Category Archives: Developing Better Writing Skills

Walking Corpse Syndrome

Posted on July 23, 2014 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

I admit that both my wife and I love to watch some of the medical thrillers and police procedural shows on television. We record them and, when time permits, we take a break from life and immerse ourselves into the … Continue reading →

Posted in A Non-Murder Plot, About Medications/Pharmacy, About Murder, About Writing, Accuracy in Writing, Almost Dead, Almost in a Vegetative State, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scenes, Character Development Techniques, Characteristics of Killing, Cotard Delusion, Cotard's and Body Dysmorphic Disorder, Cotard's and Distorted Body Image, Cotard's Syndrome, Developing Better Writing Skills, Fictional Character Development, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Jules Cotard, Living Dead Disease, Neuroscience, Neuroscience and Murder, People Who Live in a Graveyard, Plot Development, Plotting Murder Scenes, Science-Based Zombies, The Delirium of Negation, The Medical Zombie State, The Psychology of Murder, The Science of Murder, The Walking Dead, The Walking Dead Syndrome, The Zombie Disease, Treatments for Cotard's Syndrome, Treatments for Walking Dead Syndrome, Walking Dead in Writing, Zombie Wannabe | Tagged a believable lie, behavioral neuroscience, Black Box TV Series, blogging about crime, blogging about drugs, Blogging about Neuroscience, Body Image Disorders, Causes of Cotard's Syndrome and Walking Dead Syndrome, Cotard's and Low Metabolic Activity, Cotard's and The Walking Dead Syndrome, Cotard's Psychiatric Syndrome, Extreme Mood and Psychotic Disorders, Fiction Based on Fact, fiction writer, James J. Murray, Living Body Decay, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, murder mystery writer, murders without evidence, neuroscience, new blog, Prescription for murder, Progression of Cotard's Syndrome, Progression of Walking Dead Syndrome, Science of murder, Science-Based Zombie State, Scrubs TV Series, Symptoms of Cotard's Syndrome, Symptoms of Walking Dead Syndrome, The Practice of Neuroscience, The Science of the Walking Dead, The World of Fiction, Treatment Options for Cotard's Syndrome, Treatment Options for Walking Dead Syndrome, writing pharmacist, Zombie-Like Plot Scenarios, Zombie-Like State | 4 Comments

Saxitoxin and Ciguatera – More Killers From The Sea

Posted on June 4, 2014 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Last week I blogged about pufferfish and the lethal tetradotoxin that they contain, and we discussed their use as possible murder weapons. Today I want to talk about a couple of other interesting sea toxins that could be incorporated into … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Acute Poisons, All About Murder, All About Writing, Bio-Defense, Biological Warfare, Bioterrorism, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Bloodless Death Scenes, Characteristics of Killing, Characteristics of Murder, Ciguatera, Ciguatera and Folklore Medicine, Ciguatera and Marine Microalgae, Ciguatera and Murder, Ciguatera Poisoning, Contact Poisons, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Writing Skills, Drugs and Terrorism, Drugs Used to Murder, Flaccid Paralysis, Heat Resistant Poisonings, How To Write A BloodLess Murder Scene, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Murder Weapons, Murder With Drugs, Neurological Poisons, Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning, Paralytic Shellfish Toxins, Plotting Murder Scenes, Poisons That Mimic Multiple Sclerosis (MS), Pufferfish and Murder, Pufferfish Poisoning, Sarin Gas, Saxitoxin, Saxitoxin and Biological Terrorist Weapons, Saxitoxin and Murder, Saxitoxin and Suicide, Saxitoxin as Bioweapons, Saxitoxin Poisoning, Severe Food Allergies, STX, Tetradotoxin, The Science of Murder, Toxins From Shellfish, Ways To Kill, Ways to Murder, Writing Death Scenes | Tagged a believable lie, Biological Warfare, Bioterrorism, blogging about crime, Ciguatera, Ciguatera and Resistance to Cooking, Ciguatera as a Weapon, Ciguatera Poisoning, Ciguatera Poisoning Treatment, Ciguatera Symptoms, Ciguatera Toxin, crime fiction writer, Developing Murder Scenes Using Poisons From the Sea, Drugs Used for Murder, fiction writer, How to Murder with Toxic Bloom, James J. Murray, Lethal Dinoflagellates, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, murder mystery writer, Neurotoxic Shellfish Poisoning, new blog, Paralytic Agents, Paralytic Agents from the Sea, Paralytic Shellfish Poison, Paralytic Shellfish Toxin, pharmacist to writer, PSP, PST, Pufferfish, Pufferfish Poisoning, Sarin Gas and Murder, Sarin Nerve Gas, Saxitoxin, Saxitoxin as a Weapon, Saxitoxin Dosing, Saxitoxin in Military Use, Saxitoxin Poisoning, Saxitoxin Poisoning Symptoms, Science of murder, Sea Toxins, Shellfish Poisoning, Tetradotoxin, the perfect murder weapon, Toxic Reef Fish, Toxicity of Tetradotoxin, Toxicity of TTX | 1 Comment

