Phyllis A. Whitney Quote
Problem, purpose, conflict, goal. Use them. Think about them while you are in the planning phase of your novel; keep these elements at the back of your mind to guide you while you write. When you have written a scene, make sure they are all there, or that if one or another is missing, it is intentional and the effect is what you want.
Phyllis A. Whitney
Problem, purpose, conflict, goal. Use them. Think about them while you are in the planning phase of your novel; keep these elements at the back of your mind to guide you while you write. When you have written a scene, make sure they are all there, or that if one or another is missing, it is intentional and the effect is what you want.
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About Phyllis A. Whitney
Phyllis Ayame Whitney (September 9, 1903 – February 8, 2008) was an American mystery writer of more than 70 novels.
Born in Yokohama, Japan to American parents in 1903, she spent her early years in Asia. After the death of her parents she moved to Chicago where she lived with her aunt. Later in life, Whitney moved to Staten Island, New York and resided there for 20 years with her daughter and second husband, Lovell Jahnke. Staten Island became the inspiration and setting for several of her books.
A rarity for her genre, she wrote mysteries for both the juvenile and the adult markets, many of which feature exotic settings. Although she was often described as a Gothic novelist, a review in The New York Times even dubbing her "The Queen of the American Gothics", Whitney claimed to hate this title. She preferred to say she wrote ”romantic novels of suspense".
In 1961, her book The Mystery of the Haunted Pool won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile Novel; she duplicated the honor in 1964 for The Mystery of the Hidden Hand. In 1988, the MWA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. In 1990, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Romance Writers of America. Whitney died of pneumonia at age 104 on February 8, 2008.
A collection of Whitney's writing, correspondence, and photographs are available at the College of Staten Island's Archives and Special Collections.
Born in Yokohama, Japan to American parents in 1903, she spent her early years in Asia. After the death of her parents she moved to Chicago where she lived with her aunt. Later in life, Whitney moved to Staten Island, New York and resided there for 20 years with her daughter and second husband, Lovell Jahnke. Staten Island became the inspiration and setting for several of her books.
A rarity for her genre, she wrote mysteries for both the juvenile and the adult markets, many of which feature exotic settings. Although she was often described as a Gothic novelist, a review in The New York Times even dubbing her "The Queen of the American Gothics", Whitney claimed to hate this title. She preferred to say she wrote ”romantic novels of suspense".
In 1961, her book The Mystery of the Haunted Pool won an Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for Best Juvenile Novel; she duplicated the honor in 1964 for The Mystery of the Hidden Hand. In 1988, the MWA gave her a Grand Master Award for lifetime achievement. In 1990, she received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Romance Writers of America. Whitney died of pneumonia at age 104 on February 8, 2008.
A collection of Whitney's writing, correspondence, and photographs are available at the College of Staten Island's Archives and Special Collections.