Of course you do!
Whenever I meet people and tell them that I write historical mysteries, they often say “I’ve always wanted to write a mystery!” or “I have a great idea for a mystery; if only I knew how to write it all down!”
Here’s the good news about all that…if you want to write a Killer Book—whether it’s a historical, hard-boiled, cozy, suspense, or thriller—there are so many ways to start writing.
Here’s the bad news…you can’t just start to write a Killer Book, you have to finish it.
But never fear, here are a few tips about how to finish and start your own Killer Book:
Attend a mystery writing conference:
Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference convenes in Franklin, TN on August 23-26. This Con is especially useful for learning about forensic evidence…you even get to interpret and solve a staged crime scene!
Book Passage Mystery Writers Conference in Corte Madera (Marin County) CA on September 27-30. Four days of seminars, workshops, readings, and informal gatherings with some of your favorite mystery and suspense writers. I’ve been twice!
Join (or create) a critique group:
Members of Sisters-in-Crime (which includes misters as well as sisters) can join the Guppies, a group dedicated to supporting first-time mystery writers. I found my first critique group (aka “the Vicious Circle”) through the Guppies.
Almost every writers group (like the Historical Novel Society or the California Writers Club) can provide information on how to join or create a critique group. In some locales, you can find critique groups on Craigslist or Meetup.
Read how-to-write-a-mystery books:
Here are a few of my favorites:
- Writing Mysteries edited by Sue Grafton
- How to Write Killer Fiction by Caroline Wheat
- Crime and Thriller Writing: A Writers’ & Artists’ Companion by Laurie King and Michelle Spring
Those are my quick tips for writing a Killer Book. Got any of your own to add to the list?
