Demystifying the Beats

By Carol Potenza, Colleen Hererra, Ryley Banks and Erin Krueger

Cozy, hard-boiled, or historical…

Is writing your mystery novel a complete mystery?
Crafting a convincing mystery requires unique story beats—the keys to delivering a satisfying read.

This sassy chat (in book form) presented by award-winning authors reveals the secrets to help you execute a story that works. You won't be handcuffed to a formula. It's a guideline for assembling clues, criminals, and conclusions in your unique, "perfectly-poisonous" blend.

Whether your book is a carefully plotted caper, a crime of opportunity, or something in between, join our covert operation as we demystify the mystery beats.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Red Reines, LLC
• Release date: Oct 25, 2022
• ISBN: 9781736326268

Book preview

DEMYSTIFYING THE BEATS

PRAISE FOR DEMYSTIFYING THE BEATS

A perfect how-to to write the perfect mystery! Even seasoned writers might learn a thing or two with this one. The authors lay out the beats and give writers a step-by-step guide on how to write/outline a mystery that will keep readers glued to the page. Highly recommend!!!

NY TIMES BESTSELLING AUTHOR DARYNDA JONES

Inspiring and entertaining, this book provides a useful guide to writing a well-plotted, well-paced, and well-twisted mystery both for beginners and the more experienced writer.

DIANNE FREEMAN, AUTHOR OF THE AWARD-WINNING COUNTESS OF HARLEIGH MYSTERIES

A fast, fun read full of irreverent humor and keen insights. I’ve already thumbed through Demystifying the Beats to improve my next manuscript.

J.J. CAGNEY, AUTHOR OF THE CICI GURULE MYSTERY SERIES, NAMED TO KIRKUS REVIEWS BEST BOOKS, NATIONAL INDIE EXCELLENCE AWARD WINNER, AND PUBLISHERS WEEKLY’S THE BOOKLIFE PRIZE QUARTERFINALIST

I wish this book had existed when I decided to write my first cozy mystery! It would have saved me so much time and research. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to try their hand at mystery writing.

TAMRA BAUMANN, AWARD WINNING AUTHOR OF COZY MYSTERY AND ROMANCE

DEMYSTIFYING THE BEATS

HOW TO WRITE A KILLER BOOK

CAROL POTENZA JORDYN KROSS RYLEY BANKS ERIN KRUEGER

RED REINES, LLC

Copyright © 2022 by Carol Potenza, Jordyn Kross, Ryley Banks and Erin Krueger

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

Published by Red Reines, LLC www.redreines.com

Library of Congress Control Number: 2022922733

Publisher's Cataloging-in-Publication

(Provided by Cassidy Cataloguing Services, Inc.).

Names: Potenza, Carol, author. | Kross, Jordyn, author. | Banks, Ryley, author. | Krueger, Erin, author.

Title: Demystifying the beats : how to write a killer book / Carol Potenza, Jordyn Kross, Ryley Banks, and Erin Krueger.

Description: Albuquerque, NM : Red Reines, LLC, [2022] Identifiers: ISBN: 978-1-7363262-7-5 (paperback) | 978-1-7363262-6-8 (ebook) | LCCN: 2022922733

Subjects: LCSH: Detective and mystery stories--Authorship. | Detective and mystery stories-- Technique. | Plots (Drama, novel, etc.) | LCGFT: Reference works. | BISAC: LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Writing / Fiction Writing. | EDUCATION / Reference. | EDUCATION / Teaching / Subjects / Arts & Humanities.

Classification: LCC: PN3377.5.D4 P68 2022 | DDC: 808.3872--dc23

Proofread: Gilly Wright

Cover: Brandi Doane McCann

CONTENTS

Hello

Your First Clue

Beats Are Gears

WHODUNIT or HOWCATCHEM

Taking Out A Contract

Four Acts

The Body of the Book

Act 1 - Setup

Introduce Sleuth And The World

Expose The Crime

Reaction And Complications

Undertaking The Investigation

Act 2 - Fumbling

Investigations And Interrogations

Develop The Sleuth

Motives And Lies

Dire Disruption

Act 3 - Connecting

Stonewalled

Missteps

Whittle Suspects

Fast Fail

Act 4 - Solution

Reevaluate

Revelation

Final Battle

Resolution

Extras

Mystery Beat Sheet

The Mystery Dictionary

Mystery Subgenres

Afterword

Hearts of the Missing - Chapter 1

Dirty Daisy - Chapter 1

About the Authors

Also by the authors

Acknowledgments

HELLO

We are Jordyn Kross and Carol Potenza. We write fiction and are published authors, both traditionally and indie. Jordyn writes award-winning erotic romance and erotic cozy mysteries, and Carol writes contemporary murder mysteries. In fact, Carol won the Tony Hillerman Prize for her debut mystery, Hearts of the Missing .

In addition to writing, we both have analytical backgrounds. Jordyn works in the computer industry developing processes to improve efficiency and providing training on how to do things like make software work the way you want it to. Carol has an extensive background in biochemistry and research, including DNA and genetic engineering. If we ever decided to become supervillains, we’d be unstoppable.

But this work would still be a seed without our critique partners, Ryley Banks, who in her super-secret real life is an editor extraordinaire, and Erin Krueger, researcher of all things and referencer of the historical, hilarious, and obscure.

Four brains. Four avid readers. Four avid writers coming together to solve the mystery of what it takes to make a mystery work.

Writing mysteries provides a unique set of challenges. Writers are told, Write what you know.

Most of us have experience with romance—love and marriage go together like a horse and carriage—with the requisite HEA (Happily Ever After). If you don’t read romance and think we’re lying, go to Disneyland and count the number of seven-year-old girls dressed like fairy-tale princesses. HEA is in our DNA.

But how many mystery writers have committed murder? (Put your hand down.) Stolen priceless works of art in a daring midnight heist? Kidnapped a member of the royalty for ransom? How many mystery writers have actually even solved a crime? Sure, lawyers and police officers and retired FBI and CIA agents write books. But there are a lot of us out there who faint at the sight of blood, are allergic to cats, or can research the heck out of the type of gun and ammunition used to kill a victim but have never fired one.

We know, deep in our hearts, that write what you know is a metaphor for writing about the shared