Tag: mysteries

Categories
Mystery/Thriller/Suspense

The Original Influencer – Nancy Drew

mystery suspense thriller

Influencers are all the rage into today’s social media world­­—something not too difficult with all the avenues to reach millions of people. A more impressive influencer? A young lady who influenced millions of readers and writers in the mystery realm to this very day—Nancy Drew. Many mystery/thriller writers today, especially females, cite Nancy Drew as the first influence in their love of mystery. Carolyn Keene was our hero for bringing her to life.

Where were you when you found out there was no Carolyn Keene? Did a little piece of your heart fall off? From Mildred Augustine Wirt Benson and Harriet Stratemeyer Adams to the line of ghost writers who continued to evolve Nancy to fit the era, we had no idea. It was a mystery happening we knew nothing about. First conceived by children’s book mogul and Harriet’s father, Edward Stratemeyer in 1929, Nancy Drew was a continuation of his multiple successful series that included The Bobbsey Twins and Hardy Boys series. Responsible for the outlines as authors, ghostwriters filled in the stories that thrilled the young girls waiting eagerly at their local library or bookseller for the latest release.

Little did we know about the heroic efforts the Edward Stratemeyer heirs put into creating personas for the Carolyn Keene pseudo name which included personal stationary and a biographical background. Even some of the well-known authors of the day had no idea their invitations to various functions were not going to a real person.

Nancy taught us to keep our heads above water in every situation. She knew how to dress, when to plunge forward and when to pull back, when to let her anger give to the bad guys and when to remain quiet. She had what we wished we had—a great car, the ability to sew, draw, have great friends, make her allowance last the exact amount of time until the next one came, and oh yes, solve mysteries. (How exciting!)

And Nancy evolved. From World War II to the Age of Aquarius and beyond, she managed to stay current with updates. It was in the 1960s and 70s when the original 34 volumes were edited to be shorter with tighter plots. Another 22 books were added to the series. As a 1960’s Nancy Drew reader, I can’t relate to the current renditions made into TV series. I suppose, every era feels the same about “The Nancy” that encased their childhood. We want her to stay just as she was when she influenced us.

Because of Nancy, can we ever see an antique clock and cabinet and not be drawn to look for secret compartments? Aren’t we always on the hunt for secret passageways in old buildings? If you hear rumors of a “ghost” somewhere, don’t you want to go look for the conman behind the story?

Nancy also taught us to leave a note if we are off on an adventure, so those who care about us won’t worry. With Nancy, we knew we wanted faithful friends in life we could count on like Bess and George. Never give up is a famous saying, but Nancy lived it in every adventure. No matter which trap door she fell through, she didn’t give up when it came to getting herself out of the situation. Lipstick in your purse? Always. You never know when you might need it to write a message on a mirror. And, oh, it’s always a good idea to look good with that lipstick, too. There are people to meet and mysteries to solve.

Now, as authors, we know there are mysteries to write to engage the readers out there the way “Caroline Keene” engaged us. So, good luck to all the current influencers. You’ll have a tough time keeping up with the one and only Nancy Drew!

Michelle Olsen

Michele Olson writes stories set on Mackinac Island in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula filled with suspense, romance, friendship, faith, and quirky characters. A top seller in Mackinac Island Fiction to the million people who make a trip to the island every year to experience life with no cars, amazing scenery, and the glorious Grand Hotel, she enjoys opening up this incredible island to even more visitors. Incorporating her work as an artist and a voice professional into her writing whenever she can, she enjoys creative endeavors of all genres and Fueling Faith with Fiction™. Michele lives in the shadow of Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI, with her husband and thoroughly enjoys being a wife, mom, and “Gee Gee” to two adorable grandsons.

Visit her:

Website: LakeGirlPublishing Etsy: LakeGirlPublishing Facebook: LakeGirlPublishing Twitter: @modawnwriter Instagram: lakegirlpublishing Linked In: lakegirlpublsihing

Categories
Mystery/Thriller/Suspense

Using Novels as Craft Books

mystery suspense thriller

What’s the secret of using others’ stories to beef up our own without plagiarizing?

I’m always looking to craft my suspense/thriller manuscripts into something that’s worthy of publication. I find reading a well-crafted novel in my genre is one of the best ways to improve my own writing.

Recently, I finished one of the many suspense novels by an author I enjoy, but I wasn’t keying in on any kind of errors (there were none to my eyes) in order to dash off a negative tweet or post, or to simply lose myself in the story, but to learn.

