Think Like a Crime Scene Detective

Photo: Used by permission from Getty Images

There is a big division in the aptly labeled type of writer called plotter or pantser when it comes to writing a novel. I make no bones about it, I’m a plotter. Yep, I admit it. I outline my stories, not only for my own sanity, but to ensure that the storyline has the progression that I’m aiming for in order to tell the story the way I envisioned it. It also helps with complicated plots and numerous suspects to keep them in the correct order.

When wri...