Excerpt from a new novel 4

Excerpt: Untitled Serial Killer Story 

If you missed the first few posts regarding the serial killer novel, you should go back and read them first. They introduce many of the primary characters and include some background information on the story itself.

This scene squarely introduces the main story arc, which is the serial killer murders committed by the killer dubbed "The Sandman." Previously, the police believed they'd apprehended the Sandman, but with this scene, we see the killings have resumed. Obviously, this presents a host of new problems, and tensions immediately run high.

As I mentioned in an earlier post, this is the first serial killer murder mystery I've written. Serial killer stories are very overdone, and it's one reason I've stayed away from them, sticking with either one-off murders or a string of related murders that do not qualify as "serial." But every murder mystery writer has to write one, right? Anyway, there were parts of it I really did enjoy, parts that presented new challenges.

Excerpt from a new novel 3

Excerpt: Untitled Serial Killer Story

In this scene, we meet Emery Taylor and Sam Pawwannee. I love the character of Sam. And, actually, he's a combination of two other characters I've been playing around with for some time, searching for the right story in which to insert them. The right story never has come along, but blending them together to get Sam and to put Sam in this story seemed perfect. His entire storyline flowed perfectly, easily, and was as narrow and specific or as wide open and flexible as I needed it to be. That almost never happens and it makes me love Sam that much more.

Of all the characters in this story, Emery Taylor is the one most on the chopping block, so to speak. Or at least her storyline and background are. Initially, she filled a hole in the story. I liked the potential I saw and began fleshing her out, developing her into a bigger more substantial character, fitting her into larger story pieces. I'm not at all through with her, and in a second round of editing, I imagine much of her will change. I can't cut her entirely, at least, I won't. But her evolution is not yet complete, and while I have some ideas of what changes need to be made, I'm never entirely sure what the final outcome will be. These characters often have minds of their own and make their own demands during the writing and editing process.