Category Archives: Developing Story Arcs

Living in a Novel

Posted on June 17, 2020 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

This year of 2020 held such great promise for me, as it did for so many others, when BOOM—what happened? Life, with all its uncertainties, challenges and unexpected surprises, threw us a new curve ball. The novel coronavirus pandemic, commonly … Continue reading →

Posted in A Murder Mystery Novel, A New Novel By James J. Murray, A Thriller Novel, A Writer's Psyche, A Year To Remember, About James J. Murray, About Writing, All About Writing, Blog Trends, Blog Writers, Blogging, Developing Story Arcs, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Events of The Year 2020, James J. Murray Blog, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, New Blog, Pandemic 2020, Plot Ideas and Where They Come From, Prescription For Murder Blog | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

A New 21st Century Weapon of Mass Destruction

Posted on September 18, 2019 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Before the 2000’s, the world feared WMD (weapons of mass destruction) that involved nuclear technology. The threat of nuclear war, whether accidental or intentional, shaped how the military, our diplomates and alliance nations acted to protect its people and to … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Medications/Pharmacy, Affordable Prescription Drugs, Biological Weapons, Bioterrorism, Blog Writers, Blogging, Chemotherapy Supply Shortage Issues, Chinese Drug Industry, Chinese Prescription Drug Exports, Controlling Drug Costs, Developing Story Arcs, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Drug Distribution Chain, Drug Shortages in the US, Drugs and Terrorism, FDA and Drug Supply Shortages, Generic Drug Manufacturing, Generic Drug Safety, Generic Drugs in the US, Increasing Costs of US Pharmaceuticals, International Supply of Drugs, James J. Murray Blog, Made In America, Medication Cost Increases, Medication Safety Issues, Medication Shortages in the US, Modern Weapons of Mass Destruction, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, New Blog, Pharmaceutical Shortages in the US, Pharmacy/Pharmaceuticals, Prescription Drug Safety, Prescription Drug Shortages, Prescription For Murder Blog, Prescription Trends, Shortages in the US Drug Distribution Chain, The American Drug Supply, The High Cost Of Medications in the US, The Price of Freedom, Trade War Instabilities, Trade Wars, Trade Wars and Pharmaceuticals, Where Are America's Prescription Drugs Made?, Where Are Our Drugs Made, WMD | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Drug Trade Balances

Posted on May 15, 2019 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

First off, this is not a blog about trade wars! I adhere to the philosophy of not blogging about religion, politics or sex—and today is no exception—but, with so much in the news about trade tariffs, my pharmaceutical mind went … Continue reading →

Posted in A New Novel By James J. Murray, A New Science Thriller Novel, About James J. Murray, About Medications/Pharmacy, Blog Writers, Blogging, Designing Murder Plots, Developing Story Arcs, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Drug Distribution Chain, Drug Misadventures, Drugs For Murder Plots, Fiction Based on Facts, Fiction Based on Real Life, Future Drug Manufacturing Practices, Future of Drug Manufacturing, Generic Drug Manufacturing, Generic Drug Safety, Generic Drug Use, Generic Drugs, Imperfect Murder The Novel, Imperfect Murder Thriller Novel, James J. Murray Blog, James J. Murray's IMPERFECT MURDER Novel, James J. Murray's LETHAL MEDICINE Novel, Lethal Medicine Thriller Novel, Lethal Medicine-The Novel, Medication Safety Issues, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, Murder With Drugs, New Blog, New Book Release, New International Thriller Release, New Methods of Murder, Pharmacy/Pharmaceuticals, Plot Development, Plot Ideas and Where They Come From, Plotting The Perfect Murder, Prescription Drug Safety, Prescription Fill Practices in the US and Canada, Prescription For Murder Blog, Prescription Trends, The Art of Writing, The Practice of Pharmacy, Trade Wars, Unique Murder Plots, Where Are America's Prescription Drugs Made? | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Why Do People Kill?

Posted on October 17, 2018 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

It’s a simple question, but people have been struggling to find the answer for centuries. In a previous blog I discussed the core legal definition of murder, but I asked this very question as I researched the subject. Law enforcement officials are … Continue reading →

