DON'T MURDER YOUR MYSTERY
24 FICTION-WRITING TECHNIQUES
TO SAVE YOUR MANUSCRIPT
FROM TURNING UP D.O.A.
Author: Chris Roerden
6"x 9" Trade Paperback Original; 304pp
Retail: $17.95US

ISBN 1-933523-13-1

PRECAUTIONS: For long-lasting relief
NOT ABOUT RULES

PART I: DEAD ON ARRIVAL
THE JUDGES
Screener-outers—and what they look for
THE PLAINTIFFS
Writers—and what you hope for
THE DEFENDANTS
Agents and publishers—and why they do what they do
CORRECTIONS FACILITIES
Self-editors—and how to do what you need to

PART II: EVIDENCE COLLECTION
TERMS OF THE WILL
A legacy of technique-speak
WITH PURPOSE AFORETHOUGHT
With density and richness for all

PART III: FIRST OFFENDERS
CLUE #1: HOBBLED HOOKS
Replace with high-tensile lines that stretch your holding power
CLUE #2: PERILOUS PROLOGUES
Beware: May lead to low-tension, post-prologue, backstory ache
CLUE #3: BLOODY BACKSTORY
To remove the evidence, slice, dice, and splice

PART IV: KILLING TIME
CLUE #4: FATAL FLASHBACKS
Caution: braking and shifting in reverse risks collision
CLUE #5: TOXIC TRANSCRIPTS
Watch those verbatim stories-within-the-story
CLUE #6: DECEPTIVE DREAMS
Make the character wake up before the reader does
CLUE #7: CRAZY TIME
Prevent whiplash from wacky sequencing

PART V: THE LINEUP
CLUE #8: DASTARDLY DESCRIPTION
Revoke the driver's license and come out of the clothes closet
CLUE #9: POISONOUS PREDICTABILITY
Get therapy for cases of arrested development
CLUE #10: DISAPPEARING BODIES
Why introduce what isn't worth mentioning again?

PART VI: CHANGE OF VENUE
CLUE #11: SHIFTY EYES
Danger ahead: slipping and sliding point of view
CLUE #12: UNSETTLING SETTINGS
Oh, no, not just another pretty place
CLUE #13: INSUFFICIENT GROUNDS
Satisfy the hankering for anchoring

PART VII: THE USUAL SUSPECTS
CLUE #14: SLOW DEATH
End adverbosity, adjectivitis, and other infectious overwriting
CLUE #15: BURIED AGENDAS
A tension deficit disorder
CLUE #16: DYING DIALOGUE
Quit pretending it's dialogue just because you put it in quotes
CLUE #17: TREACHEROUS TAGS
Snip—like embarrassing price tags worn in public

PART VIII: ROGUES GALLERY
CLUE #18: MULTIPLE IDENTITIES
Fight confusion profusion
CLUE #19: STRANGLED SPEECH
Do you hear what I hear?
CLUE #20: KILLED BY CLICHÉ
Avoid like the plague
CLUE #21: GESTURED TO DEATH
Stamp out illiteracy in body language

PART IX: LOOSE ENDS
CLUE #22: SNITCH VS. SPY
Telling vs. showing: long time no see
CLUE #23: MYSTERY DYSTROPHY
Strengthen weak style
CLUE #24: WORDS & MISDEMEANORS
Insidious abuses and mis-uses

PART X: POST-MORTEM
Supporting Testimony (Endnotes)
Exhibit A Standard Manuscript Format
Exhibit B Recommended Nonfiction
Exhibit C Popular Internet Sites
Exhibit D Bibliography of Fiction Cited
Cross-examination (Index)
Witness Box (Acknowledgments)
The Perpetrator (About the author)