My good friend and fellow crime writer, Linda Wiken, kindly offered me a guest post slot over at her excellent blog: Mystery Maven Canada.
The blog offers news, reviews and schmooze by and about Canadian mystery authors.
I’m chatting about the clues to the popularity of mysteries. You may wish to discover them today at Clues to the popularity of mysteries.
Love to know the clues you have discovered in your own investigations of crime writing!
If you live on Vancouver Island, BC, Canada, and you’ve always wanted to write a mystery novel, then take your fingers off the keyboard and listen up.
I’m again teaching a workshop on writing mystery novels for Camosun College in lovely Victoria, BC. The workshop is based on my experiences crafting a number of published mysteries and on my little how-to primer, Youdunit Whodunit!
cover image for Youdunit Whodunit!
The workshop is offered on six consecutive Thursday evenings from from September 29 to November 3, 2011. For more details and how to register, go to Mystery Writers’ Workshop at Camosun College.
Intro: I occasionally teach a writers’ workshop at our local Camosun College on how to write a mystery novel. The students eat 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 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: VILLAINS (Part 19)
The last group of posts have focused on the point of view (POV) from which to tell your tale.
Most recently, we’ve moved into creating the people who populate your story. I nicknamed this step: Haven’t We Met Before?
There are three types of CHARACTERS who populate fiction: Major, Secondary and Minor.
Last post, we talked about using four personality traits to help define your main characters. This works well with villains with one caveat. Every villain has one common trait: they are amoral. The other three are up to your imagination and your efforts NOT to have clichéd baddies.
But remember, one or more of your players will be villains; however, they don’t think of themselves as scoundrels. Give them a chance to show their human side, their contradictions, challenges and conflicts. Have some fun. The bad guys and gals are often much easier to create and to carry off than heroes and heroines. Being good doesn’t always result in riveting reading.
Elmore Leonard understands this big time. Like Chili Palmer (loan shark) and Jack Foley (bank robber), his lead characters are often crooks. What’s cool is that they believe what they’re doing is right and they usually do it with staggering style.
If you found this of interest, you may wish to begin at the beginning of my How to Write a Mystery Novel posts.
…Of course, there’ll be MORE how-to write a mystery tips and techniques continued in the next Friday post as we push further to develop the three types of characters that commonly populate genre fiction in: You’re Invading My Personal Space, Part 20.
Just spent a dizzingly busy weekend at Canada’s mystery writers’ convention, Bloody Words in Victoria, BC.
About 200 folks, all brought together by a love of bloody words, attended a wonderfully eclectic smorgasbord of lectures, panel discussions, interviews and chitchat. Really amazing when you think we had the first warm and sunny weekend for a long time!
Highlights include:
My sincere congratulations and thanks to the amazing organizers, Kay Stewart and Lou Allin, and their fab group of hard-working volunteers, many of whom were students of mine! Also thanks to Walter and Jill of DeadWrite Books in Vancouver.
Why not sign up for Bloody Words 2012?
Bloody Words is an excellent, fun writers’ conference where authors and fans of crime writing get together, share stories, laughs and a love of mystery/crime writing.
bloody words logo
It’s happening next weekend, in gorgeous Victoria, BC. I’m attending and am on a couple of panels. Lots of chances to meet your fav authors and learn about writing mystery/crime novels. Love to see/meet you!
More info at the Bloody Words 2011 site.
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 14: From Words to Print
Today, I complete my three-part chat with publisher, editor and visual artist Clare Thorbes (click link above or below).
Clare brings a diverse perspective to the writing/publishing business, being a professional editor and former co-owner of Salal Press, a boutique publishing company during the nineties.
Listen to discover what challenges Clare encountered and surmounted as a small publishing house, learn what she would do differently if she were entering publishing today and find out she thinks makes an ideal manuscript. (duration ~ 18 minutes)
The Novel Experience Podcast Ep. 14 – Clare Thorbes
This episode’s music track is the rockin’ instrumental Don’t Give Up, by Glynne Turner.
