Tag Archives: fiction writing

Water Poisons

“Water, water every where, and nor any drop to drink.”  This quote from The Rhyme of the Ancient Mariner by English poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge came to mind the other day while watching news feeds regarding a spectacular increase in TOXIC … Continue reading

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Neurological Poisons, Toxic Bloom Poisoning, Water Poisons | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 12 Comments

Hyphens and Dashes

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 their proper … Continue reading

Posted in About James J. Murray, About Writing, Hyphens, Hyphens and Dashes, Proper Punctuation in Writing, Punctuation Marks, Use of Dashes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

POLONIUM – The New Weapon of Mass Destruction

Recently, I posted a blog on thallium, a classic drug used as a murder weapon both in novels and in real life.  After posting this, someone commented, “What about polonium?”  I thought he was referring to plutonium and having a momentary … Continue reading

Posted in Drug Poisoning, Polonium and Murder | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 15 Comments

Dialogue: The Good and The Bad!

Last week’s blog was all about character development and using my 3P model to consider physical, psychological and philosophical qualities to flesh out characters.  Getting to know a character deep down is necessary before you can turn that character loose in … Continue reading

Posted in All About Writing, Dialogue Techniques, Good Dialogue Development, The Art of Writing, Writing Dialogue | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Character Development Techniques

Last month, I wrote a blog about the making of a hero in a murder mystery.  That brief exercise on character development generated considerable interest.  So today I’d like to expand those thoughts and discuss character development from a broader viewpoint. Often … Continue reading

Posted in About James J. Murray, All About Writing, Character development, Character Development Techniques, Protagonist Development, The Art of Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

DRUGS and BIOTERRORISM

Terrorism is defined as the use of force or violence against people and property.  That action is labeled BIOTERRORISM when the violence involves the intentional release of biological agents (such as, bacteria, viruses or toxins). Bacteria and viruses are microorganisms that live … Continue reading

Posted in Bio-Defense, Biological Warfare, Bioterrorism, Drugs and Bioterrorism, Drugs Used For Murder | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

The Making of a Hero in a Murder Mystery

There’s nothing better than a memorable protagonist in any story, but the good guy in a murder mystery is the one who saves the day by solving the crime and bringing the perpetrator to justice. As I develop storylines for … Continue reading

Posted in All About Writing, Character development, Protagonist Development, Protagonists, Story Development | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 9 Comments

WRITING is an ART and a JOURNEY!

This past weekend I attended a Writer’s Conference  that drew in agents from the West Coast and New York.  It was an exciting time, filled with expectations and an overwhelming amount of information regarding the publishing industry. I was able … Continue reading

Posted in Attending a Writers' Conference, The Art of Writing | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Ten Ways To Write a Bloodless Death Scene

Today I’m making history! As of this morning, my FIRST GUEST BLOG on a fellow writer’s blog site is being published.  The blog describes a few of the many ways of constructing a bloodless death scene.  This LINK will get you to … Continue reading

Posted in Bloodless Death Scene Writing, Guest Blogging | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Fiction — A Believable Lie

Hi, I’m JAMES J. MURRAY I’m that NEW WRITER, the one with fresh adventures of murder and international intrigue.  My novels often include the deadly trio of MURDER, MAYHEM and MEDICINE. I’m from Louisiana originally but now live in South … Continue reading

Posted in About James J. Murray, Introductory Post | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments