I had a hard time tracking it down and I'm sure it would be impossible today. The book is a gem. The table of contents alone was worth the price of the book. Above is a sample of one of the chapters. Here's some others:
- V. CRISIS IN PLOT--BEARING DOWN PAINS
- VI. NOT PLOT--PLOTTING VRSUS INCIDENT
- VII. THE HEAD MAN IN PLOT
- VIII. FORMULAE FORMALA IN PLOT
- IX. PLOT AND THE DUAL WRITING MIND
- X. PERSONAL PREJUDICE IN PLOT
The chapter headings go through XXXIV. THE COMPLETE MOTION PICTURE STORY. One of my favorite chapters is XXIII, THE CHINESE METHOD IN PLOTTING. It's a very analytical approach to learning how to plot. He also mentions the futility of classifying the four thousand novels published yearly in the United States. Four thousand. Boy, those were the days.
I'm a linear plotter. Meaning that I write a novel straight through with one scene following another. I don't think this is the best way or the only way to write a mystery, it's simply the only way that ever worked for me.
It has its own rewards. On days when I absolutely, positively can't see through the fog and have to force myself to keep stumbling along, my characters volunteer to help me out.
I love to plot. I love discovering connections and assimilating complications. It's the Nancy Drew gene. A number of mystery writers swear they have it.