Apostrophes And Their Use With Proper Nouns

Posted on May 21, 2014 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

This may seem like a silly subject to write about, but I must admit that I’ve had trouble using the apostrophe appropriately in the past, especially regarding its use with proper nouns that end in “s”. It’s become a personal … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Accuracy in Editing, Accuracy in Writing, Achieving Perfection, All About Writing, Apostrophe Use, Apostrophe Use with Nouns Ending in S, Apostrophe Use with Plural Nouns Ending in S, Apostrophes and Proper Nouns, Appropriate Apostrophe Use, Blog Writers, Blogging, Chicago Manual of Style and Apostrophes, Developing a Writing Career, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Writing Skills, Grammar and Punctuation, Growing As A Writer, New Life Goals, Obsession with Proper Usage of the English Language, Proper Punctuation in Writing, Proper Use of Apostrophes, The AP Style and Apostrophes, The Art of Writing, The Associated Press Rules for Apostrophes, The Misuse of Apostrophes, The Misuse of Apostrophes with Nouns Ending in S, Tools of Fiction Writing, Writing Skills | Tagged Apostrophe Use and Misuse, Apostrophe Use with Plural Nouns Ending in S, Apostrophes and Proper Nouns, author, crime fiction writer, fiction writer, fiction writing, James J. Murray, Misuse of Apostrophes in Plural Nouns Ending with an ES, Misusing Apostrophe's in Writing, Misusing Apostrophes with Plural Nouns Ending in S, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, new blog, pharmacist writer, Proper Use of Apostrophes with Nouns Ending in S, Rules for Proper Apostrophe Use, The AP Style of Apostrophe Use, The Chicago Manual of Style and Apostrophe Use, Use of Apostrophes in Fiction Writing, Using Apostrophes Appropriately for Plural Possessive Nouns, Using Apostrophes for Possessive Nouns, writing career, writing pharmacist | 15 Comments

How To Write a Bloodless Death Scene

Posted on May 7, 2014 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

The storyline for the novel I’m currently writing calls for one of the characters to be murdered. Simple enough! Shoot or stab the person, or use a dozen other ways to kill off the character. But that didn’t fit with … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Medications/Pharmacy, About Writing, Accuracy in Writing, All About Murder, All About Writing, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Bloodless Death Scenes, Characteristics of Murder, Defining Murder, Developing Better Writing Skills, Drugs For Murder Plots, How To Write A BloodLess Murder Scene, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Instruments of Death, Interesting Murder Weapons, Learning the Art of Writing, Murder Weapons, Murder With Drugs, Plot Development, Plotting Murder Scenes, The Psychology of Murder, The Science of Murder, Tools of Murder, Ways To Kill, Ways to Murder, Writing Death Scenes | Tagged airborne toxins, Best ways to kill without blood shed, Best ways to kill without bloodshed, Bloodless Death Scenes, Bloodless Kills, Bloodless Ways To Kill, carbon monoxide poisoning, crime fiction writer, drug overdose murders, ethylene glycol poisoning, fiction writing, Fiction Writing Techniques, how to construct a murder scene, insulin overdose, James J. Murray, Medicine Overdosing, murder by strangulation, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, murder mystery writer, murder writer, Reasons to kill, the Adam's apple crush, The Russion Omelet, the temple blow, ways to kill without blood loss, Why people kill | 6 Comments

Commas, Em Dashes, and Ellipses—And Their Proper Use!

