Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel

by Hallie Ephron

Book 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... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1582973768
• ISBN13: 9781582973760
• Release Date: September 2005
• Publisher: Writer's Digest Books
• Length: 256 Pages
• Weight: 0.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

Midwest Book Review: December 2006 Issue

Hallie Ephron's new How-To book is one of the best books on writing mysteries that I've ever read. Ephron, one half of the best-selling mystery duo G.H. Ephron, knows exactly how to construct interesting, twisty, and effective plots and characters, and she doesn't hesitate to divulge her secrets. The book is divided into four sections: Planning, Writing, Revising, and Selling Your Mystery Novel. She provides apt examples, excellent charts, and interactive exercises that will help both the neophyte and the long-time practitioner. She includes an appendix of resources as well. As SJ Rozan writes in her introduction: "The map in this book will make the process of writing your novel controllable, understandable, and as close to fun as it gets. You'll still have to do the work; this book won't write your book. But it will show you what work to do, so you can plan, structure, and write. And revise, rework, and rewrite. It will show you how to start, what to do when you're mired in the middle, and how to come to a triumphant finish. And, if you're still standing, it will help you market it to an agent an editor so that your book can end up, finally, in the hands of those most elusive, legendary, and desirable inhabitants of this loony Land: readers." If you've ever wanted to write mysteries or if you seek merely to improve your mystery-writing craft and technique, this book will help you get there. Run right out and get this one. I can't recommend it highly enough. ~Lori L. Lake, Midwest Book Review

Clear and Detailed Information for Learning and Applying to Your Writing Habits

At the heart of every mystery novel lies a puzzle for the story's hero, and the reader, to solve. In the beginning the mystery seems to be about one thing, but in the end it turns out to be about something else. To make it work, the writer develops a string of events and presents them in a series of twists and turns. The main story is tangled with sub plots and complicated by characters that may or may not have something to hide. Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel takes you from planning a mystery novel to targeting potential markets and agents. Beginning with the premise and continuing through to title selection, Part I provides a step-by-step guide to the process of planning a mystery novel. At the end of each Chapter the writer is instructed to add to the blueprint at the end of the section. The blueprint is the basic framework for a novel. By the end of the planning section the writer has a completed blueprint and is ready to write. From the mystery novel's opening scene to its coda, Part II provides a guide to the writing process. It discusses crafting scenes, introducing characters, creating mystery and maintaining suspense. This is where the real work begins -- writing the first draft. Part III suggests a range of techniques for polishing a novel. No one writes a publishable first draft. This section guides the reader through revision, pacing and characterization. The final section gives tips on finding an agent and a publisher. Part IV shows how to prepare a query packet and send a manuscript out into the world. If the mystery is a good one it will find a home.

Charts and more charts!

So many writing books talk in general terms. Not this one! He has his charts followed with blank "Now You Try" charts: "Making the Leap from Idea to Premise," "Appearance: Conveying and Hiding," many different character charts for sleuth & victim & suspects & innocent people, charts for settings, planning & plotting charts, charts for picking a title, scene sketch. He gets into POV--with some charts! He has a good chapter on clues and red herrings. Charts for action scenes and "introspective" scenes. And great stuff about the final write wrap up scene he calls "coda." This is a great book for beginners and advanced alike! Now, I'm off to put some of these on my computer.

Best How-To On Mysteries Yet

While Carolyn Wheat and James Frey's books are excellent, Hallie Ephron's book is even better, spending lots of concrete and practical time on planning before you begin writing. Her examples are contemporary and clear, and her interactive worksheets are even better. Since I need to do lots of outlining before I start writing, this book gave me specific ways of strenthening my own process and planning, especially plotting, my personal weakness. Her advice on queries, synopses, and finding an agent or publisher were also clear and realistic--I have some of the same rejection letters she shows, maybe from the same agents. She also lists several references and websites as other resources, many of which were new to me. All in all, this is the best book on writing mysteries I've found, and I know I'll wear it out going back to re-read it.

A must-have for mystery writers!

With Hallie Ephron, you get a wise mentor, a compassionate and savvy best friend, and a secret weapon: insight and instruction from a successful pro and her impressive posse of mystery-author stars. It's like having your own personal writing teacher and coach--every question you have is answered, as well as the ones you wouldn't know to ask. Fun to read, innovatively and imaginatively organized, and as interactive as the reader chooses to make it, this is sure to become a keep-on-your-desk classic, and a much-used, well-worn reference book. This is definitely not just for newbies--but word to the wise: Mystery-writer wannabes will want to be the first to read it--so their competitors in this demanding market won't get their hands on the good stuff first.