April 08 , 2008

American Society of Journalists and Authors



Mystery Writing in a Nutshell by John McAleer, Andrew McAleer, Edward D. Hoch (foreword). James A. Rock & Co. Publishers, 2007. 120 pages. Paperback. $9.95.

In the minimalist tradition of Walter Mosley's This Year You Write Your Novel, you'll find that Mystery Writing in a Nutshell packs a lot of punch per page. As a veritable checklist for what a story should cover, much of the content is universal, applying to more than just the narrow mystery/suspense genre.

On the premise that a lengthy how-to book on writing technique will only confuse you, the authors keep it short and crisp. You'll find nutshell tips on everything from choosing the right point of view, to structuring the plot, to developing your own distinctive voice.

The authors, a father-son duo, have serious credentials in the mystery/suspense field. One after the other, they've taught crime fiction at Boston College for more than half a century. In Nutshell, they employ a somewhat novel (for this type of book), numbered format that is highly readable as it takes you through the nuts and bolts of assembling a story. (To me, this was especially helpful as a checklist used against an existing first draft of a novel.)

The last fourth of the book consists of reprints of articles and interviews by the authors."Conversations with Rex Stout" contains excerpts from Andrew McAleer's extensive interviews with the creator of the classic Nero Wolfe series. (McAleer authored Rex Stout: A Biography, winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award.) Stout drops such pearls as: "A character who is thought out is not born, he or she is contrived. A born character is round, a thought out character is flat."

You won't learn the finer points of fiction writing from this book. But if you need to add some tension to your story, or want a basic tune-up manual, you might find Mystery Writing in a Nutshell to be worth its modest price.

By Sandra Dark
Sandra Dark's latest YA novel is Calypso Wind.