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Each Flashback Friday throughout 2020, we'll be sharing an article from our archives to celebrate our 100th anniversary. Tweet your favorite WD memory to us @WritersDigest using the hashtag #WritersDigest100. Thanks for celebrating with us! Murder for Profit, Part 2 By George Dyer, Writer's Digest, April 1931 Read part 1 of the article Murder for Profit: Mystery Story Techniques here. Your murderer is a combination of your own feelings, modified by the character and appearance and background of some real person of your acquaintance. Your victim is a variation on your own particular of Editor Jones. Around these two group other personalities, families, friends, business associate, accomplices as required. Obviously, in this game you do not introduce your murderer plainly labeled with the brand of Cain. The crime is committed, the man who will turn out to be the killer is introduced as casually as possible, and then for the required number of thousands of words, the game is on! By every legitimate method you attempt to throw the reader off the scent; in every fair way the reader tries to detect you at your work of concealment and to be able to say, at the last page, “I guessed it all along.” If this is true, he wins. If his reaction is “Why didn’t I see that,” you’ve won. If he reads straight through to the end and exclaims, “That’s not fair,” and gives adequate reasons, then you’ve probably broken the rules. This concealment of the guilty man patently involves other characters. Others are suspected and dismissed, or die violently in a similar fashion to Editor Jones. This raises the knotty problem of how many suspects are advisable. In the mystery short story, the ideal number of suspected persons would appear to be limited by the construction of the vehicle, to three. One of these is the Obvious Suspect, a villain if there ever was one, and with every reason and opportunity to commit the crime. He is for the thoughtless reader-player; only such a person will accept him as the culprit in the solution. The second may be classed as the Suspect, or Middle Suspect, and the writer may find it is wise to make him the actual criminal. He may be given either motive or opportunity, but either motive or opportunity must be apparently impossible. This fact of an apparent alibi in one or the other element will cause the stupid among the writer’s opponents to dismiss him from the suspected list, while the very clearness of the opportunity or motive given him will cause the intelligent reader to disregard him as too obvious. That, at least, is the writer’s hope. The third is the Buried Suspect, who is inserted to draw the clever reader’s attention from the really guilty man. He may also have either motive or opportunity, may have been heard to speak bitterly of the deceased, or covetously of the stolen object. [Article continues below ad, or click here to read it on our website.] In consideration of so constricted a form as a short story, only two grades of reader intelligence can be reckoned upon; the Clever, and the Dull. In the preparation of a mystery story of this kind, it is often helpful for the sake of clarity to set down a list something as follows: The Obvious Suspect–(to throw off the Dull Reader). The Middle Suspect–(Actual Criminal). The Buried Suspect–(to throw off the Clever Reader). The longer detective novel or novelette, however, should be built with five levels of suspicion for four grades of reader mind. In this case, the table looks more like this: The Obvious Suspect–(for the Very Dull). The Less Obvious Suspect–(for the Dull). The Middle Suspect–(Actual Criminal). The Buried Suspect–(for the Clever). The Deeply Buried Suspect–(for the Very Clever). It will be seen that the same trio of suspected persons appears in both lists, and that the Middle Suspect may just as well be made the guilty man in the solution of the novel-length work. In the longer piece, five levels of suspicion would only be the minimum. But more than five seems inexpedient, since a greater number of intentionally manufactured suspects will increase the confusion of minor characters. The case-hardened reader of detective stories may be trusted to suspect everyone in the narrative without any deliberate implication on the part of the writer. Continuing the example above, Editor Jones dies, very painfully. A man is seen running away from the spot, say, with a knife in his hand. He is apprehended, found to be an individual known to have borne a grudge against the late editor. With the chart filled out in blank before you, you enter this character’s name after the heading “Obvious Suspect.” The police view the body, the coroner appears. A friend of Editor Jones turns up, plainly broken up by the death. Perhaps you have him admit that he was near the spot by chance, but permit him to show that the murder would