Gillian Roberts - You Can Write a Mystery

You Can Write a Mystery
By Gillian Roberts

Copyright 2013 by Judith Greber
Cover Copyright 2013 by Ginny Glass and Untreed Reads Publishing
The author is hereby established as the sole holder of the copyright. Either the publisher (Untreed Reads) or author may enforce copyrights to the fullest extent.

Previously published in print, 1999.

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While the author has made every effort to provide accurate telephone numbers and Internet addresses at the time of publication, neither the publisher nor the author assumes any responsibility for errors, or for changes that occur after publication. Further, the Publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

Also by Gillian Roberts and Untreed Reads Publishing
Caught Dead in Philadelphia
Philly Stakes
Id Rather Be in Philadelphia
With Friends Like These
How I Spent My Summer Vacation
In the Dead of Summer
The Mummers Curse
The Bluest Blood
Adam and Evil
Helen Hath No Fury
Claire and Present Danger
Till the End of Tom
A Hole in Juan
Alls Well That Ends

http://www.untreedreads.com

You Can Write a Mystery

Gillian Roberts

This book is dedicated to all my students with gratitude
for all youve taught me.

About the Author

Gillian Roberts is the nom de mystre taken by Judith Greber, a former high school English teacher who has taught writing for College of Marin, Book Passage, Writers Digest and the University of San Francisco Masters in Writing program.

Under her own name, shes written four mainstream novels: Easy Answers, The Silent Partner, Mendocino, and As Good As It Gets.

As Gillian Roberts, shes written over a dozen anthologized short stories and a mystery series featuring a Philadelphia high school English teacher named Amanda Pepper. Caught Dead in Philadelphia won the World Mystery Conventions Anthony for Best First Mystery of 1987. Following in the series are: Philly Stakes, Id Rather Be in Philadelphia, With Friends Like These, How I Spent My Summer Vacation, In the Dead of Summer, The Mummers Curse, The Bluest Blood, Adam and Evil, Helen Hath No Fury, Claire and Present Danger, Till the End of Tom, A Hole in Juan and Alls Well that Ends. All have been Mystery Guild selections and translated into Japanese, German and Danish and are available in audio versions as well.

Native Philadelphians, Judith and Robert Greber live in the San Francisco Bay Area. They are the parents of two adult sons.

Table of Contents

Introduction

A prevalent myth has it that the ability to write is innate, almost geneticlike freckles or a predisposition to diabetes. You either have it or you dont, and too bad for you if you dont. This isnt said of the other arts. One seldom hears that people are born opera singers, ballerinas, sculptors, or pianists and therefore voice and music conservatories, ballet masters and art institutes are foolish indulgences.

The truth is, all disciplines have a craft component, skills that enable artists to realize their vision. This includes the art of writing mysteries.

This book offers practical suggestions for handling problems likely to arise during the writing process. These arent hard-and-fast rules like those for physics, football or international shipping. These are techniques and concepts that can make the going easier. Once youre aware of them, you can use them, break them, realign them or twist them any way you see fit. Whatever works works. We call this form a novel because its there to be reinvented and made new.

1. Getting Ready

When we think about writing mysteries, we think about plot ideas, characters, clues, and so forth, all of which will be dealt with in later chapters. But none of those items will see the light of day if you dont first resolve issues that can frustrate and subvert your ambition to write a mystery. So please first consider the:

FIFTEEN COMMANDMENTS FOR MYSTERY WRITERS WHO WANT TO BE PUBLISHED

(Writing commandments on a computer is much easier than carving them in stone, so Ive listed half again as many.)

I. Thou shalt think like a professional starting now.

Writings an art, but publishings a business. Its counterproductive to present anything less than your absolute best to an editor. The more editorial time your work requires, the less enthusiasm the publishing house will muster. Learn your craft and become your own first editor.

II. Thou shalt begin and keep going till youre through.

All beginnings are hard. The beginning of a novel is the hardest part to write. The beginning of each chapter is hard. The beginning of each days work is hard. Knowing that, grit your teeth and get past those beginnings. Then finish the book. Nothings more discouraging than an unfinished piece of work. Writing is rewriting. Let that give you confidence as you stumble alongyou can and will make it better after you finish a draft.

III. Thou shalt take your efforts and desires seriously.

This requires a level of confidence that may be difficult at this stage, but honor your desire. Its important to youor you wouldnt be reading this bookand its a worthy, rewarding ambition.

IV. Thou shalt call it work.

Give your labor the dignity of its title. Dont wait till you find the time. Time wasnt lostit was differently allocated. Writing time has to be created. Figure out what schedule and frequency is realistic for you in your current life. No law dictates when or how, for how long or by what method one writesas long as one writes. Negotiategently, realistically and specificallywith nearests and dearests who may not instantly understand your need for solitary and protected writing time. Once you have a schedule, stick to it.

V. Thou shalt write for yourself, not the market.

If you imitate whatevers hot at the moment (e.g., serial killers, courtroom dramas, parrot-sleuths, ghost-detectives ad nauseum), youll have an unsatisfying year or two rehashing someone elses inspiration and learning next to nothing. Worse, when it comes time to market the book, those killers and parrots and lawyers will be pass, the market clogged with them and no longer interested.

Write what tickles your mind. Write a book youd love to read.

VI. Thou shalt not wait for visits from the muse.

The Muse is about as likely as Mr. or Ms. Right to show up just because you want her to. If you buy into the possessed artist myth, youll be stymied by the many unpossessed, uninspired moments while writing something as long and complicated as a mystery, and the odds will shift against your finishing your book. Dont waitget on with your life. (Oddly enough, once the perverse Muse realizes you dont need her, shell show up.) Inspiration comes with the writing and seldom precedes it.

VII. Thou shalt not ask whether you are good enough.

This is not a valid question. You are good enoughor can be. The good (and possibly bad) news is that writing well is a lifelong challenge. The more you do, the more you learn you can do, and the more you then do beyond that. Start getting better at it now.