Don't murder your mystery

Some time ago I came to the conclusion that studying how to write is not as important as actually writing, in much the same way as researching how to approach agents is not as important as actually approaching them. Gathering knowledge is both useful and necessary, But it is not as important as using the knowledge you have. Otherwise, you can endlessly prepare to take some action but never actually take the action.

I certainly felt that way in terms of reading more books on writing.

But then last week, a fellow author suggested a get "Don't Murder Your Mystery" by Chris Roerden, who offers "24 fiction-writing techniques to save your manuscript from turning up DOA". I drove to The Mystery Company, which is probably my favorite bookstore, and purchased a copy.

It was a good decision. Immediately there were useful tips on improving my fiction writing, not just my mystery writing. Early on Roerden uses a quote from Rayanna Simons about her four years as a first readeer from Macmillan. "Despite the statistics that we are a country suffering from functional illiteracy, we seem to be producing an extraordinary number of imaginative, interesting writers. The problem is that they can't get anyone to read what they write."

I certainly think that is the case with me. While as I look at it now, "Fighting Chaos" is a bit of a mess, I never got anyone to even look at it to tell me it is a mess. (I still plan on using it, however, after I completely reread it.) The same is true with "Death at the Jungle-bunny Journal."

But my new book is proving numerous clues for improving both my writing and ways to avoid being cast aside before being read. It talks about timing, pace, setting and character development. it talks about the mechanics of writing and use of words, particularly adverbs and adjectives.

I don't have a lot of time to read but this is a book that demands and will deserve the time I am using to go through it. I am not going to start going out to buy every book I can find on writing and marketing, but I will be selectively open about reading more on my craft.

Thanks for reading and don't give up on writing.