All Blog Posts Tagged 'clues' (7)

Been wrestling with the plot of DI Andy Horton crime novel number eight and finally won after several exhausting rounds

I’ve spent the weekend wrestling with the plot of the DI Andy Horton crime novel I’m currently writing, which is number eight in the series, and I’m pleased to say that I finally won after several rounds. The outcome is looking satisfactory. It may seem strange to someone who doesn’t write novels and in particular crime novels that I have…

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Added by Pauline Rowson on August 8, 2011 at 8:08pm — No Comments

The Limits of Teasing Readers

Okay, Author, you've got a big secret in your book, something that happened to the main character in the past that has a bearing on how he/she acts today. Here are Peg's rules for dealing with it:

First, refer to it sparingly. I get tired of being reminded that there's something you know that I don't.

Second, make the clues progressive, so I have a chance of figuring it out, at least partly, before the end.

Third, the secret had better be good enough when I get there to…

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Added by Peg Herring on May 10, 2011 at 3:51am — No Comments

Can We Talk about Dialogue?

Can We Talk? Dialogue Can Be So Dramatic & Romantic

by Rob Walker

Let’s start with the…

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Added by robert walker on May 25, 2010 at 4:05pm — No Comments

The Tangled Web of a Mystery Plot

I hope all you mystery readers appreciate the work we writers put into killing people.

For me, a plot has to make sense, be satisfying, and follow logically. I try very hard to avoid TSTL moments (too stupid to live) where a character goes after the killer alone, at night, in a swamp, in high heels or whatever.

I want my readers to have a fair shot at identifying the killer, but I really hope they are surprised, too. In the book I finished reading this morning at breakfast, the…

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Added by Peg Herring on April 22, 2010 at 10:49pm — 8 Comments

Leaping, Solving, and the Hunch

One problem I face as a mystery writer (and reader) is how smart the protagonist gets to be. Even when I was a kid I knew that Sherlock Holmes was often way off in his self-proclaimed "logical deductions". Saying that a man's wife no longer loves him because his coat has a loose button is beyond ridiculous, and such Holmes moments have been spoofed many times by comedians better at it than I.

But here's the thing with mysteries: writers have to make leaps sometimes to make the story… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on November 27, 2009 at 10:30pm — 1 Comment

CRAFTING TWISTS AND DROPPING CLUES

Today I gave a mini version to the Las Vegas Quill Keepers of the workshop I'll be presenting at the Las Vegas Writers Conference in April 2010...in...where else? Las Vegas. The title is "Crafting Twists and Dropping Clues." It was very well received, so I can't wait to present it complete with Power Point and a short interactive workshop.

While preparing the presentation, I realized that one of my all-time favorite Twist and Clue movies was "The Usual Suspects." I revisited it and… Continue

Added by Morgan St. James on November 15, 2009 at 2:21pm — No Comments

Launching an Investigation

I tried watching LIE TO ME last night and found it disappointing on a number of levels. One that sticks in my mind this morning is the protag's lack of any real reason to begin an investigation. I know, TV shows have to get into the action quickly, and we're supposed to believe that this man has an instinct for such things. I will let it go.

In my own work, however, I try for a higher standard. I ask myself, "Are my protags justified?" in each step of the mystery. In the first place,… Continue

Added by Peg Herring on April 2, 2009 at 9:54pm — 6 Comments