Glad to see another who did what writer.  I'm two novels into it and ready to send the first one out.  I'm still proofing the second one; can't believe how many there/they're and your/you're mistakes I find.  I better lay off the diet Dr. Pepper.

 

John 

Hello There;

I am one of those females likes to write murder-mysteries with the flare of romance in it. Right now I am writing a good story about my two detectives and looking for their long-lost son.

Joanne.

Hi! I just recently finished my first novel, a light-hearted mystery/romance, and have sent it out to 4 publishers. Got 2 rejections and then sent it out to 4 more publishers. I plan on keeping at least 2 ahead. 

My problem is this. I have the ending to my next novel (using the same characters), but I'm not sure of how to GET there! I've not come across this particular problem before. In the past I started out with introducing my characters then the mystery, then the romance falls into place as they solve the mystery. NOW, I think I want to start with the previous romance coming together and the action (mystery) taking place as they plan the wedding. I don't want to add too many characters, yet, if she and her daughter are planning the wedding, it is almost a forgone conclusion that there will be a LOT of characters. Too many characters get in the way, as far as I'm concerned. Maybe the wedding idea isn't where I want to go. I don't know. The mystery part isn't going to be a murder; I prefer to let others do the mayhem thing. The crime of the day is a major burglary. Any ideas on the wedding thing?

I write historical mysteries set in 18th-century and revolutionary Paris.  Two are published (St Martin's Press) and I'm working on the third.  Currently dealing with the usual hell of working out the first draft!

Susanne

Hello There;

Are you still having problems how to write a mystery? Ok, then go to my blog on yahoo and read some of my stories there. My email address on the blog is Joannec95@yahoo.com.

I am writing a humourous mystery novel.  I have just finished the first chapter.  I'm hoping to pick up some ideas and information about the writing and publishing process.  Glad to see others here doing the same thing.

I published a medieval crime novel a while ago ("Relics," Thomas Nelson 1993) and I just submitted a revision of a contemporary mystery titled "Bleeder" to an editor who liked the version I sent very much but she wanted some changes before recommending it to her house. -- As for building suspense, I've posted 'The Nine Rules for Building Suspense" on my blog, "Johnny Dangerous" (just google the name and it'll come up - btw, there's two "Johnny Dangerous's" online and the other one is a transgendered hip-hop musician - that's not me). My contemporary mystery features an amateur sleuth, and the sequel, "Venom," will feature a minor character from the first book who is an ex-DEA agent trying to get away from her past but it has found her. -- As for point-of-view, the first contemporary mystery is First-Person and it was a new venture for me. But many fair-play detective stories use first person as a way to get the reader close to the thinking process of the sleuth and to see/hear the same clues as the sleuth and play along. The sequel, however, will use third person limited, since I want to be able to cut away to different places and persons.