Below are some writing and reference books that have helped me in my mystery writing journey.
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Reference
How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America by Mystery Writers of America / (Kindle edition)
Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel: How to Knock ‘Em Dead with Style by Hallie Ephron / (Kindle edition)
Writing the Cozy Mystery by Nancy J. Cohen / (Kindle edition)
Forensics and Fiction: Clever, Intriguing, and Downright Odd Questions from Crime Writers by D.P. Lyle / (Kindle edition)
Bullies, Bastards, and Bitches: How to Write the Bad Guys of Fiction by Jessica Page Morrell / (Kindle edition)
Book in a Month: The Fool-Proof System for Writing a Novel in 30 Days by Victoria Lynn Schmidt / (Kindle edition)
The 90-Day Rewrite: The Process of Revision by Alan Watt / (Kindle edition)
Creating Character ARCs: The Masterful Author’s Guide to Uniting Story Structure, Plot, and Character Development by K.M. Weiland / (Kindle edition)
Outlining Your Novel by K.M. Weiland / (Kindle edition)
Structuring Your Novel by K.M. Weiland / (Kindle edition)
Writing Your Story’s Theme by K.M. Weiland / (Kindle edition)
Writing Archetypal Character Arcs by K.M. Weiland / (Kindle edition)
Creating Characters: The Complete Guide to Populating Your Fiction by Writer’s Digest Editors / (Kindle edition)
Howdunit Series
- Body Trauma: A Writer’s Guide to Wounds and Injuries by David William Page
- Deadly Doses: A Writer’s Guide to Poisons by Anne Klarner, Serita Stevens
- Cause of Death: A Writer’s Guide to Death, Murder, and Forensic Medicine by Keith D. Wilson
- Armed and Dangerous: A Writer’s Guide to Weapons by Michael Newton
- Police Procedural: A Writer’s Guide to the Police and How they Work by Russell Bintliff
- Amateur Detectives: A Writer’s Guide to How Private Citizens Solve Criminal Cases by Elaine Raco Chase
- Missing Persons: A Writer’s Guide to Finding the Lost, the Abducted and the Escaped by Fay Faron
- Scene of the Crime: A Writer’s Guide to Crime-Scene Investigations by Anne Wingate
- Rip-Off: A Writer’s Guide to Crimes of Deception by Fay Faron
- Modus Operandi: A Writer’s Guide to How Criminals Work by Mauro V. Corvasce, Joseph R. Paglino
- Malicious Intent: A Writer’s Guide to How Murderers, Robbers, Rapists and Other Criminals Think by Sean P. MacTire
- Murder One: A Writer’s Guide to Homicide by Mauro V. Corvasce, Joseph R. Paglino
- Private Eyes: A Writer’s Guide to Private Investigators by C. Sweet, John Landreth, Hal Blythe
- Just the Facts, Ma’am: A Writer’s Guide to Investigators and Investigation Techniques by Gregory S. Fallis
- Howdunit: How Crimes are Committed and Solved
Many of the books from this series are from the ’90s, so some of the information is outdated. Still, they are all informative and interesting reads.
Writers Helping Writers Series
- The Emotion Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Expression by Angela Ackerman, Becca Puglisi / (Kindle edition)
- The Negative Trait Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Character Flaws by Angela Ackerman, Becca Puglisi / (Kindle edition)
- The Positive Trait Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Positive Attributes by Angela Ackerman, Becca Puglisi / (Kindle edition)
- The Rural Setting Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Personal and Natural Places by Angela Ackerman, Becca Puglisi / (Kindle edition)
- The Urban Setting Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to City Spaces by Angela Ackerman, Becca Puglisi / (Kindle edition)
- The Emotional Wound Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Psychological Trauma by Angela Ackerman, Becca Puglisi / (Kindle edition)
- The Occupation Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Jobs, Vocations, and Careers by Angela Ackerman, Becca Puglisi / (Kindle edition)
- The Conflict Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Obstacles, Adversaries, and Inner Struggles (Volume 1), by Angela Ackerman, Becca Puglisi / (Kindle edition)
- The Conflict Thesaurus: A Writer’s Guide to Obstacles, Adversaries, and Inner Struggles (Volume 2), by Angela Ackerman, Becca Puglisi / (Kindle edition)
To read more of The Occupation Thesaurus online, including my contribution, check out Writers Helping Writers.