Introduction to the mystery -- Hacking your way into a killer mystery market -- Sell to the mainstream, small presses, audio, and e-books -- What's a mystery, anyway? -- Defining the genres -- The Chinese law of secrecy -- A key to keeping the writing engine revved -- The plot's the thing -- To outline or not to outline? (A good question) -- Pre-plotting essentials, chapter organization, and proposals -- The starter's pistol -- Beginning the mystery that has a chance for publication -- The investigation follows -- Indispensable story arcs, conflict, and plot development -- The killer unmasked -- Revealing secrets and building the novel's conclusion -- The old red herring and other necessary tricks -- Proven plot devices -- Accessories to the fact -- Plot vs. character -- Balancing your mystery to meet editors' demands -- The "who's" in the whodunit -- What makes viable primary and secondary characters? -- Offering testimony -- Effective dialogue explained -- The scene of the crime -- Setting and atmosphere -- Pinning down the details -- How to cultivate the research habit -- The stolen kiss -- Adding romance to your mystery, but judiciously -- The bloody deed -- Violence is an integral part of the mystery genre -- Similar offenses -- Mysteries come in an abbreviated form -- Short stories and other mystery variations -- A strategy for writing the mystery short -- From idea to finalization -- Five specific clues to the crime brief -- What short mystery fiction requires in order to work -- Getting the story straight -- Now, maximize your writing sizzle -- Techniques that improve your writing presentation -- Sweating on a chain gang -- Exercises to add impact and polish -- Eight common writer misdemeanors -- Mistakes to avoid -- Logical consistency counts -- Maintaining rationality on all levels -- To vary forms is very important -- An essential for spicing up your narrative style -- Get the dead out -- Avoid passive writing by developing active voice -- The writer sings -- Your voice is unique -- Time off for self-editing -- Tips for revising -- After the fact -- The author's summation -- How to summarize the mystery so you can sell -- The hired gun -- Acquiring an agent, what to expect from the relationship -- Submitting the package -- Prepare your novel for submission -- Taking out a contract -- What to consider before signing -- Joining a gang -- Mystery writing groups for networking fun -- Taking the rap -- Promote your mystery as only you can -- Private security detail -- Avoid the ever-present pitfalls of publishing schemes -- Keeping a series alive -- Longevity means skillful innovation -- On the witness stand -- For the record -- Author interviews -- and their advice to new writers: Elmore Leonard ; Dale Furutani ; Sujata Massey ; William Kent Krueger ; Laura Lippman ; S.J. Rozan ; Linda Fairstein ; Larry Karp ; Rick Riordan ; Seymour Shubin ; Kris Neri -- Under interrogation -- A final deposition -- Frequently asked questions, answered by the author -- Index.
|
