Category Archives: Tools of Fiction Writing

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

Exploiting Computer Chip Flaws

Posted on February 7, 2018 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

In my Jon Masters thriller series, my protagonist Jon has a friend named Ed Ochoa. Ed is a computer genius and often does some cyber-magic to produce secure, and usually unavailable, information that helps Jon out of a variety of … Continue reading →

Posted in A Jon Masters Novel, A Murder Mystery Novel, A New Science Thriller Novel, A Thriller Novel, About James J. Murray, Accuracy in Writing, Achieving Writing Perfection, All About Writing, Better Fiction Writing, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Character Driven Writing, Committing The Perfect Murder, Computer Hacking, Computer Processor Vulnerabilities, Creating Interesting Fiction Characters, Creating Unique and Interesting Character Flaws, Cyber Attacks in 2018, Cyber Security Issues, Cybercriminals, Cyberterrorism, Cyberwar, Data Security, Designing Murder Plots, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Developing Writing Skills, Elements of Murder, Error-Free Computer Processing, Evidence Free Murder, Fiction Based on Facts, Fiction Based on Real Life, Fiction Writing - A Believable Lie, Growing As A Writer, Imperfect Murder The Novel, Imperfect Murder Thriller Novel, Internet Security, James J. Murray Blog, James J. Murray's IMPERFECT MURDER Novel, James J. Murray's LETHAL MEDICINE Novel, Jon Masters Thriller Series, Lethal Medicine Thriller Novel, Lethal Medicine-The Novel, Mastering Your Craft, Meltdown Computer Chip Flaws, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, New Blog, New Thriller To Download, Plot Development, Plot Ideas and Where They Come From, Plotting The Perfect Murder, Prescription For Murder Blog, Publishing A Novel, Spectre Computer Chip Flaws, Story Development, The Art of Storytelling, The Art of Writing, The Writings of James J. Murray, Tools of Fiction Writing, Unique Murder Plots, Using Cyber Security To Murder | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

Posted on September 13, 2017 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

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

Posted in A Writer's Psyche, About James J. Murray, About Murder, About Writing, Accuracy in Editing, Accuracy in Writing, Achieving Writing Perfection, All About Writing, AP Style of Ellipsis, Better Fiction Writing, Blog Writers, Blogging, Chicago Style of Ellipsis, Comma Use, Correct Use of Punctuation in Fiction Writing, 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, Grammar and Punctuation, Growing As A Writer, How to Use Commas Properly, How To Use Ellipses Properly, How to Use Em Dashes Properly, James J. Murray, James J. Murray Blog, Learning the Art of Writing, Mastering Your Craft, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, New Blog, Obsession with Proper Usage of the English Language, Practicing Your Profession, Prescription For Murder Blog, Proper Punctuation in Writing, Proper use of Commas, Proper Use of the Written Word, Punctuation Marks, Punctuation Rules, Rules of Punctuation, The Art of Storytelling, The Art of Writing, Tools of Fiction Writing, Writing As A Special and Rewarding Career, Writing Skills, Writing Techniques | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Hyphens and Dashes – The Dread of Misuse!

Posted on August 30, 2017 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, Achieving Writing Perfection, All About Writing, Blog Writers, Blogging, Developing a Writing Career, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Writing Skills, Dreaded Misuse of Hyphens and Dashes, Em Dash Use, Em Dashes and Ellipses, En Dashes and Em Dashes, Grammar and Punctuation, How to Use Em Dashes Properly, Hyphens, Hyphens and Dashes, Hyphens and Dashes and Their Misuse, James J. Murray Blog, Learning the Art of Writing, Mastering Your Craft, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, New Blog, 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, The Writings of James J. Murray, Tools of Fiction Writing, Use of Dashes, Use of Hyphens, Writing Skills, Writing Techniques | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Committing the Perfect Crime!

Posted on June 28, 2017 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

I’m in the process of writing the second book in my Detective Rosie Young Murder Mystery Series. This one is called The Serial Chemist. The first in the series, Almost Dead, was a great success with a 4.8 out of … Continue reading →

Posted in A How To Blog on Murder Plot Ideas, A How To Blog on Murder Weapons, A Murder Mystery Novel, A Mystery Novel, About James J. Murray, About Murder, Accuracy in Writing, Achieving Writing Perfection, All About Murder, All About Writing, Almost Dead, Almost Dead-The Novel, Better Fiction Writing, Blog Writers, Blogging, Characteristics of Killing, Characteristics of Murder, Committing The Perfect Murder, Connecting With Your Reader, Creating Emotional Drama in a Murder Scene, Deciding How to Kill Off a Character in a Novel, Designing Murder Plots, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Developing Writing Skills, Evidence Free Murder, Fiction Based on Real Life, Fiction Writing - A Believable Lie, How to Choose a Murder Weapon for a Plot Idea, Ideas for Murder Scenes, James J. Murray Blog, James J. Murray's ALMOST DEAD, Killing Off Characters in Writing, Killing Off Characters in Your Novel, Methods of Murder, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, Murder Mystery Novel, Murder Weapons Discussed, New Blog, New Methods of Murder, New Methods To Kill Characters in Your Novel, Plotting Interesting Murder Scenes, Plotting The Perfect Murder, Prescription For Murder Blog, The Art of Storytelling, The Art of Writing, the perfect crime, the perfect murder, the perfect murder weapon, The Science of Murder, The Writings of James J. Murray, Tools of Fiction Writing, Tools of Murder, Unique Murder Plots, Writing Death Scenes, Writing Dramatic Murder Scenes, Writing Skills, Writing Techniques | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Are Antagonists Also Anti-Heroes?

