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Carolyn Wheat

How to Write Killer Fiction: The Funhouse of Mystery & the Roller Coaster of Suspense Paperback – 1 March 2003

by Carolyn Wheat (Author)

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Writing is all about creating an experience for the reader. Whether you're giving them a brain-teasing puzzle or an adrenaline-soaked emotional roller coaster-ride, this book helps you shape your fiction to create maximum enjoyment for your readers.Now you can learn the craft directly from one of the most respected contemporary writers in the field, Carolyn What, winner of multitudinous awards and nominations. What knows what editors want, and shows you how to achieve your writing an publishing goals. How To Write Killer Fiction is a handbook that no writer of mystery or suspense can afford to be without.

Print length

191 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Daniel & Daniel Pub
Publication date

1 March 2003
Dimensions

15.24 x 2.54 x 22.86 cm
ISBN-10

1880284626
ISBN-13

978-1880284629
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Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Daniel & Daniel Pub (1 March 2003)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 191 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1880284626
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1880284629
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 15.24 x 2.54 x 22.86 cm

Customer Reviews:
61 ratings

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Carolyn Wheat

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Lee Wood

The best book on Fiction Writing in my entire library

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 14 December 2021

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I love books. And I love books on the craft of writing. In fact, I have over 400 in my library. But I would swop them all for this one book. It is so clearly written and takes you step-by-step through the whole process of writing Mystery and Thriller fiction. If you are an author you should buy this book.

James

Very useful

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 September 2017

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Good guidelines for writing mysteries and thrillers. Enjoyed reading it and learned a lot of useful things about this subject.

Neferti

Ein grandioses Buch, übersichtlich, klar und hilfreich !

Reviewed in Germany on 28 November 2007

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Carolyn Wheat schreibt für Anfänger und Fortgeschrittenere zum Thema Spannungsroman, Krimi. Leicht verständlich und einfach erklärt sie den Unterschied zwischen der Detektivgeschichte, die den Leser - intellektuell - erstaunen will, und der Spannungsgeschichte, dem Thriller, die den Leser auch gefühlsmäßig mitreißen möchte. Wer das Buch gelesen hat, hat verstanden, wie verschieden beide Genres sind (zum Beispiel was den Typus ihrer Helden angeht) und wie ganz unterschiedlich man an seine Geschichte rangehen muss.
Am Anfang erklärt Wheat detailiert den Unterschied zwischen mystery und suspense und spart nicht mit praktischen Tipps: "Write what you read"
- und damit meint sie natürlich nicht Abschreiben!
Zwei lange Kapitel beschäftigen sich dann mit dem "Funhouse of Mystery", der Detektivgeschichte, und dem Roller Coaster of Suspense, dem Thriller. Sie gibt genaue Anleitungen, wie die Geschichten dramaturgisch am besten aufzubauen sind, wo das Drama hingehört und wie man ein zufriedenstellendes Ende fabriziert. Toll sind die Beispiele aus der Literatur, die sie nennt, nichts Unbekanntes oder arg Amerikanisches, nahezu alles Bücher oder Autoren, die man irgendwann schon einmal gelesen hat, oder zumindest immer schon mal lesen wollte - sie spornt einen dazu an.
Sehr tröstlich für Hängengebliebene und notorische Selbstzweifler ist auch der dritte Teil, in dem sie auf Szenenaufbau und Schreibstil eingeht und Tipps gibt, wie man den fiesen Teil des Überarbeitens seiner Geschichte überlebt ("How to finish your book before it finishes you").
Ich gebe absolut verdiente fünf Punkte, aber nur, weil es nicht mehr gibt.

4 people found this helpful

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Kindle-Kunde

Endlich ein Buch, das hält was es verspricht.

Reviewed in Germany on 19 April 2009

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Carolyn Wheat hat einige Erfahrung im Schreiben, und versteht es das Wissen darüber in guter und nachvollziehbarer Weise weiter zu geben.
Sie hält sich nur kurz mit den allgemeinheiten auf, die man in vielen Büchern über das Schreiben findet, und geht dann jeweils getrennt das Schreiben eines Mystery (Krimi) bzw. Suspense (Thriller) an.
Das ist recht hilfreich, da sie so nicht versucht auf einmal alle zu bedienen, und man sich je nachdem was man schreiben möchte nur den entsprechenden Part durchlesen muss.
Sie gibt eine vielzahl an Beispielen und ein paar äußerst eingängige Ratschläge. Auch ist das Buch nicht so aufgebläht, wie man es manchmal findet.
Ideal für diejenigen, die bereits die Grundlagen des Schreibens erlernt haben, und nun tiefer in die Materie eindringen wollen.
Für mich ist es eines der besten Bücher über das Schreiben.

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Gabriel Valjan

One Way to Write Fiction

Reviewed in the United States on 17 September 2014

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I shy away for how-to books because I think “method” is particular to each person. No two people see a car accident the same way. No two readers read the same book the same way. Fellow writer Susan Fleet, author of the Frank Renzi series, directed me to Wheat’s book. There are two unfortunate problems when writers see this book: 1) they think the book won’t help them because they are not a mystery-suspense guy or gal, or 2) they start reading it and they think, “Well, that is self-evident. Tell me what I don’t know.”

That’s the beauty of this book: everything is in one place; and even if you think that you have got a handle on the genre or the writing gig, you will learn something BECAUSE this book is about good writing, plot development, and pacing that is applicable to any genre. A reviewer criticized the book for being light on thriller. I disagree: thriller is nothing more than suspense as a function of plot and sub-plot paced out, and Carolyn Wheat explains that very clearly. Before you read the book cover to cover, open up to pages 60-61, where she explains the 4-Part Arc System. Yes, read the rest of the book, but laminate these two pages. The author leaves it up to you as to how you best to demonstrate those principles so that it is not paint-by-numbers. The principles are sound. As for her Arc System, my only quibble is about the use of flashbacks. I think that readers are smart; some are visual learners, while others are auditory and kinesthetic, so flashbacks should be used with care. Engage all the senses -- that is my point. Also, the non-linear narrative structure can work in the hands of a master, but is clumsy in the hands of someone less competent (I used flashback twice in my Roma Series (Roma, Underground, Chapters 5 and 14, and there I took a chance, because neither section advanced the plot, but it conveyed a lot about the characters and their values).

Wheat points readers to contemporary entertainment (Law & Order, for one example) and lists must-read authors in the mystery-suspense-thriller genre. In short, the book gives sound advice and is a master-class of the ARC System and variations on a theme. Again, it isn’t about Genre: a good story well told is a good story, and that, my friends, requires good writing. Period.

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