A sensitive and nuanced exploration of a seldom-discussed subject by an acclaimed novelist The fourteenth volume in the Art of series conjures an ethereal subject: the idea of mystery in fiction. Mystery is not often discussed—apart from the genre—because, as Maud Casey says, “It’s not easy to talk about something that is a whispered invitation, a siren song, a flickering light in the distance.” Casey, the author of several critically acclaimed novels, reaches beyond the usual tool kit of fictional elements to ask the question: Where does mystery reside in a work of fiction? She takes us into the Land of Un—a space of uncertainty and unknowing—to find out and looks at the variety of ways mystery is created through character, image, structure, and haunted texts, including the novels of Shirley Jackson, Paul Yoon, J. M. Coetzee, and more. Casey’s wide-ranging discussion encompasses spirit photography, the radical nature of empathy, and contradictory characters, as she searches for questions rather than answers. The Art of Mystery is a striking and vibrant addition to the much-loved Art of series.

Get the Knowledge Without the College! You are a writer. You dream of sharing your words with the world, and you're willing to put in the hard work to achieve success. You may have even considered earning your MFA, but for whatever reason--tuition costs, the time commitment, or other responsibilities--you've never been able to do it. Or maybe you've been looking for a self-guided approach so you don't have to go back to school. This book is for you. DIY MFA is the do-it-yourself alternative to a Master of Fine Arts in creative writing. By combining the three main components of a traditional MFA--writing, reading, and community--it teaches you how to craft compelling stories, engage your readers, and publish your work. Inside you'll learn how to: • Set customized goals for writing and learning. • Generate ideas on demand. • Outline your book from beginning to end. • Breathe life into your characters. • Master point of view, voice, dialogue, and more. • Read with a "writer's eye" to emulate the techniques of others. • Network like a pro, get the most out of writing workshops, and submit your work successfully. Writing belongs to everyone--not only those who earn a degree. With DIY MFA, you can take charge of your writing, produce high-quality work, get published, and build a writing career.

For every author whose manuscript gets published, there are tens of thousands who are rejected. At literary agencies and publishing houses, screeners go through piles of submissions, searching for original voices, attention-grabbing characters, and writing styles that rise above the rest. The piles are large; time is short. The writer who has labored a year or more on a story may have only a page, a paragraph, or a sentence read before the screener moves on to the next submission. It is this heartbreaking reality that the author (who is also an editor and writing teacher) addresses in this helpful book. Pitched midway between the writing advice books that concentrate on format and grammar and those that outline the large-bone mystery basics such as plot, character, dialogue, and creating suspense, Don't Murder Your Mystery identifies twenty-four aspects of the mystery novel, some dealing with the nitty-gritty of submissions but most discussing topics to help inexperienced writers improve the quality of their written work. Roerden's pitch is to help new writers identify and correct pedestrian mistakes and avoid amateurish writing, so they won't be quickly dismissed by screeners. What she has created is an essential handbook for writers longing to improve their knowledge of craft and technique.

The essential handbook for writers of whodunits, techno- thrillers, cozies, and everything in between-featuring never-before- published personal writing exercises from some of today's bestselling and award-winning mystery writers. Now Write! Mysteries, the fourth volume in the acclaimed Now Write! writing guide series, brings together numerous bestselling authors-including winners of and nominees for the Edgar, Hugo, and Shamus awards,-for the definitive guide to writing mysteries, thrillers, and suspense stories. Now Write! Mysteries teaches you everything you've ever wanted to know about crafting a page-turning mystery-from creating a believable detective hero (or terrifying villain), to using real-life cutting-edge investigative techniques to bring your story to life-with practical exercises taken directly from the pros: Discover the best techniques for seamlessly integrating action into your story with John Lutz, New York Times-bestselling author of Urge to Kill, Night Kills, and Serial. Learn how to fine-tune your sense of place and setting with Louise Penny, New York Times-bestselling author of the Armand Gamache mysteries. Take advice from Lorenzo Carcaterra, author of Sleepers and writer/producer for Law & Order, on how to compose a scene that lives up to your character's backstory. Let Marcia Talley, Agatha- and Anthony-winning author of the Hannah Ives mysteries, show you how to build a memorable, engaging detective. (Hint: It's not about making him flawless.) Others included are: Simon Brett, Hallie Ephron, Meg Gardiner, Peter James, Christopher G. Moore, Michael Sears, and many others. No other mystery-writing guide offers the road tested wisdom of so many award-winners and bestselling authors in one place.

Selected by the editors of the prestigious Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine and Alfred Hitchcock's Mystery Magazine, here are 14 tales of extraordinary cats and uncommon crimes. Features lead story by bestselling novelist Lilian Jackson Braun as well as selections from Dorothy L. Sayers, Ellis Peters, and others.

This document is a guide to selected detective and mystery stories produced after the publication of the 1982 bibliography "Mysteries." All books listed are available on cassette or in braille in the network library collections provided by the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped of the Library of Congress. In addition to this large-print edition, the bibliography is available on disc and braille formats. This edition contains approximately 700 titles available on cassette and in braille, while the disc edition lists only cassettes, and the braille edition, only braille. Books available on flexible disk are cited at the end of the annotation of the cassette version. The bibliography is divided into a Prolific Authors section, for authors with more than six titles listed, and Other Authors section, a short stories section and a section for multiple authors. Each citation contains a short summary of the plot. An order form for the cited items is included. An alphabetical index is also provided. (SLD)

Provides an opportunity to study some of the world's most interesting unsolved mysteries.

The Mystery Fancier, July/August 1979, Volume 3 Number 4, contains: "Little Old Ladies I Have Known and Loved," by Ellen Nehr, "Tension and Duality: Daphne Du Marier's 'Don't Look Now'," by Jane S. Bakerman, "His Own Desert," by Everett F. Bleiler, "The History and Activities of Mystery Fans in Sweden (and Scandinavia)," by Iwan Hedman, "The Crime Novels of Harold R. Daniels," by George Kelley, "The Curmudgeon in the Corner, Grumblings," by William Loeser and "The Nero Wolfe Saga, Part XIV," by Guy M. Townsend.

Some people are willing to kill to keep their sins hidden. Others are willing to die to expose them. Pastor Frederick made a mistake. He fell from grace hard, getting embroiled in something he never should have as a man of God. But, though he’s lost the respect of many in Crocker, Indiana, some still trust him. One young man, in particular, entrusted him with his secrets and his life. But when the man is targeted by a killer. His only hope might come from the ether. And Pastor Frederick knows just the ghost to ask for help.