Rating: 
Summary: Not Just For Mystery Writers.
Review: 'The Weekend Novelist Writes A Mystery' is not just for mystery writers. Ray/Remick instruct with hard fast tools for scene, plot and character development. There's a backstory checklist and advice on sub plots; ideas for setting that utilize place, time, lighting and season to identify character behavior.If dialog is your demon Ray/Remick break it into manageable portions; the one-two rhythm, linking to setting, echo words and hooking to the past or future. If you have a tendency to explain dialog, this book makes you aware of authorial intrusion. As a creative writing teacher and proponent of Natalie Goldberg's creative writing technique, I have used 'The Weekend Novelist' in my creative writing classes. I look forward to utilizing this new book to enhance my own novel writing and to help my students develop their personal writing techniques.
Rating:
Summary: Great writers write great writing books!
Review: Bob and Jack have the keys to hot writing! Image, action, body parts! Behind the scenes of Weekend Novelist Writes A Mystery are two dynamic men who lead writing practice several times a week, teach writers at the University of Washington and never stop giving encouragement and wisdom to other writers. This book is the result of how they live and write and it is five star! Look no farther if you are a pro or novice. Herein are the steps and the hands to pull you up the stairs of your own creative mind.
Rating:
Summary: Clean up your act as a mystery writer.
Review: Bob Ray and Jack Remick must have very clean offices. Mine was a disaster zone until I read THE WEEKEND NOVELIST WRITES A MYSTERY. I was laughing to myself reading WEEKEND NOVELIST. Ray and Remick have nice little flow charts. I had piles of gum wrappers and old envelopes with a few words scribbled on them ("where's the dog in chapter 10?" or "top boat speed 40 mph - police boats 60 mph from Emerald Point -- do math"). You won't find a chapter here for "waking up in the middle of the night with your brain taken over by your story, padding through a freezing house in your bahtrobe (knocking into coffee table with shin bone), and staring bleary-eyed at the computer till dawn." Which is how most of my book got written. My shins were bruised for a year and a half. My shins are still bruised, I confess. I should move that coffee table. But I can thank Bob Ray and Jack Remick for helping me organize my thoughts and my time for my second novel. My office is cleaner for it. And my writing is cleaner too. Read the book. It will help you clean up your act as a mystery writer.
Rating:
Summary: Want to write a mystery?
Review: Do you love to read mystery novels? Ever thought you'd like to try writing one, but had no idea where to start?
Here's your answer.
Using weekends as units of preparation and work, Ray and Remick lay out a clear, simple plan for writing a mystery novel from blank pages to a rewritten, polished final draft in 52 weekends. Even if you haven't written anything since high school, you'll have all the tools you need in this wonderful book: where to find character ideas, exactly which characters are needed, their relationships, plotting, how to handle red herrings- it's all here.
The authors are clearly experienced writers and teachers who lead you, step by step, through the creation and shaping of a mystery novel. Enjoy.
Rating: 
Summary: like taking a college course
Review: Great book! It's like taking a college course, with each weekend like a class, with excersizes. A must read if you're having trouble with the structure of your novel, or if you've gotten stuck.
Only downside: lots of reference to books you are meant to read; if you haven't read them it gets confusing. This book largely uses examples taken from other mysteries.
So if you have some time and need some serious help with your mystery novel, this is The Book!
Rating:
Summary: Very Good
Review: I bought this book to learn more about creating a suspenseful story (not necessarily a traditional mystery novel). It was successful in that respect, but the biggest benefit I reaped was all the help in plotting (a weakness of mine). High recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Very Good
Review: I bought this book to learn more about creating a suspenseful story (not necessarily a traditional mystery novel). It was successful in that respect, but the biggest benefit I reaped was all the help in plotting (a weakness of mine). High recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Do what they say and you, too, can write a best seller!
Review: I stumbled upon "The Weekend Novelist" about six months ago and it transformed my writing life. "The Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery" is even better, and I'm not working on mystery -- I'm working on a memoir. Prior to learning from Ray and Remick, I was wandering in the wilderness, with no clue about the difference between story and plot; why scenes are the basic building blocks of a book; or how to start with character and what makes a person tick to set the hook for the story. The Ray/Remick approach uses writing practice to help you plumb the depths but it's their emphasis on structure -- they call it "priming the subconscious" when you're in the shower as well as at your writing desk -- that really works. I wasn't a fan of writing practice before doing their exercises but now I see that it helps me go places I don't go on my computer, particularly when I use their structure profiles and do their exercises. I also appreciate the specific examples they use, especially the examples from "Murder on Drake Island," the mystery they wrote for this book. These guys can write a mean sentence -- with or without a smoking gun. Run, do not walk, to the book store if you want to make a tremendous leap in your writing.
Rating:
Summary: Do what they say and you, too, can write a best seller!
Review: I stumbled upon "The Weekend Novelist" about six months ago and it transformed my writing life. "The Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery" is even better, and I'm not working on mystery -- I'm working on a memoir. Prior to learning from Ray and Remick, I was wandering in the wilderness, with no clue about the difference between story and plot; why scenes are the basic building blocks of a book; or how to start with character and what makes a person tick to set the hook for the story. The Ray/Remick approach uses writing practice to help you plumb the depths but it's their emphasis on structure -- they call it "priming the subconscious" when you're in the shower as well as at your writing desk -- that really works. I wasn't a fan of writing practice before doing their exercises but now I see that it helps me go places I don't go on my computer, particularly when I use their structure profiles and do their exercises. I also appreciate the specific examples they use, especially the examples from "Murder on Drake Island," the mystery they wrote for this book. These guys can write a mean sentence -- with or without a smoking gun. Run, do not walk, to the book store if you want to make a tremendous leap in your writing.
Rating:
Summary: This is a wonderful book.
Review: I use this book all the time and I am working on an outline using this method. I'm hooked on this book. I also have The Weekend Novelist by this same author.
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