Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #64043 in Books
• Published on: 2006-04-30
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 304 pages

Customer Reviews

Midwest Book Review: January 2007 Issue
From the beginning of this immensely insightful writing manual, Chris Roerden focuses on what it takes to write novels that will survive both an agent's and a publisher's screening process. I spent a couple of years in the early 1990s reading the slush pile at two nearby publishing houses, and I can affirm Roerden's statement that the vast majority of manuscripts submitted to agents and presses are rejected because the writers fail to submit a solid, well-written, and entertaining product.

In the dog-eat-dog world of publishing, Roerden tells us publishers pick very few new writers - and only those who look like winners - and they "ignore the rest whose work reveals evidence of average writing, aka `amateur.'" She goes on to tell us: "The publishing industry cannot afford to gamble on writers who are still developing their potential, who show little evidence of having studied the craft of the profession they aspire to, or who fail to reflect the preferences that publishers and agents state in their submission guidelines" (p. 12).

The book setup is clever. In ten parts, she delineates 24 specific fiction-writing areas to focus upon in revisions. To start out, in Part I: DEAD ON ARRIVAL, she lays out all the reasons why writers simply must write, revise, edit, and format their novels or else they won't be published. In that section, Roerden tells us about THE JUDGES: Screener-outers - and what they look for; THE PLAINTIFFS: Writers - and what you hope for; THE DEFENDANTS: Agents and publishers - and why they do what they do; and CORRECTIONS FACILITIES: Self-editors - and how to do what you need to.

Each of the subsequent nine parts features one of the 24 fiction-writing techniques, which Roerden, tongue in cheek, labels CLUES. For instance, in Part III: FIRST OFFENDERS, she's got:

CLUE #1: HOBBLED HOOKS - Replace with high-tensile lines that stretch your holding power;
CLUE #2: PERILOUS PROLOGUES - Beware: May lead to low-tension, post-prologue, backstory ache;
CLUE #3: BLOODY BACKSTORY - To remove the evidence, slice, dice, and splice.

The advice to "slice, dice, and splice" is quite simply wonderful, and with her terrific explanations, it's easy to remember what she means and apply it to work on a manuscript. In concise language steeped in good humor and fabulous examples, Roerden reveals each of the 24 CLUES (including FATAL FLASHBACKS, TOXIC TRANSCRIPTS, DECEPTIVE DREAMS, DASTARDLY DESCRIPTION, DYING DIALOGUE, KILLED BY CLICHÉ, GESTURED TO DEATH, and many more). She systematically provides tips and techniques for avoiding these pitfalls. The 24 "Clues," when properly understood and applied, will make any author's well-told tale a winner.

She rounds out this well-written guide with an index and four "Exhibits," including: instructions for standard manuscript formatting; a bibliography of the multitude of books she cited throughout the text; a list of popular Internet crime writing sites; and recommended nonfiction in the areas of general writing, mystery, editing, character building, marketing, etc.

All too often How-To guides warn you about basic no-no's, but I've never before seen a guide that does such a great job detailing HOW TO AVOID those no-no's. Using clear-headed explanations, Roerden creates outstanding examples of poor form and uses shining examples of good form from 150 published novels, all of which provides through and easy-to-understand instruction.

Despite the title of this book, this How-To manual is *not* only for mystery writers. I would recommend it for anyone who is attempting to create a finished draft for publication. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. ~Lori L. Lake, author of the "Gun" Series, Different Dress, Ricochet in Time, Snow Moon Rising, Stepping Out: Short Stories, and editor of Romance for LIFE! and the Lambda Literary Award anthology finalist, The Milk of Human Kindness.

Great Advice For Writers
So, you've written a great crime novel? Before you get to appear on Oprah you've got to get your novel past the first reader at a publishing house. Guess what? Ninety percent (or more) of these great novels get tossed after reading the first page or two. Not because of uninteresting plots or weak characters. The reader doesn't even get that far. They get tossed because of "average" or "amateur" writing. Now, packed into one slim, readable paperback, are the tools you need to avoid this sad fate.

Author Chris Roerden explores the most common mistakes that scream "amateur" or "average writing" and tells you how to avoid them. It's hard work of course, but the author makes it enjoyable, understandable, and even funny. It's hard to imagine a book for writers being so entertaining, but it is. To use a cliche, I couldn't put it down. (Author Roerden has a great chapter on cliches.)

I finished this book in two days, and I know I'll be going back to it, using it for reference. It's not just for mystery writers. Anyone who writes fiction can benefit. Thank you, Chris. I recommend this one highly to all writers. Reviewed by Louis N. Gruber.

Great for all writers!
Chris Roerdon is an editor with years of experience. She uses wit and real-life examples from published mystery authors, many of whom are extremely well-known. Chris' book contains a number of tips on how to get your mystery past the initial selection editor. I am not a professional reviewer, and my book of choice is fiction. However, I found Chris' book extremely easy to understand and enjoy. Her CLUEs (there are 24) are helpful not only to writers but also to readers. While I found all of the entries interesting, highlighting issues I never would have thought of on my own as a reader, I really enjoyed her entry on clichés. I laughed out loud during this CLUE - and I know that my reviews definitely suffer from killer clichés. Words of advice, though; if you never want to write a mystery because you are afraid of nit-picking the story apart instead of simply enjoying it, don't read this book. The information sticks with you!!!!