Posted on April 30, 2014 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

In last week’s blog, I explained how to properly use the three types of dashes in writing. Today, I’d like to further the discussion on punctuation marks that are used specifically to clarify or to emphasize a point. They are … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Accuracy in Editing, Accuracy in Writing, Achieving Perfection, All About Writing, AP Style of Ellipsis, Blog Writers, Blogging, Chicago Style of Ellipsis, Comma Use, Developing a Writing Career, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Writing Skills, Difference Between Commas, Ellipses Use, Ellipsis Use, Em Dash Use, Em Dashes and Ellipses, En Dashes and Em Dashes, Grammar and Punctuation, Growing As A Writer, How to Use Commas Properly, How To Use Ellipses Properly, How to Use Em Dashes Properly, Hyphens, Hyphens and Dashes, Hyphens and Dashes and Their Misuse, Mastering Your Craft, Obsession with Proper Usage of the English Language, Proper Punctuation in Writing, Proper use of Commas, Proper Use of the Written Word, Styles of Ellypsis, The Art of Writing, The Difference Between Hyphens, The Proper Use of Hyphens and Dashes, Tools of Fiction Writing, Use of Dashes, Use of Hyphens, Writing Skills, Writing Techniques | Tagged AP Ellipses, author, blogging about crime, blogging about drugs, Chicago Ellipses, Comma Use in Modern Writing, crime fiction writer, Ellipsis Use in Modern Writing, Em Dash Use in Modern Writing. Types of Dashes and Their Use in Modern Writing, Em Dashes and Ellipses in Modern Writing, fiction writer, fiction writing, How to Use Em Dashes and Ellipses in Dialogue and Narrative, Inspirations to Use Proper English, James J. Murray, Misuse of Commas, Misuse of Em Dashes and Ellipses, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, new blog, Proper Communication Skills, Proper Editing Rules, Proper Punctuation in Writing, Proper Punctuation Marks in Modern Writing, Proper Rules in Writing English, Proper Usage of Ellipses and Em Dashes, Proper Use of Commas, Proper Use of the English Language, The Proper Use of the AP Ellipsis, The Proper Use of the Chicago Ellipsis, Types of Ellipses, Use of Ellipses in Modern Writing, Using Commas in Modern Fiction, Using Dashes in Modern Fiction, Using Ellipses in Medern Fiction, Using Punctuation in Modern Writing, writing career | 8 Comments

Hyphens and Dashes – The Dread of Misuse!

Posted on April 23, 2014 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Hyphens and dashes are two distinctly different punctuation marks and a proper understanding of each will avoid embarrassing mistakes in your writing. Will anyone get MURDERED as a result of using the wrong one in the wrong place? No, but … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Accuracy in Editing, Accuracy in Writing, Achieving Perfection, All About Writing, Blog Writers, Blogging, Developing a Writing Career, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Writing Skills, Dreaded Misuse of Hyphens and Dashes, En Dashes and Em Dashes, Grammar and Punctuation, Hyphens, Hyphens and Dashes, Hyphens and Dashes and Their Misuse, Obsession with Proper Usage of the English Language, Proper Punctuation in Writing, Proper Use of the Written Word, Punctuation Marks, Punctuation Rules, The Art of Writing, The Proper Use of Hyphens and Dashes, Tools of Fiction Writing, Use of Dashes, Use of Hyphens, Writing Skills, Writing Techniques | Tagged blogging about crime, crime fiction writer, En Dash and Em Dash Differences, fiction writer, fiction writing, Hyphen Use, Hyphen Use in Modern Writing, Hyphens and Dashes in Writing, Hyphens versus Dashes, James J. Murray, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, murder mystery writer, new blog, Proper Communication Skills, Proper Editing Rules, Proper Punctuation in Writing, Proper Punctuation Marks in Modern Writing, Proper Rules in Writing English, Proper Use of the English Language, Use of Dashes in Writing, USe of the Em Dash, Use of the En Dash, Using Dashes in Modern Fiction, Using Punctuation in Modern Writing, writing career, writing pharmacist | 6 Comments

