You Can Write a Mystery

by Roberts, Gillian

• ISBN13: 9780898798630
• ISBN10: 0898798639
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-08-01
• Publisher: Writers Digest Books

Summary

"The 'rules' that govern the mystery are the rules that govern all fiction. Every novel needs suspense and drama," says Roberts. With this book you'll learn how to build your story from the grave up. Roberts focuses on what she calls the "SEVEN C'S", why you need them and how they help your story. She offers examples and exercises that will help you complete your story filled with cliffhangers, intriguing characters and hooks. This book also offers practical suggestions for handling problems likely to arise during the writing process. Along the way, Robert's will teach you:- The 15 commandments for mystery- How to design your sleuth- The Seven Cs your book can't do without - characters, conflict, causality, complications, change, crisis and closure- How to hide clue, and exploit red-herrings- Research techniques- How to develop a style, find a tone and construct a killer plotYou Can Write A Mystery, offers practical guidance for the first-time writer. Its easy-to-understand format will help the most amateur to become a mystery writer. In addition to the practical writing advice supplied, Roberts also offers expert advice for editing, revising and submitting a top-notch manuscript.Author Gillian Roberts has written more than nine mysteries. Her books are frequently featured by the Mystery Guild Book Club. She also teaches Creative Writing at the University of San Francisco and the College of Marin.

Author Biography

Gillian Roberts teaches Creative Writing at the University of San Francisco and the College of Marin.

Table of Contents

Introduction	p. 1
Getting Ready	p. 2
The Basic Elements	p. 6
Amateur or Pro, Series or Stand-Alone	p. 12
Where Do You Get Ideas?	p. 17
Developing Sleuths, Villains and Victims	p. 21
Where in the World Will Your World Be?	p. 28
A Point or Two on Point of View	p. 36
Plotting, or Learning to Think Backward	p. 45
What You Don't Know	p. 55
Making the Reader Care	p. 60
Structuring Your Mystery	p. 65
Time Out: Housekeeping and the Midbook Blues	p. 76
Bringing Characters of Life	p. 79
Talk About Dialogue	p. 85
Now You See It, Now You Don't: Hiding Clues	p. 95
With a Little Help From My Friends	p. 101
What Did You Say? The Macro Edit	p. 106
Finding Your Voice: The Micro Edit	p. 110
To Market, To Market	p. 117
Index	p. 122
Table of Contents provided by Blackwell. All Rights Reserved.