How to Outline A Cozy Mystery: Workbook (Genre Fiction How To 1) by Sara Rosett

How to Outline A Cozy Mystery: Workbook (Genre Fiction How To 1) Reviews

• 
  Amanda Tero

  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 stand-alone. The questions seem extremely helpful and it gives a general overview of the important elements of writing a cozy.
• 
  Heather Myers

  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!
• 
  Sara

  I was pleasantly surprised by this little book. I've read a lot of writing how-to books (and a lot of them mystery-based), 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.
• 
  Mary

  A neat, helpful little workbook. I liked the way it set up questions to consider and brought up other aspects (such as longevity), too.
• 
  Constance Burris

  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.
• 
  Jared Gulian

  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...
• 
  Ronnie Roberts

  New Genre to me—explained beautifully.
  
  I write post apoc, time travel science fiction and wholesome romance—and yes, I’ve always wanted to write cozies. After reading this clear, concise book, I’m ready to dive in. Thanks, Sara for sharing what you do so well with a total cozy noob!
• 
  Lori Puma

  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.
• 
  Jennifer Skinnell

  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.
• 
  Megan Kelly

  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.
• 
  Oliver Ho

  Very quick read—useful, practical information.
• 
  Rohn Strong

  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.
• 
  LaMonique Mac

  This book was amazing
  
  No fluff. Right to the point! I learned so much about writing cozy mysteries in a short read. I’ve highlighted almost the entire book.
• 
  Kate

  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.
• 
  Sally Kilpatrick

  Time will tell as to how effective this book was, but I think it was helpful.
• 
  E.N. Chaffin

  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.
• 
  Becca Weaver

  Nothing original or too meaty.
• 
  Kristi

  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 only 106 pages. 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.
• 
  Kathy Burge

  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.
• 
  Randi Sampson

  This was a fantastic resource that really makes the idea of writing a mystery seem a little less intimidating. I appreciated the questions to help organize thoughts and plans. I will be referencing this many times I am certain!
• 
  Sandra

  Worth reading!
• 
  Micha Goebig

  A very helpful little workbook with good lists of questions for planning a cozy. I think I’ll check out the online course because I like this approach.
• 
  Kitty McIntosh

  A helpful guide for the would-be mystery writer. I found it useful.
• 
  Amy

  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.
• 
  Margret

  Really good workbook. This is a good start to the basic structure of a cozy mystery. Worth reading!
• 
  Cassie Shiels

  I 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.
• 
  Werner

  A short and concise book on outlining. One of the better ones out there.
• 
  Mica Rae

  Very helpful and easy to follow.
• 
  Maya

  I read it. Then I used it. Very handy.