Download or read book The Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery written by Robert J. Ray and published by Dell. This book was released on 2011-08-10 with total page 273 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Like Agatha Christie and Raymond Chandler, Sara Paretsky and Thomas Harris, you, too, can learn the trade secrets of quality detective fiction. It's true. Just one year from now, you can deliver a completed mystery novel to a publisher--by writing only on weekends. Authors Robert J. Ray and Jack Remick guide you through the entire mystery-writing process, from creating a killer to polishing off the final draft. Each weekend you'll focus on a specific task--learning the basics of novel-writing, the special demands of mystery-writing, and the secrets professionals use to create stories one scene at a time, building to a shivery, satisfying climax. Using Agatha Christie's The Body in the Library as a model for the classical mystery tale and Martin Cruz Smith's Gorky Park for the hard-boiled mystery, this unique step-by-step program gives you all the information you need to reach your ultimate goal: a finished book in just 52 weeks! Let two successful masters of the genre show you how... Discover: Why you must create your killer first The tricks to writing dialogue that does it all--moves your plot, involves your reader, and makes your style sizzle How to "bury" information (and corpses) for your reader to find Why you should NOT build your book around chapters Special techniques for clearing writer's block Plus: examples from Sue Grafton, Dashiell Hammett, Patricia Cornwell, Thomas Harris, Raymond Chandler, and more.
Download or read book The Weekend Novelist written by Robert J. Ray and published by Billboard Books. This book was released on 2011-08-24 with total page 289 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Who doesn't dream of writing a novel while holding on to a day job? Robert J. Ray and coauthor Bret Norris can help readers do just that, with this proven practical and accessible step-by-step guide to completing a novel in just a year's worth of weekends. The Weekend Novelist shows writers of all levels how to divide their writing time into weekend work sessions, and how to handle character, scene, and plot. This new, revised version is far more skills-based than its predecessor, and includes both classic and contemporary literature models, contains a sample "Novel in Progress," and at the end offers readers the choice to rewrite their novel, draft a memoir, or turn their rough draft into a screenplay. Readers for a decade have been instructed and inspired by The Weekend Novelist. This new edition will help many more strive to realize their writing potential. • Offers a practical, structured approach to finishing a novel • Ray has taught more than 10,000 students over 25 years and continues to teach new classes that attract new readers to his books
Download or read book The Weekend Novelist Rewrites the Novel written by Robert J. Ray and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2010-02-16 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This follow-up to the bestselling The Weekend Novelist will guide writers of all levels through the next phase in crafting their novel: the rewrite. You’ve finished your first draft—congratulations! Think it’s ready for publication? Think again. The next stage is all about revising and reworking your manuscript—fine-tuning the plot, adding or improving subplots, and fleshing out characters; in short, addressing important structural issues that make or break a novel. Robert J. Ray, who helped thousands of writers get from blank page to first draft in The Weekend Novelist, now guides the same audience through a series of seventeen weekend revision exercises designed to fit into any busy lifestyle, focusing on everything from rewriting scenes to developing sound flashbacks to refining characters’ back stories. Throughout the book, Ray illustrates his lessons with examples from such great works of literature as Jane Eyre, Gorky Park, and The Great Gatsby so that writers may more easily identify how and why a certain technique or structural element helps or hinders their own work. Also included are checklists, timed exercises, plot diagrams, and charts—all aimed to get you rewriting and revising your draft with confidence. Whether you’re an amateur novelist, a seasoned writer who’s hit a mental block, or a creative writing teacher looking for proven exercises for better instruction, The Weekend Novelist Rewrites the Novel provides the tools to transform first drafts into successful novels.
