Sara Rosett
found this book really helpful, I enjoyed how easy it was to understand and follow along, It made it feel like writing a cosy would be something I could do with the tips in this book.
As a romance author who is branching out into the world of cozy mystery writing, this book is quite helpful.
I love that there are questions I need to answer at the end of each chapter that will help me when organizing my thoughts for my own cozy mystery.
A neat, helpful little workbook, I liked the way it set up questions to consider and brought up other aspects such as longevity, too.
Another winner from Sara R, She's got your back if you're wanting to write a cozy, giving you all the basics and then some.
She helps you think beyond what other sources will do, A helpful guide for the wouldbe mystery writer, I found it useful. Very quick readuseful, practical information, I read it. Then I used it. Very handy. This book was amazing
No fluff, Right to the point! I learned so much about writing cozy mysteries in a short read, Ive highlighted almost the entire book, Excellent overview of genre expectations
If you think you might be writing a cozy mystery, you should read this book.
It does a great job of identifying the things that cozy readers expect authors to deliver and to avoid.
A short and concise book on outlining, One of the better ones out there, I was on the fence about buying this book because I know sometimes they can be either too vague or too simplistic.
However, this book was well worth it for me, Very good guide to formulating a cozy, Clear explanations on what the parts of a cozy are and why they're important spoiler: the answer is almost always Reader
expectations.
Questions to guide the first time cozy author will the help the writer build the story foundation.
I read this workbook without doing the course, Since I already know a good bit about writing, I think the workbook is quite fine as a standalone.
The questions seem extremely helpful and it gives a general overview of the important elements of writing a cozy.
Basic information but well organized, The workbook is probably best suited for new writers, It offers guidance on cozy mystery genre expectations and simple story structure, with plenty of space to jot down notes for your own novel.
Worth reading! I don't know, I just. I wish there was more and this was more of an 'outline' rather than a workbook that guides you through a brainstorm Maybe I just expected something different.
Really good workbook. This is a good start to the basic structure of a cozy mystery, Worth reading! Time will tell as to how effective this book was, but I think it was helpful.
Although this is a workbook for a course I didn't take, I still found it useful, I'm not writing a cozy mystery, but I'm interested in borrowing from them for other genres, Some time ago I realized that what makes a bestseller is not the story that is TOLD but rather the story that is WITHHELD.
So I thought this book would help me see how others are withholding elements in order to draw the reader forward.
It did help me with just that, and I'd recommend it for anyone interested in story theory and plot structure.
There are a variety of good tidbits in this book, An interesting part was the description of how mysteries are typically different than thrillers, Mysteries vs Thrillers Mind game vs Thrill ride, Killer unknown vs Antagonist often known, Closed setting vs Wide setting, Puzzle vs Action.
As the title promises, there's also a simple breakdown of the classic cozy mystery plot structure, and it seems to me this could easily be leveraged for other suspenseful books.
But the best bit for me was the brief part where Rosett wrote about visible vs invisible storylines.
By her definition, examples of visible storyline elements are: discovery of the body, finding suspects, pursuing clues, etc.
Examples of invisible storyline elements include the actual murder itself, the way the murderer hides their tracks, etc.
These 'invisible storyline' elements are the things that are WITHHELD and that slowly get revealed in the course of the book.
Rosett advises that once you have your invisible storyline, you "can build the visible storyline on top of it.
" This is genius.
It seems to me the reason why the end of the TV show 'Lost' was so unsatisfying for so many people was that the writers hadn't figured out their invisible storyline before they started writing.
They'd written themselves into knots in the visible storyline because they had no foundation of the invisible storyline.
So, the first thing we should do when we write a suspenseful story is to figure out what we're NOT going to tell.
Once we figure that out, we can start figuring out what we ARE going to tell, and how we are going to release the invisible storyline slowly.
Start with the invisible storyline,
Maybe I'll actually take the course, . . Very helpful and easy to follow, I was pleasantly surprised by this little book, I've read a lot of writing howto books and a lot of them mysterybased, so it sometimes feels like I've heard all there is to say about the matter.
But this brought up some questions that I hadn't really thought about and would like to consider when plotting my mysteries.
Although I wouldn't write right in the blank spaces provided in the book I'd like to use it more than once!, I could see starting a new document or opening a new notebook and working on these questions to get me started on a new mystery.
A very helpful little workbook with good lists of questions for planning a cozy, I think Ill check out the online course because I like this approach, I would recommend this book to authors who are not familiar with the cozy genre, It is a good introduction to the basic structure of a cozy mystery,
Personally, I was a little disappointed with this book, I knew that it was a workbook, and I knew that it was onlypages, However, there was a lot of white space in the book, I expected more information and more examples, Nevertheless, it is a good introduction for those unfamiliar with cozy mysteries, Good book
I know this is a companion to a course and I thought it had good basic information.
