse, evidence hunt, sweating the perp, summation – comprise elements of the mystery novel readers expect. Action scenes will help build tension and, a well-written action scene pulls your reader into the story.Don’t overlook action scenes to…
Choose Your Challenge Writers come up with many ways to establish the characters in their stories, especially the main character: character interviews, worst fear, early childhood, habits good and bad, etc. What readers want is action.The easiest way to reconcile your wealth of knowledge about your character and engaging readers in the story is…
L—d! said my mother, what is all this story about? The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman Laurence Sterne When readers begin your story, they want to know certain elements, and very soon. Gone are the days when the scenic, lingering beginning of Thomas Hardy’s The Return of the Native will draw in a…
A Simple Way to Work with Editors Many writers dread the editing process, especially when it comes to recommendations for rewrites. David Amerland calls editing brain-squeezing. I agree. For every suggestion an editor makes you have to agree, disagree, or partially agree. Then if you agree, it’s time to rethink that portion of the manuscript and…
Gathering Research Bits While The Roman Heir is in editing process, I’m scouring for ideas for the next several stories. Never forgetting setting, I’m looking at meadows and woods for The Vellum Scribe. The Vellum Scribe A monkish scribe. A gored noble. A tantalizing daughter.Argolicus unravels the threads. When Argolicus’ pious uncle arrives to complete…
