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 Mystery: June 22, 2005 Issue [#428] |
  Mystery This week: Edited by: schipperkeMore Newsletters By This Editor   1. About this Newsletter 2. A Word from our Sponsor 3. Letter from the Editor 4. Editor's Picks 5. A Word from Writing.Com 6. Ask & Answer 7. Removal instructions  Welcome to schipperke 's Mystery Newsletter. This week I concentrate on reviewing mysteries. 
 My mother-in-law has a reading rule she calls the “Rule of Ten”. If the book she is reading doesn’t grab her attention in the first ten pages, or the first ten minutes, whichever comes first, she returns the book to the library. She is a voracious reader, often having ten or twelve books on hold at the local library. She feels life is too short to read bad books. I have tried her ten minute method, but find I want to give the author a chance. I often will read a book through to the end, gritting my teeth as I wade through mushy prose and poorly written plots. Some books are so forgettable, I will reach for the book at the library only to have my husband say, “Didn’t you take that book out already? You hated it!” To save my time and effort, I have started to read book reviews on Amazon.com and on Salon. Other publications to offer current book reviews I peruse include The Book Pages, which I pick up for free at the library, and The Washington Post Book Review section of the newspaper. I enjoyed reading the book reviews so much, I decided writing reviews of books I have read would be a blast. I already write reviews of textbooks for my professional magazine, so I thought writing reviews for fiction and nonfiction books would be fun. Writing reviews and getting them published in itself isn’t difficult, but get paid for it is. If you want to get some practice writing reviews, try writing them for Amazon or look on the internet for web sites that need reviewers. You won’t get paid, but you will get free books or e-books and online exposure of your writing. What needs to be in a mystery review? Think about what information you would want as a discerning reader. If, like me, you want to find out if the plot is interesting, if the writing is passable, and if the majority of readers would recommend it, that is what you want to put in your review. You need to read the WHOLE book to write a fair review. Take notes as you read, so you can reference an interesting quote or passage from the book. I write down my general impressions of the book: Is the mystery suspenseful? Are there enough clues to keep you guessing, or do you know the answer to the mystery before the end of the second chapter? Is it the kind of book you skip whole sections of unnecessary ‘fill’ or do you want to jump ahead and read the ending first, because it is so exciting? Once you read the book at least once for a general impression, read it again for more detailed information. Take more notes. Make a decision if your review will be positive or not. Readers of reviews expect an opinion backed by examples and reasons for the opinion. Now you are ready to write your review. Be sure to get the author’s name spelled correctly, and note the publisher, the ISBN, the date published and the number of pages. Start your review with a thought-provoking question, or a quote from the book. Grab the reader’s attention. Give a brief summary of the plot, but be sure not to give away the ending! That would be unpardonable in a review of a mystery. You want to give an overall idea about what the book is about. Talk about the characterization, how the suspense was handled, and how enjoyable (or not) the book was to read. If you can’t give a positive review, be professional. Be clear and specific of your criticisms, give examples or compare with other works in that genre, or from that author. Be gentle! Conclude with your overall thoughts about the book and end with another quote, or a summary statement. You can use my mother-in-law’s Ten Minute Method, or you can try reading reviews first. Then sharpen your pencils and start writing reviews yourself. You could even start with a review of this article!  
Schipperke's Picks of the week I picked award winning stories for this week's newsletter. Some of these are older stories and I am sure the author's would love a REVIEW. Use your new reviewing skills. 
Submit an item for consideration in this newsletter! http://www.Writing.Com/main/newsletters.php?action=nli_form  Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter! http://www.Writing.Com/main/newsletters.php?action=nli_form Don't forget to support our sponsor!
 Reader Feedback billwilcox Schip, Nicely done. I think the murder scene is what the reader really focuses on. You see it on TV with all the CSI's. The murder sceane defines your story--it tells the reader whether the killer is sly and intelligent or just a plain old wacko. W.D. Thanks, Bill! Question for the readers: Have you ever bought the 'dime-store' mystery mags like Hitchcock Presents or True Crime? Have a question or comment for the Editor? http://www.Writing.Com/main/newsletters.php?action=nli_form
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