<span class="vcard">Written Well</span>
Written Well

Should I Write Amateur Sleuth

If you love mysteries but would rather eat paste than research police procedure, amateur sleuth is right there waiting for you. And it accommodates all kinds of sleuth: cozy sleuths, hard-boiled sleuths, historical sleuths. If they're curious (nosy) and unlicensed, they're welcome here.

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Should I Write Legal Thriller?

If you like courtroom drama and know enough about to make the legal maneuverings realistic, legal thriller is a good way to make money off that knowledge. The category is down right now, but I expect it to bounce back. If there were less than a dozen Law & Order shows on every time I turned on the TV, perhaps I would be more concerned.

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Private Investigator/Hard-Boiled Guide

The PI. Classically hard-boiled, male, often drunk, and frequently violent. Living on his wits in a rough, tough town, surrounded by crooked cops, corrupt politicians, and organized crime.

For the foundational stuff, you’ll want to acquaint yourself with Dash Hammett and Raymond Chandler.

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Police Procedural Guide

Cops, being cops. And you have to get those little details right if you are going to write in this field.

However—and this is where the fun begins—the cops understand that these days. Most police departments of any size will frequently hold “Mystery Writer Events,” often as part of Mystery Writers of America (MWA), so you should look at locating and joining your nearest chapter.

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Medical Thriller Guide

Medical thrillers are based around hospitals, doctors, nurses, EMTs, paramedics — any and all medical professionals. These thrillers can be quite a bit quieter than other thrillers, tending more toward mystery or suspense pacing at times as the doctors try to figure out the pathogen that will destroy the world or the murderer who is stalking their patients, but

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Should I Write Literary Fiction?

Do you tire of the silly tricks and the same old plots in genre fiction? Does it all just feel like a cheesy action movie to you when you would rather be watching an art film? Then literary fiction might work for you. If you read a lot of literary fiction, then you already know that it is all different, and there aren't a lot of standard tropes and cliches. If you haven't read much literary fiction, but...

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Literary Fiction Guide

There is some argument over what literary fiction really is, but you know it when you see it. It’s high brow stuff. Driven by rich characters and settings rather than a page turning plot line. It tends to deal more often with the mundane, but presenting that mundane life in ways that are unique. It is anything that we might call “literature” rather than genre fiction.  Literary fiction is harder to describe than other genres because it’s subject matter, settings, themes, and voice, can be nearly anything. As long as it is finely crafted, polished until it gleams, and doesn’t...

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