Overview
Solve the MYSTERY of how to write and sell a KILLER story!
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.
This comprehensive guide covers every aspect of mystery writing, including:
- planning, twisting the plot, and constructing a credible surprise ending
- creating a compelling sleuth and a worthy villain
- deceiving and revealing with red herrings and clues
- writing investigation, spine-tingling suspense, and dramatic action
- revising - from sharpening characters, to optimizing pace, to smithing words
- engaging the reader
By the time you finish reading part one of this book, you will have a blueprint for your entire story. Parts two and there take your blueprint from idea to well-polished novel. Part four is an insider's guide to getting it into an agent's or publisher's hands.
Synopsis
How to write a page-turner is no mystery with this thorough and authoritative guide. Successful mystery writer Hallie Ephron's Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel:
*Features comprehensive instruction, exercises, and worksheets for mystery writers of all levels
*Addresses all subgenres of mystery from hardboiled crimes and cozies to romantic thrillers and medical mysteries
*Covers how to grab readers from the first chapter, how to construct effective plots, and how to revise and submit mysteries to publishers
Ephron takes the mystery out of the writing process, making it less daunting for beginners and more efficient for experienced writers.