Download or read book How to Write a Mystery written by Mystery Writers of America and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2022-04-12 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From 70 of the most successful mystery writers in the business, an invaluable guide to crafting mysteries—from character development and plot to procedurals and thrillers—“this is a writing guide that readers and writers will turn to again and again” (Booklist, starred review). Mystery Writers of America (MWA) is known for providing unparalleled resources on the craft, art, and business of storytelling, helping writers of all levels improve their skills for nearly a century. Now, this handbook helps authors navigate the ever-shifting publishing landscape—from pacing, plotting, the business side of publishing, to the current demand for diversity and inclusivity across all genres, and more. Featuring essays by a new generation of bestselling experts on various elements of the craft and shorter pieces of crowd-sourced wisdom from the MWA membership as a whole, the topics covered can be categorized as follows: —Before Writing (rules; genres; setting; character; research; etc.) —While Writing (outlining; the plot; dialogue; mood; etc.) —After Writing (agents; editors; self-pub; etc.) —Other than Novels (short stories; true crime; etc.) —Other Considerations (diverse characters; legal questions; criticism) Also included is a collection of essays from MWA published authors—including Jeffery Deaver, Tess Gerritsen, and Charlaine Harris—selected by bestselling authors Lee Child and Laurie King and arranged thematically answering, “What piece of writing advice do you wish you’d had at the beginning of your career?” “Everything you wanted to know about how to plan, draft, write, revise, publish, and market a mystery” (Kirkus Reviews), this inclusive manual provides practical, current, easily digestible advice for new and established authors alike.
Download or read book How to Fix Your Novel written by Steve Alcorn and published by Createspace Independent Publishing Platform. This book was released on 2012-03-04 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Have you started a novel, only to get part way into the manuscript and find yourself stuck? Or do you have an idea for a novel, but aren't sure where to begin? Have you completed a first draft, but feel it doesn't quite have the luster of professional writing? In this lively and fun-to-read guide, Steve Alcorn shows you the remedies you need to achieve success. Step by step, you'll breathe life into old manuscripts, create new novels that read like bestsellers, and put the spark back into your writing life. Topics include: Story Structure Character Building Viewpoint Tense Voice Setting Conflict Suspense Mystery Dialogue Writing Big Beginnings and Endings Getting Published Whether you're a first time novelist still planning your story, or an experienced author looking for ways to bring your fiction to life, How to Fix Your Novel is the ideal prescription.
Download or read book How to Write a Mystery written by Larry Beinhart and published by Ballantine Books. This book was released on 2010-12-01 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: WHODUNIT? YOUDUNIT! So you want to write a mystery. There's more to it than just a detective, a dead body, and Colonel Mustard in the drawing room with the candlestick. Fortunately, Larry Beinhart--Edgar Award-winning author of You Get What You Pay For, Foreign Exchange, and American Hero--has taken a break from writing smart, suspenseful thrillers to act as your guide through all the twists and turns of creating the twists and turns of a good mystery. Drawing on advice and examples from a host of the best names in mystery writing--from Raymond Chandler and Mickey Spillane to Scott Turow and Thomas Harris--plus some of his own prime plots, Larry Beinhart introduces you to your most indispensable partners in crime: *Character, plot, and procedure * The secrets to creating heroes, heroines, and villains ("All writers draw upon themselves and their experience. While the whole of yourself might not be capable of being either a serial killer or an FBI agent, there are parts in each of us that are capable of almost anything.") * The fine art of scripting the sex scene *The low-down on violence ("A crime novel without violence is like smoking pot without inhaling, sex without orgasm, or a hug without a squeeze." ) *And much more! From the opening hook to the final denouement, Larry Beinhart takes the mystery out of being a mystery writer.
Download or read book Writing the Modern Mystery written by Barbara Norville and published by . This book was released on 1992 with total page 234 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A mystery editor shows how to write tightly crafted novels that will sell to today's editors, including instruction on the various types of mysteries.
Download or read book Writing a Wrong written by Betty Hechtman and published by Severn House Publishers Ltd. This book was released on 2021-08-01 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Writer for Hire Veronica Blackstone’s latest client is found dead and police suspect a burglary gone wrong, but Veronica isn’t convinced in this intriguingly plotted mystery. As a writer for hire, Veronica Blackstone puts her keyboard to use to help others. That includes writing advertising copy for local businesses, and love letters for those needing romantic help. Tony Richards needs the latter. Debonair, charismatic, handsome, Tony seems like the last person who’d need help with love letters, but help him Veronica does . . . only, Tony owes her money and won’t tell her anything about the woman she’s writing the love letters for. That’s not how Veronica normally works. When Tony is found dead, his real name is revealed as Ted Roberts. The police think his death was part of a burglary gone wrong, but Veronica isn’t convinced. Why did he lie about his name? Who were the love letters for? And could they hold the key to his death?
