Comma Sense Editing
  • Home
  • Services and Fees
  • Client Testimonials & Portfolio
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • Home
  • Services and Fees
  • Client Testimonials & Portfolio
  • Contact
  • Blog

HOW TO WRITE KILLER FICTION BY CAROLYN WHEAT

10/26/2015

0 Comments

 
Picture
How to Write Killer Fiction: The Funhouse of Mystery & The Roller Coaster of Suspense, by Carolyn Wheat, is one of those must-read books for new authors writing in the genre. Wheat, an accomplished mystery writer, divides the book into three parts.
 
After describing the differences between mystery and suspense, the first part delves into mysteries and their basic ingredients, such as the “cover-up” (why the killer must continue killing), fair play, hiding clues in plain sight, and when the absence of a clue is a clue itself. She explains the structure of a mystery and different types of endings.
 
Part 2 looks at suspense novels and how to engineer the “roller-coaster effect.” She looks at the hero’s journey and how this informs suspense writing. There’s an invaluable lesson in these chapters as she deconstructs Robert Crais’ Hostage, using the book’s plot to show how to structure a thriller. Yes, there may be spoilers if you haven’t read Hostage, but it’s a terrific lesson. That alone is worth the price of this book.
 
Part 3 looks at the writing process, both for those who outline and for pantsers (Wheat calls them blank-pagers). Wheat covers writing scenes, narrative, tension, and even parts of speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives and adverbs–and when to use them or not use them).
 
The best part of this book are the examples she uses from various novels, and the summations she includes in easy-to-digest lists and tables. If you’re writing in the genre, this is a worthwhile addition to your library.



0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Author

    Lourdes Venard is a freelance editor and copyediting instructor.

    Archives

    February 2020
    July 2019
    March 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    June 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    September 2017
    July 2017
    April 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    October 2015
    March 2015
    June 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

    Categories

    All
    Characters
    Dashes
    Dialogue
    Editing
    Grammar
    Hyphens
    Mystery Writing
    Pantser
    Plotter
    Write What You Know
    Writing Advice
    Writing Books

    RSS Feed

 © 2010–2021 Comma Sense Editing, LLC. The Comma Sense Editing website and logo are owned by Lourdes Venard. All rights are reserved, including the right to reproduce the logo, photos, or any material on this website in any form, including by copying or scanning, on audio or video, or other electronic methods.