Debi Graham-Leard

When I first decided to write a mystery novel, simply because I loved to read them, I had no idea how complicated it could get. Choosing the right words and putting them on the page in the proper order is not so easy as you would think!

In addition to the basics questions like who will my characters be, where will my story take place, and what’s the problem that will move the story along, there is an endless list of other details that must be woven into the pages. Character arc, subplot, logical dialogue, scenes that evolve from cause and effect, and varied sentence beginnings.

And, of course, with every conference or on-line course, other facets come into play. Recently, someone handed me an article about sensory detail and how adding sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste can add depth and texture to a story. And let’s not forget the sixth sense: intuition. Each scene should have at least one, but make sure it’s appropriate to the characters and setting.

Another workshop advised that each page needs to include three elements: Feelings, Action, and Thought. Notice the acronym FAT!

And so I continue to revise, and hopefully improve my mystery! One of these days, I might actually feel that it’s as finished as I can make it. The trick will then be to find an agent who agrees with me that my story is worthy of publication!