Download or read book Untold Damage written by Robert K. Lewis and published by Llewellyn Worldwide. This book was released on 2013 with total page 290 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Estranged from his wife and daughter, former undercover cop Mark Mallen has spent the last four years in a haze of heroin. And when his best friend from the academy, Eric Russ, is murdered, all the evidence points to Mallen as the prime suspect. Now Mallen's former colleagues on the force are turning up the heat and Russ's survivors are in desperate need of answers. But if he wants to serve justice to the real killer, Mallen knows he'll have to get clean. Turning a life around is murder for a junkie, especially when two low-life thugs want him dead. Bruised, battered, and written off by nearly everyone, Mallen must make amends for his damaged past and restore hope for a better future."--Back cover.
Download or read book Theory of Prose written by Виктор Шкловский and published by Dalkey Archive Press. This book was released on 1991 with total page 244 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Viktor Shklovsky's 1925 book Theory of Prose might have become the most important work of literary criticism in the twentieth century had not two obstacles barred its way: the crackdown by the Soviet dictatorship on Shklovsky and other Russian Formalists in the 1930s, and the unavailability of an English translation. Now translated in its entirety for the first time, Theory of Prose not only anticipates structuralism and post-structuralism, but poses questions about the nature of fiction that are as provocative today as they were in the 1920s. Arguing that writers structure their material according to artistic principles rather than from attempts to imitate "reality," Shklovsky uses Cervantes, Tolstoi, Sterne, Dickens, Bely, and Rozanov to give us a new way of thinking about fiction and, in his most impassioned moments, about the world. Benjamin Sher's lucid translation will allow Shklovsky's Theory of Prose to fulfill its destiny as a major theoretical work of the twentieth century." from back cover.
Download or read book Figure Eight written by Jeff Nania and published by Feet Wet Writing. This book was released on 2019-01-01 with total page 278 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A shattered career. A crooked lawyer. An unsolved murder. Seeking peace in the Northwoods is fraught with danger. 2020 Midwest Book Awards Mystery/Thriller Winner Every night John Cabrelli relives the tragic events that ended his career. While struggling to find himself again, John inherits his uncle's cabin and returns to the lake where he spent much of his youth. Little does John know that danger waits for him when he uncovers suspicious circumstances of his uncle's death. Few people will talk about it as John unravels a mystery that could forever change the landscape. Award-winning author, conservationist, and retired decorated law enforcement officer Jeff Nania weaves a thrilling tale of murder and deceit, family and traditions, redemption and second chances. John Cabrelli’s story continues in book two, Spider Lake: A Northern Lakes Mystery. C. J. Box, William Kent Krueger, Dana Stabenow, Louise Penny, and Victoria Houston fans love this new mystery series set in Wisconsin’s Northwoods. "Jeff Nania’s Figure Eight features a spellbinding storyline with more twists and turns than the number in its title. Nania writes with power and precision, humor and grace about land, legacy, loss, love, and the mysteries of (human) nature." — Joel Pace, Ph.D. Professor of English, University of Wisconsin "Nania presents us with well-developed and at times quirky characters, a fast-paced plot line, and some of the best twists in anything I've read this year." — Valerie Biel, Author
Download or read book DIY MFA written by Gabriela Pereira and published by Penguin. This book was released on 2016-07-08 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Get the Knowledge Without the College! You are a writer. You dream of sharing your words with the world, and you're willing to put in the hard work to achieve success. You may have even considered earning your MFA, but for whatever reason--tuition costs, the time commitment, or other responsibilities--you've never been able to do it. Or maybe you've been looking for a self-guided approach so you don't have to go back to school. This book is for you. DIY MFA is the do-it-yourself alternative to a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing. By combining the three main components of a traditional MFA--writing, reading, and community--it teaches you how to craft compelling stories, engage your readers, and publish your work. Inside you'll learn how to: • Set customized goals for writing and learning. • Generate ideas on demand. • Outline your book from beginning to end. • Breathe life into your characters. • Master point of view, voice, dialogue, and more. • Read with a "writer's eye" to emulate the techniques of others. • Network like a pro, get the most out of writing workshops, and submit your work successfully. Writing belongs to everyone--not only those who earn a degree. With DIY MFA, you can take charge of your writing, produce high-quality work, get published, and build a writing career.
