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Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel: How to Knock 'Em Dead with Style
Nominated for a 2006 Edgar award for Best Critical/Biographical
The book that helps you master the art of mystery's misdirection
From Chapter One, Hallie Ephron offers solid advice that's easy to understand and put into practice. "This book is designed to be interactive," she advises. "It's loaded with examples for you to read and analyze. There
are Now You Try exercises to do on the spot and On Your Own end-of-chapter activities for follow-up. The more you do, the more you'll get out of it."
Divided into five parts, Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel starts you out with a plan and builds upon that information just like a detective builds his or her case-and just like you should build your story.
Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel will appeal to both new and experienced writers. It covers all subgenres from hardboiled crime and medical mysteries to cozies and romantic thrillers. Like an expert private eye, Hallie Ephron digs through every piece of the mystery writing process with such a fine-tooth comb that she misses nothing along the way.
it.
An overview
The book divides the writing process into five parts:
- Part I: Planning
Beginning with a premise, this section provides a step-by-step guide to the process of planning a mystery novel. As you complete each chapter, you’ll be instructed to go to the blueprint at the end of that section. Completing the blueprint is integral to the planning process. By the time you finish the Planning section, you’ll have a completed blueprint and be ready to write. - Part II: Writing
From compelling opening scene to climax to final coda, this section guides you through the writing process. It discusses writing scenes, introducing characters, writing the investigation, creating suspense and action, and suggests techniques to keep the reader turning the pages. - Part III: Revising
This section provides a range of techniques for polishing your novel within an inch of its life, as it must be in order to get out of an editor’s slush pile. The chapters guide you through the revision process, first flying at high altitude and examining big issues such as pacing and characterization, then flying low examining scenes, sentences, and phrases. - Part IV: Selling
This section provides tips on finding an agent and a publisher, and how to prepare a query packet and send it out into the world. It includes tips for formatting a professional-looking manuscript and advice on handling rejection. - Appendix of Resources for Mystery Writers.
Here you’ll find information about organizations, mystery conferences, contests, and guidebooks to all things mysterious.
Contents
Introduction
What is mystery fiction; series and standalones; what makes a mystery novel popular; a reading list to tune your ear; nesting instructions.
Part I: Planning
CHAPTER 1: THE PREMISE
Where to find ideas; making the leap from idea to premise; the perils and pitfalls of using real events and people.
CHAPTER 2: THE MYSTERY SLEUTH
Creating a sleuth with a dark past; researching your character; planning your sleuth, naming your sleuth.
CHAPTER 3: THE CRIME, VICTIM’S SECRETS
The victim and victim’s secrets that propel a mystery plot; making the crime matter to the sleuth.
CHAPTER 4: THE VILLAIN
Planning a villain worth pursuing; making the crime fit the villain.
CHAPTER 5: INNOCENT SUSPECTS
Making innocent suspects look guilty and guilty suspects look innocent; creating the thumbnail sketch.
CHAPTER 6: THE SUPPORTING CAST
Creating a real world; the second bananas; the adversary; other players.
CHAPTER 7: SETTING
When, where, backdrop; the pros and cons of including concurrent events; getting the information you need and making the most of it.
CHAPTER 8: STAKING OUT THE PLOT
The shape of a mystery novel: the sleuth’s quest, plot twists and dramatic climaxes; subplots; pages, scenes, chapters, and acts; to outline or not to outline; writing a before-the-fact synopsis.
CHAPTER 9: PICKING A TITLE
Finding a title that works for your book.
A BLUEPRINT FOR PLANNING A MYSTERY NOVEL
Part II: Writing
CHAPTER 10: WRITING DRAMATIC OPENING
Analyzing dramatic openings that work; sketching out and writing a dramatic opening that ends with forward momentum.
CHAPTER 11: INTRODUCING THE PROTAGONIST
Giving the reader the basics, making the character intriguing from the opening gun.
CHAPTER 12: INTRODUCING MAJOR AND MINOR CHARACTERS
Conjuring the details; the legal risks of basing characters on real people; introducing major characters, minor characters, and walk-ons; naming characters.
CHAPTER 13: DRAMATIZING SCENES, MAKING CHAPTERS
Turning a scene description into dramatic fiction; orienting the reader; putting in the payoff; the art of chapter transitions and pacing.
CHAPTER 14: POINT OF VIEW
The choices: first person, third person limited, multiple third person, omniscient; keeping the point of view anchored; making a narrator’s voice sing.
CHAPTER 15: WRITING DIALOGUE
Writing convincing dialogue; showing emotions; when to summarize instead.
CHAPTER 16: CREATING A SENSE PLACE
Uses of setting in a mystery novel; finding the telling details.
CHAPTER 17: WRITING INVESTIGATION (CLUES, RED HERRINGS, AND MISDIRECTION)
Writing observation; creating character dynamics with interrogation; mixing up the clues and red herrings; steering clear of confusion and coincidence.
CHAPTER 18: WRITING SUSPENSE
How to do it: turning up the sensory detail; turning down the velocity; modulating the tension; foreshadowing, the payoff.
CHAPTER 19: WRITING ACTION
How to do it: visualization in advance; speeding it up and slowing it down.
CHAPTER 20: PUZZLING IT OUT—WRITING REFLECTION
The essential role of reflection; how to write reflection in dialogue and internal dialogue; spicing it up with conflict.
CHAPTER 21: LAYERING IN BACKSTORY
Avoiding a backstory dump; layering in backstory where it resonates; techniques for layering in backstory.
CHAPTER 22: WRITING THE CODA
The purpose of a coda; crafting an effective coda; honing the final words.
Part III: Revising
CHAPTER 23: FLYING HIGH: FIXING PLOT AND CHARACTER
A step-by-step strategy for revising the big picture.
CHAPTER 24: FLYING LOW: POLISHING SCENES AND SENTENCES
A step-by-step strategy for revising the details.
CHAPTER 25: HEARING CRITICISM, FINDING YOUR OWN FIX
Tips for taking criticism and how to think past the offered fix; a word about book doctors and freelance editors.
Part IV: Selling
CHAPTER 26: TARGETING AGENTS
Agents, do you need one, and how to find one that’s right for you.
CHAPTER 27: TARGETING SMALL OR INDEPENDENT PRESSES
How to find a small press that’s right for you.
CHAPTER 28: PUTTING TOGETHER A QUERY PACKET
What makes a great query packet; sending out queries; submitting a professional manuscript; some advice about rejection.
Appendix of Resources
Groups
Guides to all things mysterious
Conferences
Sources for researching literary agents and publishers
Contests