mean nothing but loss to him. If he is your actual criminal, you enter him after “Middle Suspect.” Then, as your tastes dictate, the super sleuth with his Watson, or the young District attorney, or the newspaper reporter arrives, and picks up the subtle clue which you have thoughtfully deposited near the corpse. It is difficult not to be trite in the discussion of clues. The burned cigar butt, the handkerchief smelling faintly of musk, the finger-printed pistol, have all been worn thin to transparency. But you will find that an actual consideration of the murder, by you, of a real Editor Jones, will offer better things than these for your use. [You might also enjoy this 1981 Writer's Digest article about tips for writing popular fiction.] Thus the story unrolls. Bit by bit, and always in the most casual fashion, you produce the scraps of evidence upon which the final solution is to be based, dropped in among other facts which are red herrings dragged across the trail. Here is where your superior knowledge helps you, for you are well aware of what is coming, and so realize what is significant and what is red herring, while the reader must sort out what he believes to be important without the advantage of fore-knowledge. In passing, I have found it convenient to keep a list of the misleading occurrences on a separate sheet. For all these must be explained, during the narrative or at its conclusion. It is useful, occasionally, in this game of outwitting the gentle reader, to put the detective character somewhere in the scheme of suspected persons. Either he or the deceased, through a hint of possible suicide, may very well be jotted down as the “Deeply Buried Suspect.” At some point in the action it is advisable to have the actual criminal suspected, and then apparently cleared on a motive or opportunity alibi which looks unshakeable until ultimately proved false. Opinions differ widely as to the amount of blood which should be splashed around the walls and carpets. Personally, I agree with the contention that one murder, or two at the most, should suffice for either short story or novel-length mystery. Each subsequent killing, it seems to me, detracts further from the effect of the first, but that is a matter of individual taste. And in the last analysis, the whole conduct of this game of “murder for profit” is a matter of individual taste, how you play it, within the compass of the rules sketched above, and even, of course, whether or not you choose to play it at all. It is a game, a good game, and the author has the more interesting side of the board. He is quite willing to say keenly, as he puts a sheet in his typewriter and moves forward his first pawn: “Checkmate to the better player!” Amy Jones Amy Jones is the Editor-in-Chief of Writer’s Digest and the former managing content director for WD Books. Prior to joining the WD team, Amy was the managing editor for North Light Books and IMPACT Books. Find her on Twitter at @AmyMJones_5 Deadline is Today! Whether you’re a professional writer, a part-time freelancer or a self-starting student, here’s your chance to enter the premier self-published competition exclusively for self-published books. Click here to learn more. | Privacy Policy Writer's Digest an Active Interest Media company 5720 Flatiron Parkway, Boulder, CO 80301

Publish Your Book, Enter Our Competition, Launch Your Career. It’s time that self-published authors earn the respect they deserve: All that time you spent writing and rewriting, editing, and making your own choices about covers, layout, and distribution shouldn’t go unnoticed! That’s why Writer’s Digest has been honoring self-publishing writers for 28 years with the Self-Published Book Awards. Here’s the scoop: Submit your self-published, printed and bound book in one of 8 categories (mainstream/literary fiction, genre fiction, nonfiction/reference, inspirational, life stories, early reader/children’s picture books, middle-grade/young adult, poetry) for a chance at: $8,000 cash prize A trip to New York City for the Annual Writer’s Digest Conference A feature article about you and your book in the March/April 2021 issue of Writer’s Digest Every entrant will also receive a brief commentary from one of our qualified judges—all who have experience in their respective categories and/or the publishing world. Ready to earn the recognition you deserve? Send us your book, which must have been published between 2015 and now, and we’ll take care of the rest. You’ll be well on your way! The best deal on entering will expire on April 10. LEARN MORE Privacy Policy Writer's Digest an Active Interest Media company 5720 Flatiron Parkway, Boulder, CO 80301

