Between Heartbeats
In her newly released book, Between Heartbeats, Donelle Knudsen asks, “Can life change between heartbeats?” Diana awakens on her seventeenth birthday in a joyful mood. But at breakfast she is told, during a heated argument with her mother, that the man she has loved as her father is not her father at all. Diana decides to unravel the mystery of her childhood and the reason for their secrets and travels across the country to… Read More
Mystery Story Structure, by Maureen McQuerry, based on Hallie Ephron
MYSTERY STRUCTURE — HALLIE EPHRON ACT I ACT II ACT III Introduction of the crime (mystery) and the sleuth Direct the investigation toward a conclusion which later proves to be erroneous.Change of focus and scope of the investigation. This is the pivotal point in the story where it become evident that the sleuth was on the wrong track. Something unexpected occurs, such as the appearance of a second body, the death of… Read More
Plotting the Mystery Novel, from ticket2write
From: http://ticket2write.tripod.com/id28.html The classic mystery is popular fiction which follows a specific formula. Clever writers may try to change the formula, but the most clever will cling to it for a very good reason. They work within the bounds of the formula because it works! The following outline serves the modern mystery novel, as defined by editors and publishers. A typical story will contain 60,000 to 65,000 words (205 manuscript pages) and… Read More
Pardon My French
Allen Johnson‘s latest book, Pardon My French: How a Grumpy American Fell in Love with France, is scheduled for release in October but you can pre-order it now. Here’s the skinny, from Amazon: To make a friend is a joy. To make a friend in another country is a wonderment—a small miracle. Pardon My French follows the lives of an American couple who have embraced a daunting mission: Not to be spectators in France, but… Read More
Pacific Northwest Author Event
Come join several Pacific Northwest authors, August 8, at a book signing at Barnes and Noble from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, followed by an Author Panel and Reception from 5:00 to 6:30 pm at the Kennewick Branch of the Mid-Columbia Libraries.
5 Questions You Must Immediately Ask Yourself Upon Finishing Your First Draft, by Voyage Media
From: http://voyagemedia.com/so-you-finished-your-scriptnow-what You’ve finished your script! Now what? Well, give yourself a pat on the back and take a moment to appreciate your labor of love… Now roll up your sleeves and make a fresh pot of coffee because it’s time to get back to work! The first thing you should do immediately upon finishing your first draft is think about your next draft, and that means asking yourself some tough yet necessary… Read More
4 Questions Agents Ask Writers at Pitch Sessions, by Chuck Sambuchino
From: http://www.writersdigest.com/editor-blogs/guide-to-literary-agents/4-questions-agents-ask-at-pitch-sessions?et_mid=761343&rid=239534100 Over the years, as I’ve written both KidLit and adult fiction, I have participated in several agent pitches and critique sessions. I’ve read every article I could get my hands on discussing how to deliver your pitch, or how to gracefully listen to constructive criticism. But what continues to surprise me are the questions that agents ask of me. I’d like to share the questions I’ve encountered in hopes that… Read More
Dramatic Structure and Plot, by Hallie Ephron
…or how to keep your story from circling the drain From: http://mysterywriters.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/Ephron_-_Plotting_-_Website.pdf As I was planning to teach my first session for MWA University on dramatic structure and plot, I thought a lot about what works in a mystery novel and what doesn’t. After all, I write them. I read gobs of them. Is plotting simply sequencing scenes?