Tuesday, June 26, 2018

Why you need Writing the Killer Mystery: Great Beginnings

Five Element Mystery Story Model


The central focus of Great Beginnings, Volume 1 of the Writing the Killer Mystery series, is the Five Element Mystery Story Model, something that every mystery novel must have.  This first volume shows how to use the five elements to brainstorm ideas, flesh them out, and organize them into a plan for starting your mystery novel.

Future volumes will focus on each of the five elements and how they go together.  The overall approach to the series is taking the mystery novel from concept to publication.



GREAT BEGINNINGS, VOLUME 1, WRITING THE KILLER MYSTERY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE:  SOME FRONT END STUFF
CHAPTER TWO:  MYSTERY WRITERS AND THEIR SLEUTHS
  • The Genesis of a Murder
  • Edgar Allan Poe 
  • William Wilkie Collins
  • Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
  • Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie
  • Dorothy L. Sayers
  • Ellery Queen (Pen Name)
  • Dashiell Hammett
  • Earl Derr Biggers
  • Erle Stanley Gardner
  • Ed McBain (pen name)
  • Rex Stout
  • Take Away
CHAPTER THREE:  UNDERSTANDING THE MYSTERY
  • A Model for a Story
  • Story Examples
  • A Model for a Mystery Story
  • Mystery Story Examples 
  • Rules of the Murder Mystery
CHAPTER FOUR:  TYPES OF MYSTERIES
  • The Sub-genres
  • Mystery Sub-genre List
  • Mystery Sub-genres with Explanations
CHAPTER FIVE:  GOT A GOOD IDEA?
  • Every Story Starts with an Idea
  • Ideas Start with the 5 Elements
  • Playing the Game of "What If?"
  • Read, Read, Read for Ideas
  • What Is Your Story?
  • What Is His Story?
  • And Now the News
  • The Things of Our Dreams
  • From Idea to a Plan
  • High Concept
CHAPTER SIX:  A PLAN FOR STARTING YOUR MYSTERY NOVEL
  • Developing Your Plan
  • Mind Mapping Your Plan
  • Free-form Your Plan
CHAPTER SEVEN:  LAST THOUGHTS
  • Just a Few Words, Please
  • More Books on the Way
  • About Ron D. Voigts