Today, I'm thrilled to be a part of BLINDSIDED by Marguerite Ashton's book tour sponsored by Xpresso Book Tours. Marguerite was kind enough to offer some great advice for authors on how to write a mystery and/or thriller. Check out her post below and don't forget to enter the giveaway!
Hello Kim,
Thanks for hosting me on your blog.
Giving advice on writing a mystery or thriller is akin to describing how I put together a dinner menu—it changes daily and isn’t the same each time. I’ve watched for years how things changed in the writing world. For example, writing rules for a certain genre are not set in stone like they were before.
Even with the “rule-breaking,” there are still things that we need to remember as writers. Like researching the genre that we write in, writing your synopsis in the order that things happen in the book, and formatting is still important. That is something I don’t see changing. For me, I see that as a good thing. As much as I dread the outline and synopsis, it has been helpful for all of my books.
Having the ability to zero in on your novel and finding scenes or chapters that can be enhanced is the fun part of putting together a story that will either capture your readers' attention or frustrate them because it didn’t come out as they expected it to. This is not a bad thing.
If you see your writing as a career, keep on writing. Warning, not everyone will like your story or writing style. I can assure you that no matter how awesome you think your book is, there will be others who will try to shut you down. It might be through reviews and comments on social media that will probably discourage you from writing at all.
I’ve heard people utter the words, “do your best.” As a writer, I have swapped that around to “do your worst.” Why? The writing process and journey are about getting the story you want to tell written. So, no matter what anyone says, your goal is to put your characters in their world to entertain your readers. It will be up to you to do your best!
Marguerite Ashton
Thank you Marguerite for this advice. I like how you switch "do your best" to "do your worst" because that's a great way to keep from getting hung up on the writing process versus getting the book completed. Plus, you can always revise!
Please be sure to learn more about Marguerite Ashton's new release BLINDSIDED and enter the giveaway below!
Diagnosed with depression, Lexi Archer prefers to continue outpatient treatment. But someone else has other plans.
BlindSided tells the story of Lexi Archer, an eighteen-year-old woman who wakes up in a hospital bed, handcuffed to the rail, and realizes she doesn’t remember what happened the night before.
After being released from the hospital, Lexi’s transferred to the Milwaukee County Jail, where she’s informed about her pending charges for first-degree murder.
Intent on proving she’s innocent, Lexi places a phone call to her stepsister asking for her help. As Lexi gets closer to the truth, she unravels ugly secrets about her dead mother that will change her life forever.
About the Author:
When Marguerite Ashton was in her twenties, she took up acting but realized she preferred to work behind the camera, writing crime fiction. A few years later, she married an IT Geek and settled down with her role as wife, mom, and writer!
Her blog, Criminal Lines: Settled Writer Past 40 is her outlet while building dollhouses and plotting out her next book.
Marguerite lives in Wisconsin and enjoys RVing.
Giveaway:
Tour-wide giveaway (INT) ends Feb. 9, 2023:
$25 Amazon gift card
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