Robert J. Ray
Author Teacher Dangerous Thinker
The Weekend Novelist
Robert Ray is also the author of a popular non-fiction series on writing, The Weekend Novelist and he shares writing techniques on writing on his blog co-authored with long time writing partner, Jack Remick. Ray is a native of Texas and holds a PhD from the University of Texas, Austin. Tuesdays and Fridays, he and Jack write at Louisa’s Bakery and Café in Seattle.
The Weekend Novelist
The first volume—how to write your novel in 52 weekends—stayed on shelves for seven years. It focused on character and scene, back story and dream-work, action and dialogue. When it went out of print, the publisher asked for a revised version.
The Weekend Novelist, Revised and Updated: The second volume focused on plot and structure. Lots of tactics, lots of diagrams. There’s a British version and an e-book.
Buy: The Weekend Novelist
The Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery
Co-authored by my buddy Jack Remick, the mystery book opens with the Killer, then glides to the victim and the catalyst (the character who makes things go, a good example is Sydney Greenstreet in the Maltese Falcon), and then turns you loose on your sleuth, or your alter ego, which is where most mysteries go bad.
The Weekend Novelist Rewrites the Novel
The novel is a story told with one plot and at least two subplots. The plot follows the protagonist—Jane Eyre at Thornfield Hall—and the subplots track the other main characters: Mr. Rochester, Jane’s boss, has subplot one. Bertha Mason, Rochester’s secret wife, has subplot two.
To strengthen the novel, you rewrite each subplot. This book takes you by the hand, or the scruff of the neck. This book leads you to greatness in novel writing.
Buy: The Weekend Novelist Rewrites the Novel: A Step-by-Step Guide to Perfecting Your Work
Matt Murdock
Murder Mystery Series
Bloody Murdock
Laguna Beach, midnight, a pretty starlet burns up on Highway One. The starlet was last seen rubbing shoulders with high society at a bloody cockfight in Upper Laguna. Enter Matt Murdock, Private Eye, to exact revenge.
Murdock For Hire
His party-boy name tag says Mr. Brown. Her escort number says 18. She has red hair and wears buccaneer boots. He dies in bed, his wife calls for Murdock, who rips off masks of hookers and johns only to find love holding hands with death.
Dial M for Murdock
A smart-mouth Newport Beach money-guy fakes his own death. The guy’s widow phones for help and Murdock rides to the rescue. The widow is needy, she snatches away Murdock’s heart, and then the husband re-surfaces, pissing off the wife—she liked him better dead—so what about honor and loyalty now, Mr. Detective?
Merry Christmas Murdock
A runaway teen witnesses a holiday hit-and-run. The teen’s mother wants answers, so she hires Murdock. Tracking the teen, Murdock uncovers drugs, a top family on Balboa Bay, and a Mafia connection dating back to cigarette boats and car chases and the best of film noir.
Merry Christmas, Murdock – Book 4
Murdock Cracks Ice
A dead college boy chemist. A retro Mr. Big kingpin. A beautiful Lakota Sioux artist. Mix with a street drug called Ice and toss the whole package to the capable hands of Matt Murdock, P.I. who travels north to set things right in Seattle.
Murdock Tackles Taos
While hunting a missing girl in New Mexico, Murdock collides with Helene Steinbeck, an ex-cop turned writer. She’s beautiful and she can shoot. When the bad guys come for Murdock Helene rides to the rescue. You will enjoy this woman. She’s smart, she’s sexy and funny—the answer for Murdock in his later years.
New! Murdock Rocks Sedona
Rich guys keep falling. Rich guys keep dying. The killer has names on a list. The last guy on the list, a Private Equity billionaire, hires Murdock and Helene to stop the killer. When they probe the past, our duo unleash the hounds of Hell.
Robert Ray Interview by Elena Hartwell/Arc of a Writer
…Murdock did not change. If he got shot, he healed fast. If he fell in love, he got over it in the next book. He was the Eye of Private Eye. In another kind of book, your main character could change by growing up, that’s a Coming of Age story. Or your character could get rich by marrying a prince, that’s a Rags to Riches-Cinderella tale. Or your character can unseat a king and take his place—that’s King Replacement.
But the core story for Murdock is always Revenge Quest…
Robert Ray Interview by Roxana Arama/Rewriting History
“…I took a six-week class at Richard Hugo House in Seattle called Rewriting the Manuscript. The instructor drew diagrams on the whiteboard, asked us to circle our strong verbs and concrete nouns in colored ink, and took notes while we enacted scenes from each other’s novels in class. Then he showed us how to improve those scenes. I had been looking for that kind of guidance and support for years…”
Robert Ray Character Interview at Laurie's Thoughts and Reviews - Virtual Blog Tour
“The scene is the Apache Junction Racquet Club in Taos, New Mexico. Theo Ulster, the tennis pro, has just invited Sleuth Matt Murdock for a drink. These two have been sparring since they met a couple days ago. The interview follows Murdock’s strategy—to get under Theo’s skin. At this point in the story, the reader doesn’t know what to expect from Theo. Here’s the interview…”
Bob and Jack's Writing Blog
In our writing classes – nights, weekends, year-long courses, writer’s conferences – we encounter hungry writers. Everyday people dying to write. Starving people. People who love telling stories and who love hearing stories. In a matter of minutes, we get these hungry people writing. There is no lecture. We don’t talk much about being a writer. To be a writer, you sit down and write.