The questions at the end were especially helpful, I just thought it was a tad overpriced for what you received but it was still good! Nothing original or too meaty.
The conventions or tropes cozy readers want and expect
The psychology behind why readers choose cozies
How a cozy mystery fits into classic plot structure
Tips on how to hide clues and red herrings
And much, much more!
I appreciated the questions to help organize thoughts and plans, I will be referencing this many times I am certain! Good for newbies
This was a good book if you're a newbie, but if you've written a few books already, this is more of a mystery refresher.
New Genre to meexplained beautifully,
I write post apoc, time travel science fiction and wholesome romanceand yes, Ive always wanted to write cozies.
After reading this clear, concise book, Im ready to dive in, Thanks, Sara for sharing what you do so well with a total cozy noob! Good ideas
I am considering writing a cozy, a which is a genre I have never tried.
This book is filled with ideas that I can use to help me with planning and outlining.
USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett writes lighthearted mysteries for readers who enjoy atmospheric settings, fun characters, and puzzling whodunits.
She is the author of the High Society Lady Detective historical mystery series as well as three contemporary cozy series, the Murder on Location series, the On the Run series, and the Ellie Avery series.
Sara also teaches an online course, How to Outline A Cozy Mystery, Publishers Weekly called Saras books, “satisfying,” “well executed,” and “sparkling, ” Sara loves to get new stamps in her passport and considers dark chocolate a daily requirement, Find out at SaraRosett. com. USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett writes lighthearted mysteries for readers who enjoy atmospheric settings, fun characters, and puzzling whodunits.
She is the author of the High Society Lady Detective historical mystery series as well as three contemporary cozy series, the Murder on Location series, the On the Run series, and the Ellie Avery series.
Sara also teaches an online course, How to Outline A Cozy Mystery, Publishers Weekly called Sara's books, “satisfying,” “well executed,” and “sparkling, ” Sara loves to get new stamps in her passport and considers dark chocolate a daily requirement, Find out at SaraRosett. com. sitelink.
As a romance author who is branching out into the world of cozy mystery writing, this book is quite helpful.
I love that there are questions I need to answer at the end of each chapter that will help me when organizing my thoughts for my own cozy mystery.
A neat, helpful little workbook, I liked the way it set up questions to consider and brought up other aspects such as longevity, too.
Another winner from Sara R, She's got your back if you're wanting to write a cozy, giving you all the basics and then some.
She helps you think beyond what other sources will do, A helpful guide for the wouldbe mystery writer, I found it useful. Very quick readuseful, practical information, I read it. Then I used it. Very handy. This book was amazing
No fluff, Right to the point! I learned so much about writing cozy mysteries in a short read, Ive highlighted almost the entire book, Excellent overview of genre expectations
If you think you might be writing a cozy mystery, you should read this book.
It does a great job of identifying the things that cozy readers expect authors to deliver and to avoid.
A short and concise book on outlining, One of the better ones out there, I was on the fence about buying this book because I know sometimes they can be either too vague or too simplistic.
However, this book was well worth it for me, Very good guide to formulating a cozy, Clear explanations on what the parts of a cozy are and why they're important spoiler: the answer is almost always Reader
expectations.
Questions to guide the first time cozy author will the help the writer build the story foundation.
I read this workbook without doing the course, Since I already know a good bit about writing, I think the workbook is quite fine as a standalone.
The questions seem extremely helpful and it gives a general overview of the important elements of writing a cozy.
Basic information but well organized, The workbook is probably best suited for new writers, It offers guidance on cozy mystery genre expectations and simple story structure, with plenty of space to jot down notes for your own novel.
Worth reading! I don't know, I just. I wish there was more and this was more of an 'outline' rather than a workbook that guides you through a brainstorm Maybe I just expected something different.
Really good workbook. This is a good start to the basic structure of a cozy mystery, Worth reading! Time will tell as to how effective this book was, but I think it was helpful.
Although this is a workbook for a course I didn't take, I still found it useful, I'm not writing a cozy mystery, but I'm interested in borrowing from them for other genres, Some time ago I realized that what makes a bestseller is not the story that is TOLD but rather the story that is WITHHELD.
So I thought this book would help me see how others are withholding elements in order to draw the reader forward.
It did help me with just that, and I'd recommend it for anyone interested in story theory and plot structure.
There are a variety of good tidbits in this book, An interesting part was the description of how mysteries are typically different than thrillers, Mysteries vs Thrillers Mind game vs Thrill ride, Killer unknown vs Antagonist often known, Closed setting vs Wide setting, Puzzle vs Action.
As the title promises, there's also a simple breakdown of the classic cozy mystery plot structure, and it seems to me this could easily be leveraged for other suspenseful books.
But the best bit for me was the brief part where Rosett wrote about visible vs invisible storylines.
By her definition, examples of visible storyline elements are: discovery of the body, finding suspects, pursuing clues, etc.
