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!

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.

Here’s the catalog blurb to whet your whistle:

Love reading mysteries? Always wanted to write one? You can – with a few clues from mystery novelist, Nicola Furlong. This practical writing workshop, based on Nicola’s primer Youdunit Whodunit!, is designed for anyone interested in creating crime fiction.

Designed to be more craft than critique oriented, this workshop offers advice you can use immediately to improve your short story, screenplay or novel. Nicola Furlong has published eight mystery novels and a primer on mystery writing. She regularly blogs and speaks about genre writing.

Hope to see you and a sample of your thrilling and mysterious words on September 29th!!

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.

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:

• getting a chance to catch up with friends and meeting new folks
• successfully pitching to Sally Harding, Cooke Agency
• having fun as a panelist with Sunny Frazier, Oak Tree Press
• learning from some terrific authors, like Tess Gerritsen, Michal Slade and William Deverell

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 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.

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.

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.

Suggestions for personality and temperament traits:

• Must be imaginative; try and have at least two that are also unexpected. Who would have thunk that the brash D.S. Tennison is insecure?

• Avoid similar traits, like bossy and arrogant

• Shun opposite traits, like weak-minded and strong-willed

• Consider changing one of your character’s traits during the story, thus demonstrating that they are changing or growing as a person

• Continually review your character’s traits while you’re writing to ensure that their actions and speech reflect some or all of them

This outta take you a while; it’s challenging work but should be fun. After all, these are YOUR people. So…how’s it feel to be their creator? Pretty cool, eh?

Next time, we’ll talk a little about villains…they’re so fun to create!

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 19.

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.

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.

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.

Her creator, Lynda La Plante, chose traits that are palpable and influence everything Tennison does, from her tough talk to her haughty attitude to her single-mindedness.

You can get a lot of help in developing your players by using stock “personality types” or “character archetypes” as a jumping off point. Check out:

• Myers-Briggs Personality Types, like the Scientist (INTJ) and the Mechanic (ISTP)

• Enneagram Personality System, with profiles such as the Romantic and the Observer

• Jungian Heroes and Heroine archetypes, like the Warrior and the Magician.

This outta take you a while; it’s challenging work but should be fun. After all, these are YOUR people. So…how’s it feel to be their creator? Pretty cool, eh?

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 18.