I’m starting a new mystery novel. I have the details of the murder plotted and the motive set, and an idea for how the investigation will unfold. What I don’t have yet is a protagonist to investigate and solve this mystery. It’s kind of an important detail. I’ve...
Writing dialogue isn’t as easy. Our characters can’t speak the same way we talk…else there, um, would be–well, I guess, it’d just be hard to kinda like, you know, follow. Character conversations are direct and to the point. They convey...
Run a Google search for “character profiles” and you’ll pull-up lot’s of character worksheets and questionnaires. Some of them are really basic, asking your character’s favorite color or if he ever had a pet. Others delve into character background –...
Writing a mystery is fun, but tricky. It takes some planning. Think about it. When a real criminal rushes into murder, he ends up getting caught. A mystery novel’s equivalent to getting is caught is the reader figuring out whodunit before the sleuth. And when that...
I just found this book and I want to know where it’s been hiding. It’s a brainstorm of ideas for creating unique, interesting characters. And, as you know, I always say, “Readers may open the book for the plot, but they stay for the...
We all know that suspense builds as danger approaches. Expanding on that concept, a suspenseful story puts characters that the reader cares about in jeopardy. It makes for a great scene or, even better, a page-turning chapter. Now, to create suspense in the novel as a...
Boat safety instructor Kate Parks recovers from an injury that ended her career with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission, repairs her relationship with her estranged sister, and investigates a series of murders in her little beach town.