Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #322611 in Books
• Published on: 2002-04-28
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 256 pages

Synopsis
Mystery fiction is a species all its own, and writing it can be a special type of puzzle. But with this book, a writer's conference of sorts, readers will learn how to make their stories more taut, more real, more immediate, and more fraught with tension. Because this book's contributors, all members of the Mystery Writers of America, have walked by night, they know mystery story form, and they'll help readers learn it. They know who moves in the shadows, and they'll introduce readers. They know how to tighten the screws of suspense, and they'll hand readers a screwdriver.

Customer Reviews

The Mystery Solved
I bought this book on the recommendation a lady who managed to get her first crime novel published and has gone on to become a sucessful writer. The thought-provoking articles and insights helped her enormously. They've helped me too.

I liked the multi-view approach. (There are 35 articles). I find the single perspective of most How-To guides an obstruction. What worked for the author doesn't necesarily work for me. With this book, I could read differing viewpoints. I got detailed explanations of how the authors approached, say, an outline - there was even an article on 'building without a blueprint'.

It worked for me and sparked some ideas for finding my own style.