So, I studied how this author assembled everything throughout her book. It’s harder than it sounds because I kept getting lost in the story and characters, but I forced myself to maintain my scholarly approach and stay in critique-mode. I even jotted down actual notes. (A great way to make sure your Comparables and their summaries in a proposal aimed toward traditional publishing are accurate.)

I noted the following:

What was the author’s first sentence, first paragraph, first page? How did she end the first chapter?

How did she make use of the second chapter? Did she introduce the antagonist or the love interest with a second Point of View? If so, how often did she bring it in? Every other chapter? Every few chapters? Did she give each POV several chapters in a row before changing POVs? Did she bring in more than two POVs?

I made special note of how she ended the third chapter because the first three chapters are included in a book proposal and potential publishers base acceptance or rejection on these. From these chapters, I tried to figure out what drew this particular manuscript to the publisher when it was just a few pages within the author’s proposal. Hint – end the third chapter with a tasty cliffhanger, something to encourage the acquisition editor to ask for a full manuscript!

In what ways did the author end the first quarter of the book? Was there a transition in the main character’s journey?

What about the midpoint of the book? Was there a ‘pow’? A major main character realization? A big reveal? An unexpected twist? Some authors do a big midpoint and the reader can actually turn to the middle of the book and find it exactly on the page half-way through the book. Dean Koontz is big for his midpoint ‘pows’. And yes, my ‘template’ author provided one as well.

At the start of the second half of the book, what happened in the plot? What did the characters do differently?

Did the second half build toward the climax in a logical way? Did the climax keep the reader turning pages?

How was the denouement handled? Did the story answer all the questions the author presented? Did it set up a second book in a series? Even if the book is part of a series, it should still end with all loose ends neatly knotted.

Finally, was the ending satisfying and did it make sense? There’s nothing worse for a reader than to lose themselves in a story only to slam against an ending that leaves them hanging. Don’t be that author.

I also studied details––word choice, sentence structure, paragraph structure, use of phrases versus full sentences, dialogue, character description and development, scene description, and cliffhangers. What were the mood, tone, and pacing, and how did they create the feeling the author was trying to portray?

I use books from my favorite genre––mystery, suspense, and thriller––as a sort of textbook for crafting my own stories. But don’t get me wrong. I often just read to lose myself in the author’s fictional world and escape my own for a few hours.

“As writers, our greatest instructors will always be other stories. Novels, television, movies, graphic novels, video games — anything that tells a story is our mentor and our muse.” John Matthew Fox

Every story can serve as a catalyst for ideas and a conveyer of information to guide us.

It’s good to know we have multiple ‘craft’ books at our fingertips with every novel we read. In fact, they hold important secrets for our own. It’s best we mine each one.

Write well, my friends.

PJ Gover

PJ Gover encourages her readers to live the thrill one story at a time. She wrote her first thriller at age nine, all of six pages, but only returned to creating suspense/thrillers years later after unearthing her deceased father’s secret work designing missiles for the government. After thirteen writing awards, including five for first place, her high school English teacher must be shaking her head in disbelief. A ranch in Texas serves as home base. Offer her well-crafted chili rellenos or anything gluten-free and you’ll have a friend for life. Jim Hart of Hartline Literary represents PJ.

She’d love to hear from you!

Categories
Mystery/Thriller/Suspense

Red Herrings

mystery suspense thriller

What are red herrings?

According to Merriam-Webster.com, they are herring (fish) cured by salting and slow smoking to a dark brown or red color. What do these fish have to do with writing?

The definition goes on to explain the term comes from “the practice of dragging a red herring across the ground, leaving a fishy scent to throw dogs off the trail.” This action distracts the canine’s attention from the real issue.

How fitting is it for authors to use distractions when writing suspense, mysteries, and thrillers? What a perfect way to throw the reader off the trail of the real villain than to place an innocent bystander in the midst of a scene and throw the suspicion on him.

Whether we realize it or not, we see this happening in movies and books, but we seldom associate the scene with the term red herrings. Our characters are asked questions, but they don’t give straight answers. Instead, they change the subject or point to someone else, which shifts the reader’s thinking down a false trail.

Red herrings are used as writing diversions with the purpose of misleading, or as the old cliché goes, they send people on a wild-goose chase. Writers use them to mask the facts by keeping their readers’ interest and distracting them from identifying the real culprit.

Example:

Roy: How did you get into my office, and why are you searching my desk?

            James: Oh, I thought this was Albert’s office.

            Roy: You’ve been here ten years, and you know Albert’s office is downstairs.

            James: Have you seen Margie today? She’s supposed to bring doughnuts to the staff meeting.