Intro: I occasionally teach a writers’ workshop at our local Camosun College on how to write a mystery novel. The students eat 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 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 18)
The last group of posts have focused on the point of view (POV) from which to tell your tale.
Most recently, we’ve moved into creating the people who populate your story. I nicknamed this step: Haven’t We Met Before?
There are three types of CHARACTERS who populate fiction: Major, Secondary and Minor.
Obviously, your major characters are the most important and require the bulk of your thoughts, so take some time and get to know them…intimately.
Don't Be Shy
This is simplified if you ask a lot of questions, moving from broader basic information, to more intimate details and finally into fun and quirky stuff. In episode 16, we began by musing about personal details.
You’re Invading My Personal Space
Today, we did deeper and get even more personal.
Armed with your budding characters, begin to flesh out their temperament and PERSONALITY TRAITS, choosing four interesting ones that help determine speech patterns, thoughts and actions.
These four traits will help you bring your character to life when you are writing their dialogue, movements, reactions and feelings. (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 13: From Words to Print
Today, I continue my three-part chat with publisher, editor and visual artist Clare Thorbes (click link above or below).
Clare brings a diverse perspective to the writing/publishing business, being a professional editor and former co-owner of Salal Press, a boutique publishing company during the nineties.
Listen to discover the inside scoop on what a small publishing house looks for in a manuscript. Also, ever wondered what is meant by “finding your voice”? Don’t despair; using the visual arts as a comparison, Clare’s explanation is simple and clear and soon you and your “authorial voice” will be one. (duration ~ 15 minutes)
The Novel Experience Podcast Ep. 13 – Clare Thorbes 2
This episode’s music track is a demo of a very touching song, A Better Man, by Glynne Turner.
Find out more about Clare’s editing services and her art by emailing her at thorbesedit (at) gmail (dot) com.
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 12: From Words to Print
Today, I begin my three-part chat with publisher, editor and visual artist Clare Thorbes (click link above or below).
Clare brings a diverse perspective to the writing/publishing business, being a professional editor and former co-owner of Salal Press, a boutique publishing company during the nineties.
In this episode, Clare simply and succinctly defines the different levels of editing (something most writers could use) and reveals what she looked for in a publishable manuscript.
Listen and discover if your work makes the grade! (duration ~12 minutes)
The Novel Experience Podcast Ep. 12 – Clare Thorbes
We celebrate Valentine’s Day with our showcase song by Glynne Turner, a pretty snippet titled Avatar. Make sure you give your Sweetie a squeeze!
Find out more about Clare’s editing services and her art by emailing her at thorbesedit (at) gmail (dot) com.
Intro: I occasionally teach a writers’ workshop at our local Camosun College on how to write a mystery novel. The students eat 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 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 17)
The last group of posts have focused on the point of view (POV) from which to tell your tale.
Most recently, we’re moved into creating the people who populate your story. I nicknamed this step: Haven’t We Met Before?
There are three types of CHARACTERS who populate fiction: Major, Secondary and Minor.
Obviously, your major characters are the most important and require the bulk of your thoughts, so take some time and get to know them…intimately.
Don't Be Shy
This is simplified if you ask a lot of questions, moving from broader basic information, to more intimate details and finally into fun and quirky stuff. In episode 16, we began by musing about personal details.
You’re Invading My Personal Space
Today, we did deeper and get even more personal.
Armed with your budding characters, begin to flesh out their temperament and PERSONALITY TRAITS, choosing four interesting ones that help determine speech patterns, thoughts and actions.
These four traits will help you bring your character to life when you are writing their dialogue, movements, reactions and feelings.
Consider PRIME SUSPECT’S Detective Superintendent Tennison’s qualities; she’s pig-headed, acerbic, driven and insecure. (more…)
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