Customer Reviews

Youdunit Whodunit!

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Of the dozen "how to" books on mystery writing I've read, most wasted too many trees, and on Vancouver Island, that's important. One big-name author provided only a single worthwhile nugget of advice in four hundred pages: don't write about boring people. But Canadians are very innovative, especially about saving time. Didn't we invent Velcro? Pablum? The Bloody Caesar? Recently my colleague Nicola Furlong produced a short, compact, and helpful e-book called Youdunit Whodunit. This crash course in mystery writing is as jam packed with gems as Nicola's signature chocolate-pecan turtles.
For those starting out, or for authors who want to keep their writing on track, YW has twenty-two chapters in three basic innings: Structure, Character, and Story. With a wealth of pithy examples taken from selective authors, she cuts to the chase. Hit the reader early and hit him hard. Why is the protagonist involved, if it's not a police procedural? What do you do in mid-story, where a book often bogs? What are the pitfalls of various POV's? Where do you get your ideas? How should you handle flashbacks and make smooth transitions without the speed bumps which mar even the best books? Nicola will have you off and running in minutes. She's an editor, agent, and coach all in one.
It comes as no surprise that the book is introduced and endorsed by two of our northern mystery lionesses, Maureen Jennings and Mary Jane Maffini. With multiple series and decades of best-seller success, when they speak, wise authors listen.

I enjoyed reading this short book. It is a brief but savvy overview of writing mysteries. It doesn't go into a lot of examples or long explanations. But the text is written in and clear conversatiional and reader-friendly style. It should be good for those new to mystery writing and can serve, as well, for more experienced writers that would like a quick review.

And, besides covering the requisite need-to-know information, there are frequent helpful tips.

I would buy it again, if I lost it.

For those interested in this type of material, highly recommended.