Do Fictional Characters Evolve or Is It the Writer?

Posted on March 26, 2014 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

When developing a fictional character, there are several methods that writers can use. The first thing that usually happens, however, is that writers picture a person in their minds and that first impression of a character often sticks with them … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Accuracy in Writing, All About Writing, Antagonist Development, Blog Writers, Blogging, Character Development Techniques, Characteristics of a Fictional Character, Developing a Writing Career, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Writing Skills, Fictional Character Development, Protagonist Development, Steps to Developing Great Fictional Characters, Story Development, The Art of Writing, Tools of Fiction Writing | Tagged a believable lie, Antagonist Development, Character Development Steps, Character Development Techniques, Character Development Tips, Characters Directing the Writer, Characters Make the Story Real, crime fiction writer, Directing Characters, Fiction Character Development, fiction writing, Fictional Characters Mimic Real People, How to Create a Fictional Character, James J. Murray, Making Characters Believable, Making Characters Interesting, Making Characters Real, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, Murder Mystery Character Development, murder mystery writer, new blog, Novel Writing Procedure, pharmacist writer, Protagonist Development, Story Development With Interesting Characters, writing career | 5 Comments

Am I Possessed or Just Becoming a Better Writer?

Posted on February 19, 2014 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

My guess is that the headline question has you thinking that I might be crazy instead. Well, that’s possible, but I’d like you to reserve judgment until you’ve read further. Something happened a few days ago that has me thinking … Continue reading →

Posted in A Non-Murder Plot, About James J. Murray, About Medications/Pharmacy, About Writing, Achieving Perfection, All About Murder, All About Writing, Blog Writers, Blogging, Character development, Characteristics of Murder, Defining Murder, Developing a Writing Career, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Writing Skills, Drugs For Murder Plots, Growing As A Writer, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Instruments of Death, Interesting Murder Weapons, Mastering Your Craft, Murder Weapons, Murder With Drugs, Overcoming Writer's Block, Plot Development, Plotting Murder Scenes, Plotting Novellas, Plotting Short Stories, Protagonist Development, The Art of Writing, Ways To Kill, Writing Critique Groups, Writing Workshops | Tagged a believable lie, Antagonist Development, Author Support Groups, blogging about crime, blogging about drugs, Conflict Resolution in Fiction Writing, crime fiction writer, Criticism in Writing, Dead Body Walks Out of Morgue, Developing Plot Ideas, Drug-Related Amnesia, Drug-Related Coma, Editing in Writing Critique Groups, Finction Character Development, James J. Murray, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, murders without evidence, Near Death Experience, new blog, non-traceable murders, Novela Plot Development, pharmacist writer, Story Arc Development, the perfect crime, the perfect murder weapon, The Science of Near Death, Thinking Up New Murder Weapons, Writer Friends, Writer Support Groups, Writer's Block, Zombie-Like State | 10 Comments

Category Archives: Developing Better Writing Skills

Walking Corpse Syndrome

Saxitoxin and Ciguatera – More Killers From The Sea

Apostrophes And Their Use With Proper Nouns

How To Write a Bloodless Death Scene

Commas, Em Dashes, and Ellipses—And Their Proper Use!

Hyphens and Dashes – The Dread of Misuse!

Do Fictional Characters Evolve or Is It the Writer?

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