This Month's Boot Camp Agent Feedback on Your First Ten Pages Join Talcott Notch Literary and get agent feedback on your first ten pages. Save 10% when you use code STAYWELL10 at checkout. Learn how it works >> Thursday, April 23, 2020 HURRY, SEATING IS LIMITED! 65% off Webinars with code WEBINAR65 Instructor: Jess Regel $79.99 $28.00 Instructor: Katie Shea Boutillier $79.99 $28.00 Instructor: Carol Tice $79.99 $28.00 Instructor: Marie Lamba 79.99 $28.00 Click Here to Browse All Webinars >> Featured Course Gain Practical and Marketable Skills Boost your resume and earn money doing what you love. Get certified from the comfort of your couch and save 10% on your registration with code STAYWELL10! Course Starts April 23, 2020 LEARN MORE This Week's Top Picks Character Development Premium Collection Inject your writing with emotion and create layered characters that will make your readers laugh, cry, and never forget your stories! 2nd Draft Manuscript Critique "2nd Draft offered me a professional pair of fresh eyes and the spit shine my manuscript needed." April Digital Issue In the April 2020 issue, we celebrate the small presses that bring bold, unique stories into our lives, and much more! Writing Your Novel in 30 Days: Prep Kit Award-winning authors and instructors share practical techniques for developing plots, staying motivated, and managing competing priorities during the novel writing process. Explore More Resources WD ANNUAL CONFERENCE FREE WRITING RESOURCES COMPETITIONS CRITIQUE SERVICES COURSES & WEBINARS PREMIUM COLLECTIONS | Privacy Policy Writer's Digest an Active Interest Media company 5720 Flatiron Parkway, Boulder, CO 80301 Active Interest Media, 5720 Flatiron Parkway, Boulder, CO 80301, USA

In this issue, we share one writer's story of becoming a writer at 50, a new market spotlight, how to tame the synopsis, and much more!  It's Never Too Late to Get Published The year I turned 20 I sat down and made out my bucket list, jotting down the decade birthdays—30th, 40th, 50th, and so on—and beneath each entry what I hoped to have accomplished by that date. Longevity not being a strong family trait, I figured I had maybe five decades to make my life’s dreams come true. (How I Stopped Sabotaging My Writing Goals.) Fifty years to fall in love, travel the world, fly on a trapeze, take ballroom dance lessons and and learn how to snowboard. Fifty years to finish school, build a career, pay off student loans, get married, have kids, achieve financial security, and do something to make the world a better place. And, near the top of each of the five lists: 50 years to square up the person I was on the outside with the one I felt like on the inside, which for me meant somehow becoming a writer. Read the full article... Craft & Business of Writing Regal House Publishing: Market Spotlight Regal House Publishing was founded in 2014 by Jaynie Royal as a result of her experiences trying to get her book published as an author. Royal says, "I founded Regal House determined to do things differently. I wanted to establish a publishing house that served as a true partner to the writers under its roof, one that sought to empower and support its authors." Read More... Taming the Synopsis Tales of a powerful writing creature have long been told around the publishing campfire. It has the capacity to shape story ideas, assist in revision, provide essential book-marketing aid. Yet despite its magical properties, the mere mention of this brute has been known to drive some authors to tears, and induce spasms of terror in others. Dare I utter its name? Ladies and gentlemen, please brace yourselves for: The Synopsis. No, wait! Don’t run away! I know we’re speaking of a beast of legend, and there is much talk of sharp fangs and slavering jaws. But I promise, with a little bit of savvy and know-how, you can take that monster from foe to friend. Still not convinced? Allow me to explain how to write a synopsis. Read More... Word Count for Novels and Children's Books Word count for novels and books is something I don't think about too often until I travel to a writers' conference, and then someone asks a simple, innocent question: "How long should a book be?" With that in mind, I've tried to put together the definitive post on word count for fiction (novels, young adult, middle grade, children's books and even memoir). Read More... Send Your Work to 2nd Draft Critique Services! No matter your style or genre, Writer's Digest Shop offers a high-level view of your writing. After an evaluation of your submission, one of the professional 2nd Draft critiquers will provide feedback and advice. You’ll not only learn what’s working in your writing, but what’s not, and—most important—how to fix it. Gain a critique of your manuscript, query letter, synopsis, and more! Click here to learn more >> 5 Ways to Keep Focused When Burned Out We've all experienced burnout, that fried-brain feel. It can come from many different catalysts: Being overworked and underslept. Depression. Self-doubt. Imposter syndrome. Even a run-of-the-mill straight of bad days. (8 Ways to Stay Mentally Fit and Mindful in