A bestselling author's primer on thriller pacing

Posted on 04/02/2021 at 09:09 AM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Both a mystery and a thriller — if done well — make a reader eager to complete the book and...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Mystery, Thriller, Writing advice

The elements of a perfect cozy mystery

Posted on 03/22/2021 at 03:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

If Fussy readership is any indication, cozy mysteries have been popular for some time now. But Joanna Penn and other...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Joanna Penn, Mystery, Writing advice

Craft tips for writing crime fiction

Posted on 03/03/2021 at 04:09 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

A retired police sergeant recently shared his advice on writing crime fiction. And if you read that post, you’ve checked...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Mystery, Writer's Digest, Writing advice

Quick tips on writing mysteries and thrillers

Posted on 02/27/2021 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

We’ve mentioned before that we like to sprinkle in easy-to-digest writing advice amongst the deeper dives. Here’s an instance of...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Mystery, Thriller, Writer's Digest, Writing advice

7 suggestions (not mandates) for crime novels

Posted on 02/19/2021 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

After nearly forty novels (and bestseller status), author Dana Stabenow has an idea of what works. That said, she open...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Mystery, Thriller, Writer's Digest, Writing advice

How to write a twist that will pleasantly surprise your readers

Posted on 01/17/2021 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

We can all agree that we’d prefer to leave earth-shattering developments to fiction rather than reality. And fortunately, that at...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Mystery, Plot / narrative, Writing advice

Don't neglect one part of your mystery in favor of another

Posted on 12/27/2020 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

The detective and the crime, in a mystery novel, are like peanut butter and jelly. Each is intriguing on its...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Mystery, Zara Altair

Zara Altair: Challenge your detective's morals to deepen your story

Posted on 10/29/2020 at 03:16 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Solving the crime shouldn’t be the only challenge your mystery novel’s protagonist faces. Zara Altair suggests giving your detective a...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Characters, Mystery, Zara Altair

The differences between mysteries, thrillers, and suspense novels

Posted on 10/25/2020 at 12:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

So your novel has unanswered questions and heightened tensions. Does that make it a mystery, thriller, or suspense novel? Zara...

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Mystery, Thriller, Zara Altair

How to keep your mystery's momentum going

Posted on 09/18/2020 at 03:00 PM by Sadye Scott-Hainchek

Does your mystery feel saggy in the middle? Zara Altair says that’s common — and can be fixed or avoided....

Categories: Behind the scenes

Tagged As: Mystery, Plot / narrative, Zara Altair