WRITING A MYSTERY IS LIKE DIETING by J.L. Greger
Before
you say no, think about this standard advice to dieters.
1. Set
realistic priorities. You are more apt to attain small achievable goals
(such as losing a pound a week or writing a page a day) than larger goals with
artificial deadlines (for example losing fifty pounds before your class reunion
or writing a three hundred-page novel by Christmas).
2. Control problems and distractions. For
writers, the distractions on the Internet are comparable to high fat, sugary
foods to dieters. Perhaps this advice from Murder…
A Way to Lose Weight will help you sort through your clutter.
“There are three types of
problems. A few problems are like wine. Those situations improve if you delay
decisions and let them age. Most problems are like waste paper. You can ignore
them because they don’t matter. Unfortunately like waste paper, they tend to be
messy when they pile up. And some problems are like manure. You must identify
them quickly before they stink.”
3. Be prepared for hard work everyday. Most successful dieters have changed their
lifestyle and eaten less and exercised more for months. If you want to write a
novel a year, set aside time to work on your book every day.
4. Sweat the small stuff. Little bedtime
snacks can undo our good behavior at meals or in the gym. Similarly grammar and
spelling errors can ruin a novel with a great plot and characters.
5. Laugh at all those who give advice like this
because you know it’s easier to give advice than follow it.
If you
like this blog, maybe you’ll like my mystery, Murder…A Way to Lose Weight.
See whether you can catch the murderer in the medical
school before the heroine, Linda Almquist does. It could be an ambitious young
“diet doctor” or old-timers, including the Dean of the Medical School, who want
to keep their secrets buried.
Get the paperback version of Murder…A Way to Lose Weight
from Amazon: http://amzn.com/1610092392. The Kindle and Nook version should be
available by late May.
Reviews:
Linda Almquist has the worst job
on campus. She’s an Associate Dean, a temporary appointment. If good things
happen, the Dean gets the credit. If something bad happens, it’s her fault. And
something bad has happened. Izzy Roth, a research associate, lies dead on the
floor of her office, and detectives from the Violent Crimes Division are asking
questions.
J. L. Greger has created a
page-turner of a novel with well-formed characters in a believable setting.
You’ll find the Medical School faculty to be the group you might encounter in
any office, anyplace, and especially on a college campus. Dac
Crossley, professor & author
Being a constant dieter and someone who tries every new diet fad on the
market, the topic of overlooking ill effects of a diet product during
scientific testing struck a chilling chord in me. The plot is unique and
compelling, and although I am not a "science" person, the science
part of the mystery was so well portrayed I had no problem understanding it.
Holli Costillo, lawyer & author
Bio: The
author J. L. Greger, is a biologist and research administrator turned novelist.
Her other novels are international thrillers—I Saw You in Beirut, Coming
Flu, Ignore the Pain and Malignancy (winner of 2015 Public Safety Writers’
annual contest). To learn more, see
her website:
http://www.jlgreger.com
or Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/janet.greger.3
Comments
The cookie crumbs around my computer attest to the fact I snack too much. Eating does help thinking???