Notice how James changed the subject and didn’t respond to Roy’s question. Now the reader starts questioning James’ motives. The truth being, James was an innocent co-worker and had nothing to do with the crime, but adding him as a red herring shifted the reader’s line of thought.

Various red herring scenarios are used in a variety of styles and genres, but we find them more often in suspense, mysteries, and thrillers. Writers don’t normally want to reveal the villain until the end of the story, so they create diversions. They throw the suspicion on another person or thing. Yes. That’s right. Red herrings don’t always have to be human. An object can be used instead.

For example, if the heroine receives flowers and suspects who sent them but later discovers she was wrong, that person becomes a red herring. The author intentionally used him to shift the reader’s attention.

There are many ways to scatter red herrings throughout our writing to keep readers from figuring out who is guilty. Using them will create more tension, intensify the suspense, and make a storyline more exhilarating.

Have you used a red herring in your writing?

Loretta Eidson writes romantic suspense. She has won and been a finalist in several writing contests, including first place in romantic suspense in the Foundations Awards at the 2018 Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writers Conference, a finalist in ACFW’s 2018 Genesis, was a finalist in the 2018 Fabulous Five, and a double finalist in the 2017 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence.

            Loretta lives in North Mississippi with her husband Kenneth, a retired Memphis Police Captain. She loves salted caramel lava cake, dark chocolate, and caramel Frappuccinos.

Visit her:

Website: lorettaeidson.com

Facebok: loretta.eidson.7 

Categories
Mystery/Thriller/Suspense

Sleuth Work: Research

mystery suspense thriller

Research—a chore or an opportunity? Every super sleuth has a job to do when it comes to solving the crime. They need to get their facts straight or they will miss a piece of the puzzle. It’s the same for authors when they’re writing suspense, mysteries, and thrillers. Research must be done to make our stories authentic.

Why do many authors hate this aspect of the process? The number one reason is probably because it takes time. Time is very precious to all of us and we just want to get to the story. But don’t we want it to be realistic? Research can be exciting! It’s not just visiting a library or scouring the internet for information. Here are some tips and ideas to think about when sleuthing into the world of suspense.

Go on a field trip

Maybe visit a place to get a feel for where our mystery will take place. Is it in a sleepy small town? A grandeur city like Paris or London? Maybe a mysterious train ride? It can depend on the pocket book of course. I took a weekend and stayed at a B&B in a small town near the Detroit/Windsor border to do research on the town I wanted to use as the setting in one of my romantic suspense manuscripts. I was able to go to a coffee shop and talk to some locals. Got a great idea from an older resident who told me about the history of the town. Walking the streets of these places gives the author the layout of the land and it can be valuable in bringing the fiction story to life.

Enroll in a local Citizen’s Police/FBI Academy

Many cities allow the public to partake in this program. It’s vital in getting first-hand information on how law enforcement works. I had the privilege to take my city’s police academy course and I gained amazing insight into the life of a police officer. Normally, ride-a-longs are only available to the public in a course like this. I encourage all writers who write suspense to take one. You won’t regret it! Also, there’s the Writer’s Police Academy held every year. I’ve heard it’s a must for all suspense writers.

Interview when possible

Getting information first-hand from our subjects is the best way to go. Relying on the internet doesn’t always cut it. For my suspense novel involving a Royal Canadian Mounted Police constable, I was able to interview a real live Mountie! He even allowed me to record our conversation. Most of the time they will let you email them when other questions arise.

Stay away from cop clichés we see on TV. Not every officer eats donuts. Need more information on dead bodies? Contact a local coroner’s office. What about legal issues? Visit a courtroom session to gather facts.

Take pictures

As they say…pictures are worth a thousand words. When we visit destinations for research, bring it home with you through pictures. Lots of pictures. Try and take them in different weather conditions too. This can affect the setting and how people react in sunny and stormy days. Consider an alley at night in a fierce rainstorm. I shudder just thinking about it!

Watch the news/true crime shows

Yes, research CAN be fun! It will not only help writers to be authentic, but have a blast doing it.

This helps writers not only get story ideas, but it allows us to see how the culture, law enforcement, and the criminal justice system works in different countries. Need to view how a real take-down happens? Watch the many true crime reality shows that are out there.

Darlene L. Turner writes romantic suspense and won the 2017 Genesis award in the Romantic suspense category and was a 2018 finalist. She was a finalist in the 2017 Daphne du Maurier Award for Excellence in Mystery/Suspense contest and won in 2016 (Inspirational Unpublished). She’s represented by Tamela Hancock Murray of the Steve Laube Agency.

Visit Darlene at: www.darlenelturner.com where she believes there’s suspense beyond borders. You can also visit her Facebook page .