Stephen King in his great book about writing, “On Writing,” explains that for him, he views writing like working on an archaeology dig.  The story is already formed and his job, as a writer, is to dig away the sand that has buried the story to reveal it.  Well—Stephen King may be able to do that, but most authors don’t have his skills.

Writers fall into two groups: those who outline and those who don’t.  There are four factors that show how writers work:

1.  It depends on the genre of the story.  As a mystery writer, for instance, I have to know how the mystery will turn out—to some degree—before I began.  It’s difficult to plant clues and create suspects if the writer doesn’t know who the villain is from the start.  Most mystery writers actually write backwards.  They figure out the ending and who dunnit, then work backward to the beginning.

2.  Some books are less dependent on plotting than mysteries.  If the book is a romance or focuses on character development, it still needs plot, of course.  But the outcome may be less important than what happens to the characters.  As my friend and great author, Jonathon Odell told me, “I have no idea where the plot is going because I’m just writing about people and how they change.”

3.  Many writers work by not outlining the entire story because they want to discover it just like a reader.  They have an idea where the plot is going and what may happen to the characters, but they simply sit down and start to write.  They are confident that the characters will come alive and lead the story.  I find this really hard to do.  At least for me, it’s rare that the fictional characters will tell the story to me.  For others, that’s how writers work.

4.  Many authors outline the story and character development.  As I’ve written more books, I’ve come around to this method.  Now, I carefully think through the story.  I use different colored Post-it notes with plot or character ideas on each one.  I post them on the door in my office so I can see how the story develops. It also helps me to include the essential parts of a story, particularly mystery and suspense which is what I write.  For instance, there should come a point in the story where the hero is threatened with something very serious.  By outlining with Post-it notes, I can place that event in the story at the appropriate time.

Obviously, either method depends on the author and show you how writers work.

The post How do Writers Work? appeared first on Colin T. Nelson.

What would be most interesting for you is the wide variety of people who write mysteries/suspense stories and their ideas.  Almost any crime you could imagine has been written about.  The heroes/heroines include cops, private investigators, archeologists, little old ladies, female NASCAR drivers, cowboys, secret agents, bumbling professors, and even long-dead historical sleuths.

If any of you would like recommendations for books or writers beyond those I’ll list at the end of this post, please let me know.

The quality of the authors also impressed me.  They ranged through all ages and backgrounds.  One writer worked during the Viet Nam war as a  correspondent in Bangkok and was married to an engineer who was supposed to be building military bases in Viet Nam.   She learned from her journalist friends that he was really in the CIA!  (They remained married)  Another writer lived on a catamaran off the coast of England for a time.  Most of them are very intelligent and, even more importantly, curious about the world around them.

This fascination comes through in their writing, making their stories even deeper and more engaging.

Here are some suggestions for your mystery/suspense reading:

Western–  Murder for Greenhorns, Rob Kresge

Historical mystery–  City of Silver, Annamaria Alfieri

Humorous–  The Pot Thief Murder series, Mike Orenduff

Historical mystery–  SPQD, John Maddox Roberts

International mysteries–  The Charlie Fox series, Zoe Sharp

Gritty, street thriller–  Boulevard, Stephen Jay Schwartz

Humorous–  The Albuquerque Turkey, John Vorhous

Medical thriller–  Bone Dry, Bette Golden Lamb/J.J. Lamb

Archeology– Smoking Frog Lives, Pete Goodman.

NASCAR–  Dead Man’s Switch, Tammy Kaehler

Hope you enjoy some of these great authors!!  I can assure you that each one of them is an interesting, dedicated writer.

Let me know your recommendations for favorite authors!

The post 400 “Criminals” in One Room! appeared first on Colin T. Nelson.