| Introduction |
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1 | (4) |
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The Rules-and When to Break Them |
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5 | (8) |
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Carved in stone or gentle suggestions: what are the rules in the mystery genre, why do they matter, and when don't they matter? |
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12 | (1) |
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13 | (10) |
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Nine things your thriller needs to be lean, mean, and exhilarating |
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22 | (1) |
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Insider, Outsider: The Amateur Sleuth |
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23 | (11) |
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The point, and point of view, of your accidental detective |
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33 | (1) |
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Finding Lou: The Police Procedural |
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34 | (6) |
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Are you a cop, or do you just play one on the page? |
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39 | (1) |
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The Mindset of Darkness: Writing Noir |
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40 | (8) |
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It's about character: the flawed protagonist and letting your characters fail |
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46 | (2) |
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48 | (4) |
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Mixing your mystery with a vampire, a talking cow, or a love interest? |
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51 | (1) |
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52 | (7) |
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Time, place, and the past |
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58 | (1) |
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59 | (8) |
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Playing on the reader's real-life fears and hunger for insider knowledge |
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66 | (1) |
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Researching the Spy Thriller |
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67 | (12) |
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Or: Why can't I just make it all up? |
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75 | (4) |
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Mysteries for Children: An Introduction |
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79 | (5) |
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The kids' mystery, from picture books to YA-expectations and some hints |
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83 | (1) |
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84 | (8) |
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Middle-grade mysteries: you, too, can become a rock star for ten-year-olds |
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91 | (1) |
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92 | (11) |
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Complex, authentic stories for the young adult-emphasis on adult |
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101 | (2) |
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103 | (11) |
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The mystery within the panels: your conversation with words and pictures |
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113 | (1) |
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114 | (8) |
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What do the characters (and readers) want in your mystery short story? |
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121 | (1) |
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Ten Stupid Questions about True Crime |
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122 | (11) |
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Building a vivid page-turner, out of nothing but facts |
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129 | (4) |
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133 | (10) |
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The writer's voice, or, cooking with cadence, rhythm, and audacity |
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142 | (1) |
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143 | (8) |
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The why and the how ofplanning it out first |
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150 | (1) |
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151 | (1) |
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152 | (5) |
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The argument for spontaneity |
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156 | (1) |
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157 | (9) |
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Turning your raw first draft into a clear, compelling story |
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164 | (1) |
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165 | (1) |
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Plot and the Bones of a Mystery |
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166 | (6) |
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Bringing together all the elements of your novel so it stands strong |
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172 | (1) |
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173 | (1) |
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Diversity in Crime Fiction |
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174 | (10) |
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Enriching your novel by writing characters, not categories |
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183 | (1) |
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184 | (8) |
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Your hero: the one we relate to, the one who drives the story |
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191 | (1) |
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192 | (7) |
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Your hero in reverse: the forces that create a vivid villain |
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198 | (1) |
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199 | (6) |
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The chorus of voices that backs up your protagonist |
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204 | (1) |
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205 | (9) |
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Dialogue that sounds true, reveals character, and draws in the reader |
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212 | (1) |
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213 | (1) |
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214 | (9) |
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Your most versatile element: backdrop, player, and the all-pervading sense of place |
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222 | (1) |
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223 | (9) |
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Funny mystery, or mystery with fun: why, how, and when to stop? |
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231 | (1) |
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232 | (6) |
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Two writers with one voice: how we learned to collaborate |
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237 | (1) |
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Tie-Ins and Continuing a Character |
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238 | (11) |
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Playing in someone else's sandbox |
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245 | (4) |
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249 | (9) |
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Reviews and reviewers: what to learn from them, and what to ignore |
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257 | (1) |
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258 | (9) |
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How to flourish as an independently published writer |
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266 | (1) |
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267 | (9) |
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Building your author identity and reaching out to readers, online |
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275 | (1) |
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276 | (9) |
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It's the writer, not the book: finding a home in the virtual village |
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284 | (1) |
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285 | (24) |
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What every mystery writer needs to know about publishing law |
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| About the Contributors |
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291 | (18) |
| Contributor Permissions |
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309 | (6) |
| Index |
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315 | |
