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Index Interviews: Libba Bray Quirky and Effective Book Launches Wrestling With Rejection Return to This Issue's Index Return to Homepage Subscribe
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Reviews of Writing BooksPage One of TwoHot Property by Christopher KeaneBerkley, August, 2003Paperback, 297 pages ISBN: 0425190404 Ordering information: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk 
Screenwriter and novelist Christopher Keane,
author of the teleplay for the USA Network hit
The Huntress, says the Hollywood industry has
changed and is now wide open to novice screenwriters.
In Hot Property, Keane explains the movie industry to
screenwriters and teaches them how to
get their screenplays read, bought and produced.
Keane also discusses what makes a good script:
characters, conflict, plot, structure and genre.
Keane references well-known scripts that have
been recently purchased, making comprehension easy.
In the second half of the book, Keane analyzes a
screenplay he wrote. The full screenplay is provided
in the book with correct formatting and notes from
to explain why he did what he
did. This is a terrific book for novice screenwriters
which gives great insight into how to create a great screenplay,
as well as insider advice about the complicated business
dealings that take place in Hollywood.
How To Write a Damn Good Mystery by James N. FreySt. Martin's Press, February 2004Hardcover, 371 pages ISBN: 0312304463 Ordering information: Amazon.com | Amazon.co.uk 
James Frey, author of numerous popular writing books,
such as How to Write a Damn Good
Novel, as well as the Edgar nominated mystery
The Long Way to Die, brings his no-nonsense
approach to writing to aspiring mystery writers.
Building on Joseph Campbell's theories of
story, Frey dismisses the writing books which
focus on the minutiae of tips and tricks and focuses
instead on creating fascinating characters which
audiences will believe in and want to read more about.
Frey takes readers through the process of writing
a mystery novel: picking an outstanding hero or heroine
(the discussion of the types of heroes in crime fiction
is worth the price of the book by itself), finding
a worthwhile plot, how to keep the action moving
and so forth. He also focuses on why people read mysteries
in the first place, and how that knowledge can help
you write a commercially viable book.
Frey is an expert and this is one advice book that
is a fast and enjoyable read. This is a must-have for
any aspiring mystery writer.
Writing Book Reviews Page One | Page Two Return to Book Reviews Index ** More information on writing-related books can be found in the Writer's Bookstore. |