Pacing in Mysteries

Readers expect immediate gratification in suspense novels. Scene shifts and changes occur frequently as the hero (protagonist) resolves or is thwarted by one conflict after another. The villain (antagonist) and hero are enmeshed in a chess match and the author controls the board.

A Writer

A writer is someone who has written today; not someone who writes for money; not someone who writes for fame; not someone who has written in the past or will write in the future.

On Writing

Write that part of the story you wouldn't show your mother. Keep an "asylum file" for all your crazy ideas. When you finish a writing session, leave off with a specific question to be answered in the next scene.