tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post3544228995657494948..comments2024-03-18T19:00:03.047-04:00Comments on SleuthSayers: Hiding the BallLeigh Lundinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07921276795499571578noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-23030238008929941032017-06-21T13:24:23.641-04:002017-06-21T13:24:23.641-04:00Steve, nice article.
Thanks for posting the July...Steve, nice article. <br /><br />Thanks for posting the July/Aug AHMM cover. I hadn't seen it yet. Being in one of the fly-over states, it seems my copies and subscription arrive last. Always nice to get my name on the cover with John, O'Neil and you.R.T. Lawtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15523486296396710227noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-30010796004527213512017-06-20T12:50:24.196-04:002017-06-20T12:50:24.196-04:00"Hiding the ball!" I love it. This is wh..."Hiding the ball!" I love it. This is why I write mystery. Great post.Dianne Freemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05311095243864584900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-11525512401595764762017-06-19T18:31:09.291-04:002017-06-19T18:31:09.291-04:00Got to this late and what a nice, informative arti...Got to this late and what a nice, informative article.O'Neil De Nouxhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03142721824657611738noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-3104026327734881022017-06-19T15:44:02.947-04:002017-06-19T15:44:02.947-04:00Great post, Steve! Love these examples.
Great post, Steve! Love these examples.<br /><br />Cynthia Kuhnhttp://cynthiakuhn.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-11971519939476157392017-06-19T10:04:26.455-04:002017-06-19T10:04:26.455-04:00cj Sez: Great Post, Steve, and just when I needed ...cj Sez: Great Post, Steve, and just when I needed it. Thanks for sharing your insights. cj pettersonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10057216983469158184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-32226381488558049912017-06-19T09:53:55.619-04:002017-06-19T09:53:55.619-04:00Looking forward to reading your story and getting ...Looking forward to reading your story and getting the new AHMM! My favorite thing is to make it look like one crime is what the story's about - but underneath there's another crime, which is mentioned "off-hand", that's the real one. The best job I did of that, I think, is in "No Fences" (AHMM, Dec. 2011), where the highly inappropriate relationship between librarian and student (and subsequent murder of student's trashy girlfriend) is front and center, while the real crime(s) is mentioned and linked but doesn't rise to the obvious until the very end... (Also used the same technique in "A Time to Mourn". And others... maybe it's time to change my pattern...)Eve Fisherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03015761600962360110noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-40244099461756353242017-06-19T09:50:04.879-04:002017-06-19T09:50:04.879-04:00My favorite example of "how did he know that?...My favorite example of "how did he know that?" was in L.A. Confidential. The TV show Blacklist stole the gimmick last year.Robert Loprestihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08844889305615182897noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-9451271874407642852017-06-19T09:15:18.555-04:002017-06-19T09:15:18.555-04:00Fran,
I had the exact opposite problem in my firs...Fran,<br /><br />I had the exact opposite problem in my first published book, but I dealt with it the same way. My publisher wanted the book cut to 70K words (shorter than I usually write, one of several reasons we parted company) from about 77K, and I did it by removing a subplot and a logical suspect. I still have that character and his backstory on a flash drive and keep looking for places I could resurrect him because he was fun to write. Steve Liskowhttp://www.steveliskow.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-27859924937328942592017-06-19T09:03:36.764-04:002017-06-19T09:03:36.764-04:00Great column here! I love the many tricks of the t...Great column here! I love the many tricks of the trade here. And congrats to you, John, and O'Neil for stories in the new AHMM! Art Taylorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02409008167752619352noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-88634468535711272752017-06-19T08:34:26.497-04:002017-06-19T08:34:26.497-04:00Wonderful column!--I love this kind of thing. Yes...Wonderful column!--I love this kind of thing. Yes, I've used many of those "tricks," and I'm always looking for others. Well done!<br /><br />I look forward to reading your story in AHMM, Steve, and R.T.'s and O'Neil's also. This was my first look at the new cover--thanks for posting it.John Floydhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04001712728130488485noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-80207017235811855092017-06-19T08:30:33.688-04:002017-06-19T08:30:33.688-04:00A fun piece, Steve. And I look forward to all your...A fun piece, Steve. And I look forward to all your stories in AHMM -- congratulations all!Paul D. Markshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15466234708772287399noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-85744575388993069602017-06-19T08:15:01.385-04:002017-06-19T08:15:01.385-04:00I devour new forensic developments like they were ...I devour new forensic developments like they were chocolate, but I don't use them in my books or stories. Your column brought to my attention the fact that I've been leaning on one device almost exclusively and need to use the other tactics you describe. It also reminded me that when my agent accepted my first book (A Tisket, a Tasket, a Fancy Stolen Casket), he wanted me to add 10,000 words. I knew enough not to just tack on more chapters, but what should I do? The solution was to add a red herring character and work him throughout the manuscript. Thank heaven for computers, which made this easy. Like Janice, I look forward to your, John's, and O'Neill's stories in AHMM.Fran Rizerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08655783035179620991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3119105822589181967.post-38488085946401172592017-06-19T07:44:40.422-04:002017-06-19T07:44:40.422-04:00A good catalogue of reader deception.
I'm look...A good catalogue of reader deception.<br />I'm looking forward to reading your AHMM story, and John's and O'Neill's too.janice lawnoreply@blogger.com