the Writing Process.) Though the symptoms and consequences of burnout can be dire, in our productivity-obsessed society, we often loathe burnout more for keeping us from getting from A to B than for how it's impacting us physically or mentally. This article will encourage you as a creative writer to maintain precision focus—the ability to sit still and work on the same task (i.e., your manuscript) for at least 30 minutes without distraction—even when you're experiencing burnout. Read More... Robert Lee Brewer Robert Lee Brewer is a senior editor for Writer’s Digest and former editor of the Writer's Market book series. He is also the author of Smash Poetry Journal and Solving the World's Problems. Find him on Twitter at @RobertLeeBrewer  | Privacy Policy Writer's Digest an Active Interest Media company 5720 Flatiron Parkway, Boulder, CO 80301

Learn how author Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai decided to write her new novel The Mountains Sing in our newest Author Spotlight. Author Spotlight: Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai is the author nine books. The Mountains Sing is her first written in English. In this Author Spotlight, she shares how it felt to write at such length in English and her personal connection to the topic of the story. What prompted you to write this book? Vietnamese people have gone through so much that each family’s account could be written into an epic novel. For many years, I wanted to write a book that encompasses the experiences of not just my family, but of others’ as well. I wanted to create a world which is authentically Vietnamese and fill it with Vietnamese characters, language, poetry, and culture. Yet I could not find a key to open the door to that world. Then, in 2012, when I was traveling with a Vietnamese friend in a car, I asked him what it was like for him during the Việt Nam War. He told me that he was 12 years old when Hà Nội was targeted by B-52 bombers. His parents were in Russia at that time and he was living with his grandmother, who saved him from the bombing raids. His story moved me so much. When I went home that evening, after putting my two young children to bed, I sat down at my computer and googled about the bombings of Hà Nội. I heard audio broadcasts of the sirens warning citizens about bombing raids. With tears running down my face, I penned 2,000 words which eventually become the opening scene of The Mountains Sing. I wrote without knowing where the story would lead me. But I knew I had to let Grandma Diệu Lan have many children, who would be separated by historical events which in turn lead them to becoming the enemy of one another. Read the full article... Win a FREE evaluation of your first 20 pages. You’ll get an expert critique from Barbara Kyle, award-winning author and acclaimed story coach. Three winners will be drawn. Winners will then have a month to send their 20 pages. Contest closes April 14. Enter now for a chance to win! Read more What's New Polishing Your Prose: Tips for Self-Editing Help your freelance writing land better with editors and increase your chances of getting published with these 11 proven tips for self-editing from Estelle Erasmus. Read More... Historical Fiction: Discover New Truths in the Past History books are great for sharing a macro-level view of the past, but historical fiction reveals truths about the way people lived in history. Read More... Writing the Stream Writer's Digest Weekly Writing Prompt Write a piece using the stream-of-consciousness technique. Read More... 65% off all Writer's Digest Webinars If you're at home self-isolating what better time to improve your writing and conquer your goals? Through the end of April, we're offering 65% off all of our OnDemand webinars! Use Code WEBINAR65 at checkout to save.  Click here to browse webinars.  30 Days of Developing Characters: Creating Character Backstory A Script Magazine Feature Diving deep into creating characters' backstories not only helps you create roles actors want to play, but also creates more opportunities for interesting plot points and conflict. Jeanne Veillette Bowerman gives you 30 days of lessons on developing your characters. Read More... Form and Composition Writer's Digest University Using proper grammar, punctuation, and mechanics ensures your writing is technically correct. In order to truly write well, you must also master the art of form and composition. From sentence structure to polishing your prose, this workshop will enhance your writing—no matter what type of writing you do. Learn More... Save 10% with code STAYWELL10 Amy Jones Amy Jones is the editor-in-chief of Writer’s Digest and the former managing content director for WD Books. Prior to joining the WD team, Amy was the managing editor for North Light Books and IMPACT Books. Find her on Twitter at @AmyMJones_5

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