Guy Magar

Articles by Guy Magar

The Mystery Defined

Mystery and detective fiction comprises a literature of questions. Who done it, of course, is the classic question. There's also what was done*? How was it done? Why was it done? An even more fundamental question, though, is this: what is a mystery?

Like many seemingly simple questions, this one is remarkably difficult to answer. Every mystery reader would probably answer it differently.... (read more)

A Screenwriter's Challenge: Visualization

'Heck, we'll just write them, and let the directors worry about visualization!'

More often than not, and consciously or not, this seems to be the mindset of most writers based on the many hundreds of screenplays that have crossed my desk at all levels of proficiency. Sorry folks, it's called 'motion pictures.' This does not just mean writing movement, or pacing or act... (read more)