I’ve been selling Youdunit Whodunit!, my little primer on writing mysteries, for several months.
Now, I’ve just launched a new book trailer for your enjoyment. It was an interesting challenge: my first non-fiction trailer. I decided to forgo music and go with narration.
Have a gander below. Love to know what you think!
Click here for more info and places to buy Youdunit Whodunit!. And thanks for your interest.
Sweet peas
Fall’s here on southern Vancouver Island and the air’s cooler, the ground wetter and my cottage garden’s beginning to fade.
Garden pots
Passion flower
As I strolled around yesterday, deadheading and pondering a new non-fiction book idea, I was struck and delighted at how much blooming colour still exists.
Front garden
Garden Jewel
One season down, another to come…and with it some Himalayan blue poppies, I hope!
Poached eggs
Intro: I’ve been teaching a writers’ workshop at our local Camosun College on how to write a mystery novel. My students are eating it up, telling me that they’re learning lots of practical and usable tips and techniques, so I thought I’d offer bits and pieces of the workshop in my new Friday Mystery Writing blog posts.
The information is gleaned from my little non-fiction e-book primer called Youdunit Whodunit! How to Write Mysteries and offers my tips, techniques and information suitable for crafting of all types of genre writing.
So, even if you write romance, sci-fi, fantasy or horror, please keep reading and learn with us crime writers.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT (Part 10)
The last group of posts have concentrated on the story structure of a mystery novel. Been there; done that. Now we’re onto developing characters or as I like to think of it: Ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille.
In the post on character development, I introduced an essential question: Who’s telling your story? You can have more than one storyteller but for our purposes, we’ll stick to one.
You need a point of view (POV) from which to tell your tale. There are two common POVs in fiction writing: First Person, which we discussed in our last post, and Third Person.
LEMME TELL IT MY WAY: Today, we’re beginning to discuss Third Person POV
Multiple Lion POVs (credit E. Polinsky)
Third Person POV can offer the writer some intimacy, mobility, control and flexibility. He or she may describe scenes before characters enter, may create different character voices and mix up times and locations. And best of all, the writer can split up the sleuthing responsibilities, perfect for those fun duo detective capers.
Contemplate this passage from THE WATCHERS OF TIME, by Charles Todd: (more…)
I’m a member of the Crime Writers of Canada, a terrific national organization for Canadian crime writers, associated professionals, and anyone else with a serious interest in Canadian crime writing.
Crime Writers of Canada logo
The CWC promotes Canadian crime/mystery/suspense writing and raises the profile of Canadian crime writers nationally and internationally.
And they’ve just launched a nifty info service (kudos to the amazing Cheryl Freeman), the Deadly Little Database, which compiles and organizes all members’ expertise. So, if you want to know about computer crime or exotic reptiles or pretty well anything else, you only have to look…
…of course, you have to be a member of the CWC first.
So, why not join us?
Intro: I’ve been teaching a writers’ workshop at our local Camosun College on how to write a mystery novel. My students are eating it up, telling me that they’re learning lots of practical and usable tips and techniques, so I thought I’d offer bits and pieces of the workshop in my new Friday Mystery Writing blog posts.
The information is gleaned from my little non-fiction e-book primer called Youdunit Whodunit! How to Write Mysteries and offers my tips, techniques and information suitable for crafting of all types of genre writing.
So, even if you write romance, sci-fi, fantasy or horror, please keep reading and learn with us crime writers.
CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT (Part 8b)
The last group of posts have concentrated on the story structure of a mystery novel. Been there; done that. Now we’re onto developing characters or as I like to think of it: Ready for my close-up, Mr. DeMille.
First Person POV Storyteller
You need a point of view (POV) from which to tell your tale. There are two common POVs in fiction writing: First Person and Third Person.
In first person POV, the story is told from a very personal point of view and uses the pronoun “I”, just like my coroner/athlete, Riley Quinn says in Teed Off!, “My ears roared with the sounds of my breathing, my blades…I don’t know what warned me but I was dodging just as I was hit. A blow to my left hip and suddenly my blades touched air, not asphalt.”
As I mentioned in the previous post, this is a great POV for newbie writers as it’s a natural and comfortable perspective for the writer.
HOWEVER… (more…)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Hey lovers of words and stories.
Welcome to The Novel Experience®, the podcast dedicated to the craft and art of fiction writing. Listen, enjoy and improve your chances of getting published!
The Novel Experience Podcast
Episode 4: The Bowdancer Part 1
Just launched the fourth episode where I begin a two-part chat with the prolific and genial North Dakota fantasy writer Janie Franz. (Duration: roughly 19 minutes)
Listen (above or below) as Janie generously reveals the twists and turns in her long journey into the publishing light, offers some insight into the fantasy genre and provides a few solid marketing tips. Discover which aspect of writing challenges Janie the most and what she does to survive it. (And no, it’s not eating chocolate fudge!)
The Novel Experience Podcast Ep. 4- Janie Franz
If you would like to hear my other Novel Experience interviews, please click The Novel Experience Podcast.
Buy Janie’s book:
This is really cool. I’ve just sold my first e-book through the British Amazon.co.uk website.
Cover for mystery writing primer, Youdunit Whodunit!
My little mystery writing primer, Youdunit Whodunit!, grabs these English kudos so bloody well done!
You may check out Youdunit and my other work at Amazon across the pond.
Cheerio!
I’m going to forgo my usual Friday mystery writing tip (my apologies to all three of you who are disappointed 
) to announce that I’m again teaching a half-day course on e-book publishing at Camosun College, Victoria, BC. The course is on Saturday, September 25th.
Here’s the blurb and a link to Camosun – Publish Your Own E-book to register.
Thinking about publishing your writing but struck out with traditional publishers? Don’t fancy the headache of self-publishing in print? Then it’s time to join the latest publishing sensation.
You can publish your magnum opus (or cookbook, or romance, or…) in an electronic book format, sell it through major online booksellers and receive above average royalties as easy as a,b,c…well, almost.
This course will introduce you to all things e-book including set-up and formatting, online bookselling sites, e-reader choices, cover image basics and marketing possibilities.
And it’s only $49.00 (plus the dreaded HST). We had a full house last time so register early. Love to see you there!
Good ol’ Smashwords.
Smashwords logo
They’ve entered into a partnership with one of the oldest and best ebook sites on the net: the Diesel Ebook Store.
Cooler still, most of my ebooks are now all available for sale through Diesel. This is amazing as I was unable to into Diesel on my own prior to joining Smashwords.
My new Diesel e-book links below:
- Self Publish Your E-Book in Minutes!
Hopefully, my little mystery writing primer, Youdunit Whodunit!, will soon join Diesel.
Now, if only Smashwords could get all my ebooks back into Barnes and Noble, life would truly be peachy.
After all, I’ve been waiting for months!
Bad Behavior has blocked 145 access attempts in the last 7 days.