Posted on August 17, 2016 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

The other day a person whom I admire posed an interesting question to me? What is the difference between an antagonist and an antihero? I have to admit that I paused a good while to consider my answer before spouting … Continue reading →

Posted in A How To Blog on Murder Plot Ideas, About James J. Murray, Accuracy in Writing, Achieving Writing Perfection, All About Writing, An Antagonist vs The Antihero, Antagonist Development, Better Fiction Writing, Better Fictional Character Development, Blog Writers, Blogging, Character development, Character Development Techniques, Character Driven Writing, Characteristics of a Fictional Character, Creating Interesting Fiction Characters, Creating Unique and Interesting Character Flaws, Deciding What Types of Fictional Characters Fit Into Your Plot, Defining The Use of Antagonists vs Antiheroes, Designing Murder Plots, Developing a Writing Career, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Effective and Compelling Fictional Heroes, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Developing Writing Skills, Elements of Fictional Characters, Fictional Character Development, James J. Murray Blog, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, New Blog, Plot Development, Plot Ideas and Where They Come From, Prescription For Murder Blog, Protagonist Development, The Writings of James J. Murray, Tools of Fiction Writing, Types of Fictional Characters, Villains vs Antiheroes, Writing Skills | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

TOXIDROMES: Wet vs Dry Symptoms

Posted on June 15, 2016 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

In last week’s blog, I introduced the concept of toxidromes—defined as a group of specific symptoms and clues which medical examiners use to identify the specific substance used to poison a victim. In that blog, I discussed two of the … 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, Achieving Writing Perfection, All About Murder, Anticholinergic Toxidromes, Blog Writers, Blogging, Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Chemical Poisons, Chemical Weapons Discussions, Chemicals Used For Murder, Cholinergic Toxidromes, Deadly Poisons Discussed, Designer Poisons Used For Murder, Designing Murder Plots, Developing Story Plots, Developing Storyline Ideas, Developing Writing Skills, Difficult to Solve Murders, Dramatic Murder Weapons, Drugs Used For Murder, How to Choose a Murder Weapon for a Plot Idea, Ideas for Murder Scenes, Instruments of Death, Interesting Murder Weapons, James J. Murray Blog, Killing Off Characters in Writing, Lethal Anticholinergic Drug Symptoms, Lethal Chemical Poisons, Lethal Chemicals in Murder Mysteries, Lethal Cholinergic Drug Symptoms, Methods of Murder, Murder Mayhem and Medicine, Murder Weapons, Murder Weapons Discussed, Murder With Drugs, New Blog, New Methods of Murder, Pharmacy/Pharmaceuticals, Poisons and Murder, Poisons Used For Murder, Prescription For Murder Blog, The Science of Murder, The Writings of James J. Murray, Tools of Fiction Writing, Tools of Murder, Toxidromes and Murder, Toxidromes and Murder Mysteries, Toxidromes in Murder Mysteries, Toxidromes to Identify a Poison, Toxidromes to Solve Murders, Unique Lethal Compounds, Unique Murder Plots, Unique Murder Weapons, Ways to Murder, Writing Death Scenes, Writing Dramatic Murder Scenes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

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

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

Posted on December 9, 2015 by James J. Murray, Fiction Writer

In a recent blog I discussed how to properly use the three types of dashes in writing. Today, I’d like to further the discussion on punctuation marks used specifically to clarify or to emphasize a point. They are the comma, … 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, Correct Use of Punctuation in Fiction Writing, Developing Better Writing Skills, Developing Writing Skills, Difference Between Commas, Ellipses Use, Ellipsis Use, Em Dash Use, Em Dashes and Ellipses, Growing As A Writer, Halon Gas and Murder, How to Use Commas Properly, How To Use Ellipses Properly, How to Use Em Dashes Properly, James J. Murray, James J. Murray Blog, Learning the Art of Writing, Mastering Your Craft, New Blog, Obsession with Proper Usage of the English Language, Prescription For Murder Blog, Proper Punctuation in Writing, Proper use of Commas, Proper Use of the Written Word, Punctuation Marks, Punctuation Rules, Rules of Punctuation, The Art of Writing, Tools of Fiction Writing, Writing Skills, Writing Techniques | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments