Don't Murder Your Mystery : 24 Fiction-Writing Techniques to Save Your Manuscript from Turning up D. O. A.

This is the only book for writers that: 1)Motivates readers to change their writing habits by telling the truth about how submissions are screened. 2)Analyzes 150 extracts to show how published authors handle the same problems facing all writers of fiction. 3)Reinforces readers' learning by presenting more solutions in greater depth than other books do and exposing issues not mentioned in any other book. 4)Highlights the techniques of 140 published mystery authors, many of whom have never before been reviewed in book form. 5)Helps readers identify with authors at the beginning of their writing careers by using examples from many first novels. 6)Stimulates readers' imaginations by demonstrating the infinite variety of alternatives for presenting content. 7)Offers 24 Find & Fix summaries for revising, plus resources and little-known tips and tip-offs. 8)Boosts the odds that a manuscript will pass the first screening so its characters and plot can be read in full and evaluated on merit.

Chris Roerden uses 40 years' experience as a manuscript editor and instructor of writing to help new and midlist writers become published. She taught at the University of Southern Maine, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and for UNESCO in South Korea. Roerden has spoken before 250+ audiences, primarily writers conferences, and continues to do so. She is a member of the board of the S.E. region of Mystery Writers of America, past president of a midwest trade association of publishers (MAPA), and a member of Sisters in Crime and Mensa. This is her 10th nonfiction book (4 were ghostwritten for clients).