Download or read book Bloody Murdock written by Robert J. Ray and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Being a bodyguard isn't his favorite gig, especially when the client is a high-handed number-cruncher like Ellis Dean. But Murdock is short on funds, and the case is a puzzler.
Download or read book Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel Revised and Expanded Edition written by Hallie Ephron and published by National Geographic Books. This book was released on 2017-01-13 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A Mystery Writers of America Edgar Award Finalist for Best Critical/Biographical Work Discover the secrets to crafting an unforgettable mystery! To piece together the puzzle of your mystery novel, you need patience, resilience, a solid understanding of the craft, and a clear blueprint for combining the plot, characters, setting, and more. And while patience and resilience must come from you, the essentials of craft and the plan to execute them are right at your fingertips with Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel. This completely revised and updated edition features solid strategies for drafting, revising, and selling an intriguing novel that grips your readers and refuses to let them go. New York Times best-selling author Hallie Ephron shows you how to: • Create a compelling sleuth and a worthy villain • Construct a plot rich in twists, red herrings, and misdirection • Bring the story to a satisfying conclusion • Sharpen characters and optimize pace during revision • Seek publication through both traditional and indie paths Filled with helpful worksheets and exercises for every step of the process, Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel Revised and Expanded reveals the keys to writing a memorable story that will have fans of mystery, suspense, and crime clamoring for more.
Download or read book The Oxford Companion to Crime and Mystery Writing written by Rosemary Herbert and published by Oxford University Press, USA. This book was released on 1999 with total page 535 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Entertaining and authoritative, this alphabetically arranged companion is an indispensable reference guide to crime and mystery writing. Unique in its biographical and critical treatment of major detective writers, it is a comprehensive digest to the gen
Download or read book I Don t Forgive You written by Aggie Blum Thompson and published by Forge Books. This book was released on 2021-06-08 with total page 306 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Perfect for book clubs or the beach, Aggie Blum Thompson's I Don't Forgive You is a page-turning, thrilling debut "not to be missed." (Wendy Walker) An accomplished photographer and the devoted mom of an adorable little boy, Allie Ross has just moved to an upscale DC suburb, the kind of place where parenting feels like a competitive sport. Allie’s desperate to make a good first impression. Then she’s framed for murder. It all starts at a neighborhood party when a local dad corners Allie and calls her by an old, forgotten nickname from her dark past. The next day, he is found dead. Soon, the police are knocking at her door, grilling her about a supposed Tinder relationship with the man, and pulling up texts between them. She learns quickly that she's been hacked and someone is impersonating her online. Her reputation—socially and professionally—is at stake; even her husband starts to doubt her. As the killer closes in, Allie must reach back into a past she vowed to forget in order to learn the shocking truth of who is destroying her life. At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
Download or read book The Necklace written by Matt Witten and published by Oceanview Publishing. This book was released on 2021-09-07 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The clock ticks down in a heart-pounding crusade for justice Susan Lentigo's daughter was murdered twenty years ago—and now, at long last, this small-town waitress sets out on a road trip all the way from Upstate New York to North Dakota to witness the killer's execution. On her journey she discovers shocking new evidence that leads her to suspect the condemned man is innocent—and the real killer is still free. Even worse, her prime suspect has a young daughter who's at terrible risk. With no money and no time to spare, Susan sets out to uncover the truth before an innocent man gets executed and another little girl is killed. But the FBI refuses to reopen the case. They—and Susan's own mother—believe she's just having an emotional breakdown. Reaching deep, Susan finds an inner strength she never knew she had. With the help of two unlikely allies—a cynical, defiant teenage girl and the retired cop who made the original arrest—Susan battles the FBI to put the real killer behind bars. Will she win justice for the condemned man—and her daughter—at last? Perfect for fans of Karin Slaughter and Harlan Coben Optioned for film—with Leonardo DiCaprio attached as producer
