Reflections on ProWritingAid’s Crime Writers’ Week 2024

I'm not exactly a crime writer, but in my paranormal series “The Empath Series”, Nathaniel Colt helps out the (fictional) California Bureau of Investigations (CBI) solve murder cases. Hence, I had to learn the specifics of the crime genre. Besides, I enjoy learning about storytelling, crafting characters, and worldbuilding.

At this year’s “Crime Writers’ Week”, several sessions stood out to me, such as Lori Puma’s “Building the Puzzle Behind Your Mystery’s Plot”. Puma focused on the anatomy of the investigatory puzzle in a murder mystery and explained how to keep both the sleuth and readers guessing until the very end.

While it was a highly technical presentation on plotting and story structure, she offered many tips on keeping mystery readers guessing. One aspect that stood out to me was her statement that authors “don’t just have clues and suspects to build your puzzle. You can also manipulate the life cycle of the clue so that you can control when a clue is understood within your plot.” It’s a simple but logical statement, yet many authors struggle with where to place a clue and when to reveal whether it’s genuine or a red herring.

My highlights from Crime Writers’ Week

At this year’s “Crime Writers’ Week”, several sessions stood out to me, such as Lori Puma’s “Building the Puzzle Behind Your Mystery’s Plot”. Puma focused on the anatomy of the investigatory puzzle in a murder mystery and explained how to keep both the sleuth and readers guessing until the very end.

While it was a highly technical presentation on plotting and story structure, she offered many tips on keeping mystery readers guessing. One aspect that stood out to me was her statement that authors “don’t just have clues and suspects to build your puzzle. You can also manipulate the life cycle of the clue so that you can control when a clue is understood within your plot.” It’s a simple but logical statement, yet many authors struggle with where to place a clue and when to reveal whether it’s genuine or a red herring.

Twists don’t suddenly happen

Another educational session was Samantha Skal’s “Writing Twists and Reveals for Maximum Impact”. She discussed what twists and reveals are, and how to plan them before and even during writing your novel. The key takeaway was that twists don’t just happen out of nowhere. “Twists are not a hard left turn with no previous clues. They’re not some random new plot point to make it twisty. They’re not a secret that the POV character has been keeping from the reader the whole time. That’s a true reveal,” she explained.

In other words, a successful twist should always be hinted at earlier in the story. For instance, in “Wicked Seduction”, I dropped subtle clues about the true mastermind behind the vicious murders from the beginning. Conversely, a twist can also serve as a red herring. In “Wicked Hunt”, I suggested that one victim was the actual target of the sniper attacks. Although it was true, the twist was that the individual who hired the hitman erred in his motivations for wanting the other man dead. Ultimately, the killings were unnecessary.

What Hollywood should learn

A special shout-out to Graham Bartlett for his presentation on “Creating Credible Crime Fiction”. As a former chief superintendent of Brighton and Hove police, Bartlett has extended knowledge of investigations, and it shows in the way he talks about crafting investigations for novels. Hence, his tips and insights are invaluable for making crime fiction authentic.

While I can never achieve perfect accuracy, I strive for credibility and authenticity in my writing. It drives me nuts when I see investigators sipping coffee in his casual clothes while they examine the corpse. That’s a forensic and legal nightmare!

The business of writing crime fiction

As an authorpreneur, having the right tools and services can lighten the workload significantly. Aside from ProWritingAid, two other essential tools I use are Reedsy and Publisher Rocket, both of which had representatives at Crime Writers’ Week. 

Reedsy is a marketplace where authors can find vetted and certified editors, cover designers, ghostwriters, or marketers. Beyond using the marketplace, I also take advantage of their free writing tool. While it may not have the hundreds of features some other tools boast, it allows me to write in the software or import your existing manuscript. Plus, I can export your manuscript to ePub and print-ready PDF formats and don’t have to worry too much about formatting.

Reedsy’s co-founder Ricardo Fayet presentation “The Strategies Behind a Successful Book Launch” was packed with practical and actionable insights on how to craft and execute a launch strategy. For more tips, I recommend his free book, “How to Market a Book: Overperform in a Crowded Market”. It offers fundamental knowledge authorpreneurs should have.

Importance of keywords and categories

Publisher Rocket is an application created by Kindlepreneur's David Chesson that allows the user to search keywords and categories. To me, Publisher Rocket is an essential resource for any authorpreneur looking to boost visibility and sales.

In his session, “The Art of Crime Keywords and Categories”, Hank Marcacci explained how to find profitable keywords and use categories to attract casual shoppers organically on Amazon. He not only made the case for why authorpreneurs should carefully select their keywords but also why they should use Publisher Rocket. I use it, and it has saved me hours of tedious research.

Missing opportunities

For authorpreneurs, ProWritingAid’s “Crime Writers’ Week” and similar events are great opportunities to gain insights into publishing, learn new skills, and network. Although I appreciated the lessons on crafting crime novels and book marketing, I missed the sessions with fellow authors. While the discussions with Wanda M. Morris and Louisa Luna were interesting, I believe ProWritingAid should incorporate more of these sessions. Hearing about the triumphs and challenges of fellow writers offers practical advice and encouragement, which is invaluable for both aspiring and established authors alike.

Buy "The Empath Series"

“The Empath Series” follows empath Nathaniel Colt as he rejoins the world and the people he left behind. It is a riveting tale of suspense, emotion, and the resilience of the human spirit. As the empath grapples with his inner demons, the pulse-pounding action and the unpredictable twists will keep you on the edge of your seat.

If you enjoy stories with a psychic investigator, serial killers, and an insolent dog, then you will love “The Empath Series”.