Writing Mysteries

• Publisher:   Writers Digest Books
• Number Of Pages:   256
• Publication Date:   2002-04-22
• ISBN-10 / ASIN:   1582971021
• ISBN-13 / EAN:   9781582971025

Writing mystery fiction can be a special kind of puzzle. In this new, revised edition of the Mystery Writers of America classic, Sue Grafton weaves the experience of today's top mystery authors into a comprehensive mystery writing "how-to." Writers will learn how to piece a perfect mystery together and create realistic stories that are taut, immediate and fraught with tension.

The book's contributors include a "who's who" of the mystery writing elite: Faye and Jonathan Kellerman on conducting accurate research; Michael Connelly on mastering characterization; Tony Hillerman on writing without an outline; Lawrence Block on overcoming writer's block; Sara Paretsky on creating successful series characters; Tess Gerritson on writing the medical thriller; Ann Rule on the art of writing true crime. And many more!

The mystery, like other stories, relies on believable characters, a strong narrative, and crisp prose. But it is also "a way of examining the dark side of human nature," says Writing Mysteries editor Sue Grafton. The book's 37 contributors ponder everything from brainstorming ideas to dealing with editors. Jeremiah Healy jump-starts the book with a piece that considers the unwritten "rules" of mystery writing. Stuart Kaminsky discusses research--experts, it turns out, are just waiting for you to contact them--and Sandra Scoppettone discusses vivid villains. Sara Paretsky contemplates the pitfalls of using a recurring hero, and Michael Connelly contributes a fine piece on characterization. "The best crime novels," Connelly says, "are not about how a detective works on a case; they are about how a case works on a detective." Other chapters focus on amateur sleuths, convincing dialogue, depiction of violence, and specialty genres. The book's short chapters form a sort of mystery writer's antipasti plate. Some won't resonate, while others will leave you wishing you had a larger serving. An ideal primer for mystery writers. --Jane Steinberg

The product arrived later than I like, but in reasonable time. It was also in excellent shape, and its contents was very informative.

There is much to learn writing in the mystery genre, and these masters freely give of their time and knowledge as they share the results of their experience. Writing Mysteries is divided into three parts: Preparation, the Process, and Specialties. Essays provided by over three dozen mystery authors include examples from their published works. The preparation begins with how to bend, not break, the rules of mystery writing. The section continues with how to keep a work schedule, and how to research and create background, location, and setting. The process involves the beginning, middle, and end of each story. Character development plays an important role in establishing the beginning of a good mystery. Outlining and point of view are also discussed. In the middle, the reader learns the art of writing convincing dialogue, pacing, suspense, including such plot devices such as clues and red herrings. The end portion of the process notes how important a plausible ending is to the story and how important it is that the writer know what the end of the story will be right from the beginning. Also important is how to revise the story, finding and working with an agent, and how to market the writer's next bestseller. Finally, specialty mysteries such as short stories, medical and legal thrillers, historical, true crime, and young adult are addressed. Not only will the reader of this marvelous compilation glean a wealth of important information geared toward their success as a writer, they will sit at the feet of talented well-known published writers of mysteries, thrillers, and true crime novels. Sue Grafton successfully entered the field of mystery writing in 1982, and from her experience has gathered an incredible treasure trove of information. This anthology is highly recommended for any writer desiring to write saleable mysteries.
Writing Mysteries

This is an easy-to-read collection of essays written by mystery writers. Authors include Lawrence Block, Michael Connelly, Tony Hillerman, Faye and Jonathan Kellerman, Ann Rule, Sara Paretsky, Bill Granger, and others. There are 35 entries or chapters that range from how to create characters to marketing to dialogue--and everything else a mystery writer has to deal with. Some of the short chapters are better than others, but I believe there are enough solid nuggets of info in these pages to improve just about any writer. The sections include Preparation, The Process, and Specialties. In this last section chapters focus on children's books, the short story, the medical and legal thriller, historical mysteries, true crime, and more. There's even a section where the writers pick their favorite books and authors. This is an excellent book for someone contemplating writing their first mystery as well as experienced mystery writers who want to improve their skills.

I've always had a mystery novel floating around inside my head, so with my husband's encouragement, I thought I'd give it a whirl! Before I start, though, I want to make sure I really know what I'm doing, so I bought this book (no sense in getting a brand new copy if a used copy will do!). I've skimmed through it, and it looks just like what I was hoping for. With the holidays approaching faster than I'd like, I need to wait until the 'dead' of January to start! My first impression is that this book will definitely give me the guidelines I've wanted, and I know Ms. Grafton won't steer me wrong!

I used this book as a way to refresh my perspective on a mystery novel after finishing a second draft. I highlighted perhaps a dozen relevant/useful passages in the entire 300-page book. There are a handful of interesting ideas, but the biggest challenge I encountered is that the quality of the advice is entirely dependent on the author of each chapter - so, if what you want to learn about happens to have been written about by an average advice-giver, you're out of luck. For a better treatment - more concise and productive, and of better quality throughout - consider Hallie Ephron's "Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel."

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