Posted in a killer gene, About James J. Murray, About Murder, About Writing, All About Murder, All About Writing, Better Fiction Writing, Blog Writers, Blogging, Character Development Techniques, Characteristics of a Fictional Character, Characteristics of Killing, Characteristics of Murder, Creating Emotional Drama in a Murder Scene, Creating Interesting Fiction Characters, Creating Unique and Interesting Character Flaws, Deciding How to Kill Off a Character in a Novel, Deciding What Types of Fictional Characters Fit Into Your Plot, Defining Murder, Designing Murder Plots, Developing Story Arcs, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Fiction Based on Facts, Fiction Based on Real Life, Fiction Writing - A Believable Lie, Fictional Character Development, Ideas for Murder Scenes, James J. Murray Blog, Killing Off Characters in Writing, Killing Off Characters in Your Novel, Methods of Murder, Murder - The True Definition, Murder is Defined, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, New Blog, Plot Development, Plot Ideas and Where They Come From, Plotting Interesting Murder Scenes, Plotting Murder Scenes, Prescription For Murder Blog, Reasons Why People Kill, Reasons Why People Murder, Story Development, The Art of Storytelling, The Art of Writing, The Psychology of Murder, The Science of Murder, The Warrior Gene, Types of Fictional Characters, Unique Murder Plots, Why People Kill | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Using DNA To An Author’s Advantage

Posted on August 23, 2018 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

It’s been some time since I’ve posted a new blog. What can I say—life gets in the way! It’s amazing how getting into and out of the habit of writing can happen so easily. I’ve decided to get back into … Continue reading →

Posted in A How To Blog on Murder Plot Ideas, A How To Blog on Murder Weapons, A Murder Mystery Novel, A Writer's Psyche, About James J. Murray, About Murder, About Writing, Blog Writers, Blogging, Characteristics of Murder, Deciding How to Kill Off a Character in a Novel, Designing Murder Plots, Developing Story Arcs, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, DNA Evidence, DNA Evidence and Murder Mystery Writing, DNA Forensic Science, DNA Testing Flaws, DNA Testing Tainted, DNA Testing Techniques Called Into Question, DNA Transfer, Evidence Free Murder, Flaws in High Sensitivity DNA Testing Techniques, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Is DNA Matching an Art or a Science?, James J. Murray Blog, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, New Blog, Plot Development, Plot Ideas and Where They Come From, Plotting Interesting Murder Scenes, Plotting Murder Scenes, Plotting The Perfect Murder, Prescription For Murder Blog, Reliability of DNA Evidence, Sources of Story and Plot Ideas, The Art of Storytelling, The Art of Writing, The Habit of Writing, The Science of Murder, Tools of Fiction Writing, Unique Murder Plots, Ways to Murder, Writing Dramatic Murder Scenes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Gabapentin – The Next Drug of Abuse?

Posted on April 4, 2018 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Gabapentin was introduced in 1993 and marketed as the brand name Neurontin to control epileptic seizures as well as to help control nerve pain due to nerve damage. It is an ideal drug for nerve pain, first as a primary drug and … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Medications/Pharmacy, Alternatives to Opiate Painkillers, Blog Writers, Blogging, Creating Interesting Fiction Characters, Creating Unique and Interesting Character Flaws, Deciding What Types of Fictional Characters Fit Into Your Plot, Designer Street Drugs, Designing Murder Plots, Developing Story Arcs, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Drug Abuse, Drug Misadventures, Epidemic of Narcotic Overdoses, Fiction Based on Facts, Gabapentin, Gabapentin Abuse, Gabapentin as the Next Drug of Abuse, Gabbies, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Illegal Drug Trends, James J. Murray Blog, Medication Abuses, Medication Safety Issues, Misuse of Drugs, Morontin, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, Murder With Drugs, New Blog, New Drug Abuse Phenomenon, New Drugs of Abuse, New Street Drug Trends, Opiate Epidemic, Opioid Crisis, Opioid Therapy Alternatives, Party Drugs, Pharmacy/Pharmaceuticals, Plot Development, Prescription Drugs Become Street Drugs, Prescription For Murder Blog, Prescription Prescribing Practices, Prescription Trends, Street Drug Abuse Substances, Street Drugs, The Practice of Pharmacy, The Writings of James J. Murray | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Novichok = A Political Poison?

Posted on March 23, 2018 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

I generally don’t blog about anything related to politics, religion or sex. However, a fascinating, yet horrifying, incident occurred recently in Salisbury, England that intrigued me. Sergei Skripal, a former Russian military intelligence officer who reportedly worked for years undercover … Continue reading →

