How to Write a Murder Mystery Book
Good evening loyal readers, I bid you good tidings and am also pleased too announce that I’m the harbinger of exciting news !
Yes, it’s what you’ve all been waiting for …
Today I started on my first novel !
I’m currently working on getting the characters sorted, something of great import as I want them to be potential series characters so I need to get it right from the get go.
Also basic plotting is underway, I cannot reveal too many details, obviously is it would spoil the ‘intriguing murder mystery’
What I can say is that the 34DD female detective goes into a strip club and finds the body of a pole dancer dressed only in a red thong, such is the detective’s surprise all her clothes fall off so she goes undercover as a lap dancer to solve the crime 
No, seriously folks 
I’m trying to do a proper job of this, I want it to be something I’m proud to put my name to.
The amount of planning required is such that I suspect the actual writing will be the quickest and easiest part.
I want to get it right, too often I read books and think, he wouldn’t say that, she wouldn’t do that etc etc.
I also want to pay great detail to character depth so everything has to be right from where they live, the cars they drive to the clothes they wear etc.
I don’t mean I’m going to be all anal and transpotterish about it for me it’s all about what’s behind the characters and what makes them tick, get that wrong then the character is flawed, if the main character is flawed then it at best taints the story and at worst, ruins it completely.
For example, the the character gets on a train I’m not bothered about what make and model it is but I am bothered about whether that character would actually travel by train and if he did so would he go first class or look for a cheap ticket etc
It will be in third-person narrative so that’s one thing sorted but I need to think about a lot more, such as the need to pay some attention to structure and decide how I want to present dialogue etc, not just in terms of prose but physical layout on the page.
Writer, editor and typesetter then 
Presupposing the thing is finished and acceptable to me then I will definitely get it into book form, so it will be available - that is a promise !
If it’s good enough then it will be available as a printed and bound book !
Wish Me Luck
Rod
Lucy said,
February 10, 2009 @ 1:50 am
Good good good luck!
I’ve been trying to do a bit more writing myself lately (being a physics student I don’t often get the time) A dream of mine is to write a good novel..I think most of us have a book inside us, figuratively. I’ve been starting little though, short stories and poems; planning to get some of them on a site and see what people like.
Here’s a recent short story (absurd) I’ve started :
http://coszcatl.wordpress.com/
One word of advice Rod, when you get the dreaded ‘writer’s block’ , force yourself to write something-anything, even if it’s not part of the current story. Some of my best lines came from such circumstances….they didn’t make sense on their own but I was often able to start a new project which was even better than the former I’d been pining about!
Good luck once again
Rod said,
February 10, 2009 @ 9:27 am
Lucy,
that’s great stuff, it’s interesting to think about what you mentioned:
I think most of us have a book inside us, figuratively.
Quite a few people have an idea for a book I think which never gets translated into words, I wonder how many great ideas there are out there for books and films etc just lying dormant in people’s heads ?
I’m off to check out coszcatl now Lucy
Thanks for the encouragement, advice and good wishes
Rod
Rod said,
February 10, 2009 @ 10:28 am
Lucy
it’s a good read, intriguing !
It clearly works as I wanted to read chapter 3 - let us know when it’s done Lucy.
Best
Rod
Witches of Eastwick said,
February 10, 2009 @ 12:54 pm
Rod,
We do indeed wish you good luck, but then don’t we always and not necessarily with writing. At last something to keep you thoroughly engrossed and a worthwhile pass-time to equal your healthy walks in the countryside and…….. well all the other things that you do whatever they may be
Your public awaits.
WoE
Rod said,
February 10, 2009 @ 3:21 pm
WoE
thanks for that, not sure how long it will take though, the more i think about it the more complex it all becomes !
Cheers
Rod
Jordan said,
February 10, 2009 @ 3:36 pm
RC
A very good idea, good luck with the planning. I once read that the best way to write a book was to start at the end of it.
Will your characters be taken from real life? Will we see a chef, a bookdealer, ad infinitum? Will it be a private printing and at what cost? Limited copies signed by the author?
Jordan
Little Brother said,
February 10, 2009 @ 4:10 pm
Rod,
Good luck, if it doesn’t work I’ll get in touch with Katie Price and Peter Andre’s ghost writer
LB
Rod said,
February 10, 2009 @ 4:24 pm
Jordan
thanks for that and the good questions.
I am certainly looking at the end and therefore the basis of the mystery to build toward it.
I have some ideas but I’m not confident of coming up with an outstanding puzzle and reveal so I’m aiming for the interest to be in the overall story and characters.
With all the mysteries that have been published, films and TV series a truly original whodunnit is probably out of the question therefore I hope to catch the readers imagination with prose style and character depth.
I will be drawing on personal experience with the main series character being not unlike me in some basic traits and circumstances.
I can publish very easily and on demand with companies such as Lulu, anybody can order from the site and they are pretty cheap as well.
I’ll buy a bunch myself, some to keep, some to market myself on various sites and also perhaps a free signed copy competition on the site - who could resist such a prize
Cheers
Rod
Rod said,
February 10, 2009 @ 4:25 pm
LB
don’t bother - I am Katie Price’s ghost writer
Rod
Femme Fatale said,
February 12, 2009 @ 5:28 pm
Rod,
Good luck with the book,
I am sure it will be a success, as so many people read this blog and appear interested in it
It will keep you busy and in the warm on these cold wintery nights.
FF
xx
Rod said,
February 12, 2009 @ 5:56 pm
FF,
thanks for that, I’m feeling confident, I expect it to outsell Harry Potter
Regards
Rod
psqr10 said,
May 17, 2010 @ 10:48 am
Hi im trying to write a murder book as well i hope your book is a sucess.
All the Best..
Rod said,
May 17, 2010 @ 2:01 pm
psqr10,
many thanks indeed and likewise to you.
Welcome to the site and I hope you’ll return
All the best
Rod