Okay, the frame as a narrative device. Most writers have at least heard of it. There’s a story within a story. But let’s look at this from a mystery perspective: A crime happens or is discovered (in the case of a long-past crime). The main action of illustrating the crime happens on another level, for
I’m always looking for new books to read, while building up impossible lists of books to read. So I’m wiping out the various wishlists (mostly) and gathering them here, while ruthlessly cutting them down. Soon, I’ll post the list of recommended reading I got lately, from other people. Nonfiction: Rats: Observations on the History &
I asked for recommended reading for books written since 2000. (I’ve been reading a lot of best-of lists, which tend to be 20+ years behind the times.) Here what I got. I marked the racy romances in case you’re around THOSE kind of people, the ones who disapprove of things as a hobby. Fiction: Jonathan
So it’s official: I’ve finished Flavorwire’s 50 Scariest Books of All Time, from beginning to end. It’s been about three years, although I didn’t start out focusing on this one; I’ve been working on several horror lists with MB Partlow and Shannon Lawrence. The Nightmare Magainze’s Top 100 is another, which is done, and up
Flavorwire’s 50 Scariest Books of All Time: The End of a Reading List Read More »
I was reading a P.D. James novel and realized I hadn’t added this most basic plot of all. It honestly feels more like a technique than a plot. A crime happens. The solver either mentally or literally lists the suspects, their motives, their methods, and their opportunities to commit the crime, as if on one
I found another one! (Two, actually; another one tomorrow.) The mystery revolves around the fact that there are multiple versions of the truth (or conjectures of the truth), which are structured as separate chapters/sections of the book. A crime occurs. Various people try to solve the crime, or are called upon to give their version
I’ve been struggling with this one, which seems stupid. I mean, isn’t this something that all writers should just know? There was a reason you wrote the book in the first place, wasn’t there? And yet: I regularly go through phases of, “Everything I write is terrible.” Therefore, why would anyone want to read the
Copywriting Technique: What Do Readers Want When They Want Your Book Read More »
So atmosphere is weather, and even background sounds. But what do you do for atmosphere if you’re indoors? Well, first, you can make the scene atmospheric by adding fog. No reason not to add fog to any setting, indoors or out. Or you can make it dark, so that most of the details are obscured and
So the other day I joked about how atmosphere is literally just the weather (mostly fog). But there’s more to it than that. There’s also background noise.* Go back to your list of atmospheric movies and/or novels, and pull up a scene/page from one of the items on the list. The first movie on my
Atmosphere Part 2: Okay, Also Atmosphere is Literally Just Background Noise Too Read More »
I consider Die Hard to be a Chrismas movie. I asked for other people’s suggestions to add to my list. I got suggestions that had nothing to do with the winter holidays, some that were traditional Christmas movies (some of which I’ll include, oh well), and a few that people started getting snarky about because they weren’t
The That’s-Not-A-Christmas-Movie Christmas Movie List Read More »