Posted in A How To Blog on Murder Plot Ideas, A How To Blog on Murder Weapons, About James J. Murray, About Murder, About Writing, Acute Poisons, All About Murder, Blog About Poisons in Fiction Writing, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Chemical Poisons, Chemical Weapons Discussions, Chemicals Used For Murder, Deadly Poisons Discussed, Deciding How to Kill Off a Character in a Novel, Designer Poisons Used For Murder, Designing Murder Plots, Developing Story Arcs, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Fiction Based on Facts, Fiction Based on Real Life, How to Choose a Murder Weapon for a Plot Idea, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Interesting Murder Weapons, James J. Murray Blog, Killing a Villain in a Novel, Killing Off Characters in Writing, Killing Off Characters in Your Novel, Lethal Chemical Poisons, Lethal Chemicals in Murder Mysteries, Lethal Nerve Agents, Lethal Poisons, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, Murder Weapons Discussed, New Blog, New Methods of Murder, New Methods To Kill Characters in Your Novel, Novichok, Plotting Interesting Murder Scenes, Political Poisons, Prescription For Murder Blog, Russian Assassinations, Sergei Skripal, The Science of Murder, The Writings of James J. Murray, Tools for Murder, Toxic Chemical Warfare Agents, Unique Lethal Compounds, Unique Murder Plots, Unique Murder Weapons, Ways To Kill, Ways to Murder, Writing Death Scenes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Peyote and My Short Story

Posted on October 18, 2017 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Years ago, I contributed a short story to a Christmas anthology that a friend was publishing. My piece was named “Santa’s Secret Helper” and it was a rather hilarious (and irreverent) take on what can go wrong when a curmudgeon … Continue reading →

Posted in A How To Blog on Murder Plot Ideas, A Mystery Short Story, A Non-Murder Plot, About Ancient Forgotten Cures, About Medications/Pharmacy, Ancient Curing Potions, Blog Writers, Blogging, Chemical Poisons, Chemicals Used For Murder, Christmas Anthology, Christmas Short Stories, Deadly Plant Poisons, Designing Murder Plots, Developing Story Arcs, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Dramatic Murder Weapons, Drug Abuse, Drug Misadventures, Drug Poisoning, Drugs and Amnesia, Drugs For Murder Plots, Drugs Used For Murder, Growing As A Writer, Hallucinogenic Drugs, How to Choose a Murder Weapon for a Plot Idea, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Interesting Murder Weapons, James J. Murray Blog, Lethal Botanicals, Medical Research on Psychedelic Drugs, Mescaline, Misuse of Drugs, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, Murder Weapons Discussed, Murder With Drugs, New Blog, New Methods of Murder, New Uses for Old Drugs, Peyote, Peyote and Tribal Rituals, Pharmacy/Pharmaceuticals, Plant Poisons, Plants That Kill, Plants Used For Murder, Plotting Interesting Murder Scenes, Poisonous Plants, Prescription For Murder Blog, Psychedelic Drugs, Psychoactive Designer Drugs, Psychotropic Botanicals, Santa's Secret Helper, Short Stories of Suspense and Mystery, Short Story Development, Unique Murder Plots, Unique Murder Weapons, Writing Dramatic Murder Scenes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Mysteries vs Thrillers

Posted on March 23, 2016 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

A few years ago, mysteries were the hot genre. It seemed as if everyone was reading a mystery novel. The thrill of guessing “Who done it!” was the excitement that kept me, and many others, reading book after book. More … Continue reading →

Posted in A Mystery Novel, A Thriller Novel, About James J. Murray, About Writing, Accuracy in Writing, Achieving Writing Perfection, Adrenaline Rush, All About Writing, Better Fiction Writing, Blog Writers, Blogging, Character Driven Writing, Designing Murder Plots, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Story Arcs, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Developing Writing Skills, Difference Between Mysteries and Thrillers, Growing As A Writer, James J. Murray Blog, Mysteries and Thrillers Compared, Mysteries Vs Thrillers, New Blog, Plotting Murder Scenes, Prescription For Murder Blog, Proper Use of the Written Word, Role of Suspense in Mysteries, Role of Suspense in Thrillers, Story Development, The Art of Storytelling, The Art of Writing, The Writings of James J. Murray, Tools of Fiction Writing, Writing Skills, Writing Techniques | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

PROLOGUES – To Use or Not To Use!

Posted on December 16, 2015 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

Fiction writers often use prologues to set up their story—possibly with an actual murder scene or with a scene that gives valuable historical information to help the reader understand the villain or hero. But are these preambles to the real … Continue reading →

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Accuracy in Editing, Accuracy in Writing, Achieving Writing Perfection, All About Writing, Better Fiction Writing, Blog Writers, Blogging, Correct Use of Prologues, Death of The Prologue?, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Story Arcs, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Developing Writing Skills, Growing As A Writer, How to Use Prologues, James J. Murray, James J. Murray Blog, Learning the Art of Writing, Mastering Your Craft, Misuse of Prologues, New Blog, Obsession with Proper Usage of the English Language, Prescription For Murder Blog, Prologue Use and Misuse, Prologues, Prologues in Modern Fiction Writing, Proper Use of Prologues, Proper Use of the Written Word, Role of The Prologue, Story Development, The Art of Storytelling, The Art of Writing, Tools of Fiction Writing, Use of Prologues, When Not to Use Prologues, Why Use Prologues | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments