How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from Mystery Writers of America, Lee Child, Laurie R. King (Editors); 2021. Hardcover.

Featuring essays by a new generation of bestselling experts on various elements of the craft and shorter pieces of crowd-sourced wisdom from the MWA membership as a whole, the topics covered can be categorized as follows:

—Before Writing (rules; genres; setting; character; research; etc.)

—While Writing (outlining; the plot; dialogue; mood; etc.)

—After Writing (agents; editors; self-pub; etc.)

—Other than Novels (short stories; true crime; etc.)

—Other Considerations (diverse characters; legal questions; criticism)

Also included is a collection of essays from MWA published authors—including Jeffery Deaver, Tess Gerritsen, and Charlaine Harris—selected by bestselling authors Lee Child and Laurie King and arranged thematically answering, “What piece of writing advice do you wish you’d had at the beginning of your career?”