Examples of invisible storyline elements include the actual murder itself, the way the murderer hides their tracks, etc.
These 'invisible storyline' elements are the things that are WITHHELD and that slowly get revealed in the course of the book.
Rosett advises that once you have your invisible storyline, you "can build the visible storyline on top of it.
" This is genius.
It seems to me the reason why the end of the TV show 'Lost' was so unsatisfying for so many people was that the writers hadn't figured out their invisible storyline before they started writing.
They'd written themselves into knots in the visible storyline because they had no foundation of the invisible storyline.
So, the first thing we should do when we write a suspenseful story is to figure out what we're NOT going to tell.
Once we figure that out, we can start figuring out what we ARE going to tell, and how we are going to release the invisible storyline slowly.
Start with the invisible storyline,
Maybe I'll actually take the course, . . Very helpful and easy to follow, I was pleasantly surprised by this little book, I've read a lot of writing howto books and a lot of them mysterybased, so it sometimes feels like I've heard all there is to say about the matter.
But this brought up some questions that I hadn't really thought about and would like to consider when plotting my mysteries.
Although I wouldn't write right in the blank spaces provided in the book I'd like to use it more than once!, I could see starting a new document or opening a new notebook and working on these questions to get me started on a new mystery.
A very helpful little workbook with good lists of questions for planning a cozy, I think Ill check out the online course because I like this approach, I would recommend this book to authors who are not familiar with the cozy genre, It is a good introduction to the basic structure of a cozy mystery,
Personally, I was a little disappointed with this book, I knew that it was a workbook, and I knew that it was onlypages, However, there was a lot of white space in the book, I expected more information and more examples, Nevertheless, it is a good introduction for those unfamiliar with cozy mysteries, Good book
I know this is a companion to a course and I thought it had good basic information.
The questions at the end were especially helpful, I just thought it was a tad overpriced for what you received but it was still good! Nothing original or too meaty.
Do you want to write a cozy mystery but dont know how to get started
Use this workbook to learn how to create a framework so that you can begin writing your cozy.
Do you want to know the basic building blocks of a cozy mystery Do you wonder why cozy readers devour these mysteries voraciously Are you fuzzy on how the structure of a cozy mystery fits into the classic plot structure Do you wonder what the “rules” are for a cozy mystery
Let USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett show you how shes planned and written overmysteries in this direct and tothepoint guide without fluff or filler.
Use the How to Outline a Cozy Mystery Workbookthe companion to the How to Outline a Cozy Mystery Courseto work through your cozy outline stepbystep.
In How to Outline a Cozy Mystery Workbook you'll discover:
The many different outlining methods you can use to build your story framework
The conventions or tropes cozy readers want and expect
The psychology behind why readers choose cozies
How a cozy mystery fits into classic plot structure
Tips on how to hide clues and red herrings
And much, much more!
Sara's firsthand knowledge of cozy mystery structure and what cozy readers want will help you shape your idea into a novel.
Her tips and workbook will save you time and give you confidence as you approach the blank page.
Buy Sara Rosett's workbook today and you'll get an easy to understand plan for outlining your mystery in a helpful question and answer format to guide you through the process.
I appreciated the questions to help organize thoughts and plans, I will be referencing this many times I am certain! Good for newbies
This was a good book if you're a newbie, but if you've written a few books already, this is more of a mystery refresher.
New Genre to meexplained beautifully,
I write post apoc, time travel science fiction and wholesome romanceand yes, Ive always wanted to write cozies.
After reading this clear, concise book, Im ready to dive in, Thanks, Sara for sharing what you do so well with a total cozy noob! Good ideas
I am considering writing a cozy, a which is a genre I have never tried.
This book is filled with ideas that I can use to help me with planning and outlining.
USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett writes lighthearted mysteries for readers who enjoy atmospheric settings, fun characters, and puzzling whodunits.
She is the author of the High Society Lady Detective historical mystery series as well as three contemporary cozy series, the Murder on Location series, the On the Run series, and the Ellie Avery series.
Sara also teaches an online course, How to Outline A Cozy Mystery, Publishers Weekly called Saras books, “satisfying,” “well executed,” and “sparkling, ” Sara loves to get new stamps in her passport and considers dark chocolate a daily requirement, Find out at SaraRosett. com. USA Today bestselling author Sara Rosett writes lighthearted mysteries for readers who enjoy atmospheric settings, fun characters, and puzzling whodunits.
She is the author of the High Society Lady Detective historical mystery series as well as three contemporary cozy series, the Murder on Location series, the On the Run series, and the Ellie Avery series.
Sara also teaches an online course, How to Outline A Cozy Mystery, Publishers Weekly called Sara's books, “satisfying,” “well executed,” and “sparkling, ” Sara loves to get new stamps in her passport and considers dark chocolate a daily requirement, Find out at SaraRosett. com. sitelink.