Writing & Selling Your Mystery Novel

by Ephron, Hallie

• ISBN13: 9781582973760
• ISBN10: 1582973768
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-09-01
• Publisher: Writers Digest Books

Summary

With the help of interactive exercises, mystery author and crime fiction critic Hallie Ephron gives you the momentum you need to turn a kernel of an idea into an intriguing mystery novel. You'll learn to capitalize on your writing strengths and shore up your weaknesses.

Table of Contents

Foreword
Introduction	1	(9)
How This Book Works	10	(2)
PART 1: PLANNING	12	(80)
Part 1: Introduction	13	(1)
The Premise	14	(4)
The Mystery Sleuth	18	(18)
The Crime, Victim's Secrets	36	(4)
The Villain	40	(5)
Innocent Suspects	45	(5)
The Supporting Cast	50	(7)
Setting	57	(12)
Staking Out the Plot	69	(13)
Picking a Title	82	(10)
A Blueprint for Planning a Mystery Novel	86	(6)
PART 2: WRITING	92	(106)
Part 2: Introduction	93	(3)
Writing a Dramatic Opening	96	(7)
Introducing the Protagonist	103	(5)
Introducing Major and Minor Characters	108	(11)
Dramatizing Scenes, Making Chapters	119	(7)
Point of View	126	(13)
Writing Dialogue	139	(6)
Creating a Sense of Place	145	(7)
Writing Investigation: Clues, Red Herrings, and Misdirection	152	(11)
Writing Suspense	163	(8)
Writing Action	171	(8)
Puzzling it Out: Writing Reflection	179	(7)
Layering in Backstory	186	(8)
Writing the Coda	194	(4)
PART 3: REVISING	198	(26)
Part 3: Introduction	199	(2)
Flying High: Fixing Plot and Character	201	(5)
Flying Low: Polishing Scenes and Sentences	206	(9)
Hearing Criticism, Finding Your Own Fix	215	(9)
PART 4: SELLING YOUR MYSTERY NOVEL	224	(18)
Part 4: Introduction	225	(1)
Targeting Agents	226	(4)
Targeting Small or Independent Presses	230	(4)
Putting Together a Query Packet	234	(8)
Appendix of Resources for Mystery Writers	242	(4)
Index	246