SHALLA CHATS with Hallie Ephron

 

“Writing Your Mystery Novel”

by Shalla DeGuzman

 

First of all, who ’s Hallie?

Hallie Ephron is the author of Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel: How to Knock 'Em Dead with Style (Writers Digest Books, 2005), which was nominated an Edgar award and for an Anthony award. She is co-author of five Dr. Peter Zak mystery/psychological thrillers by G. H. Ephron and crime fiction book reviewer for the Boston Globe. She won the Ellen Nehr Award for Excellence in Mystery Reviewing.

 

Shalla: Hi Hallie, how are you? Everyone on Amazon is giving, Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel: How to Knock 'Em Dead with Style, five stars, congratulations.
Hallie: Thank you, thank you. That creaking sound is me bowing. Actually, I feel really good about that book.

Shalla: What are the best ways of planning a mystery novel? In your book, you explain “blueprints” and how they are the basic framework for a novel. Can you please tell us more?

Hallie: Based on my rigorous research…make that based on frequent discussions with other writers on how they do it… the world seems about evenly divided between those who swear by planning and outlining and those who prefer to grope and hope. The important thing is that a mystery novel has a particular structure; you’ve got to grab the readers interest in the first scene, you need to reveal secrets to propel your story forward, and like any work of drama it ought to have a 3-act structure with major revelations/twists at the end of each scene and fireworks at the end. Easy peasy.

Shalla: Can you guide us on the writing process? How should we craft scenes?

Hallie: The most important thing is that every scene in your novel should have a reason for being there; something changes between the start of the scene and the end, and that change moves the story forward. Pick up any good mystery novel and read a scene at random, you’ll see what I mean. If there’s no change, the scene should be probably dropped from the novel. And the other biggie: start each scene as late as possible, end as early as possible. That’s a ‘rule’ that was pretty much developed for screenwriters and applies absolutely to mystery novels as well.

Shalla: How should characters be introduced?

Hallie: If it’s an important character, then the introduction should be memorable…because you do want the reader to remember the character. Do it with whatever tools you do best (dialogue, description, action …)

Shalla: What is the best way to pick a protagonist—by occupation (investigator) or by personality (nosy, irreverent, driven, avenging, funny, secretive)?

Hallie: Write about the kind of person you know something about; write a character that intrigues you. There’s no rules, just make yours different from all the others out there. Piece of cake.

Shalla: What’s the best way to pick the voice? Why should a writer choose first-person instead of third-person, or the other way around, or a combination of both?

Hallie: It’s hard getting point of view under control, so I often suggest that first-time authors stick to a single point of view character--usually that’s the sleuth—in first person or third, whichever seems comfortable.

Shalla: How is mystery created and suspense maintained in a story?

Hallie: Create mystery with secrets. Secrets that characters know, secrets they don’t know, that get revealed. Create suspense by creating the sense that something bad is GOING to happen.

Shalla: Any tips on editing and revisions?

Hallie: Most of us do the real writing during revision. It may take as long or longer to edit a book as it did to create a first draft. That’s not a bad thing. And word/line editing should be the very last thing you do, after you’ve addressed all the big issues around plot and character.

Shalla: Finally, what are the best ways of targeting potential markets and agents looking for mysteries?

Hallie: That, my dear, is a mystery to me, too.

Shalla: Thanks so much Hallie.

For more on Hallie Ephron, please visit http://www.hallieephron.com

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Shalla DeGuzman's short stories have appeared in Poetic Diversity, the Mad Hatters Review, etc.; her articles in The Scriptorium and L.A. Freepress; her skits at the Stella Adler Theatre. Shalla, a former writer and producer of a health and fitness cable show, is currently writing a novel. She is President of The ShallaDeGuzman Writers Group where she interviews literary agents, publishers, editors, etc. News! Shalla DeGuzman gets nominated for the prestigious Pushcart Prize! Plus! SHALLA Magazine, which features short stories, poetry and more, is here! For more on Shalla: www.shalladeguzman.com

 

 

 

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Featuring: Dorchester author, Tess Mallory; Artscape author, Frederick Ramsay; Hallie Ephron; Shara Lanel; Margaret L. Carter; Gena Showalter; Judie Aitken; NY Times Best Selling author, Barry Eisler; Chick-Lit author, Sonia Singh; Brett Battles; Michele Scott; multiple Emmy Award winning TV news producer & author Mari Mancusi; Terry Spear; Andrea Wilder; Tina Gerow; Seamus Cashman; NY Times Bestselling author, Bob Mayer; Patricia M. Terrell and more!

Produced and Directed by Shalla DeGuzman
www.shalladeguzman.com

 

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