This week: Gripping Tales Edited by: Annette  
More Newsletters By This Editor 
 
1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions
| Gripping mysteries are those that are not only fun to read, but were also fun to write. |
| ASIN: B07YXBT9JT |
Product Type: Kindle Store
|
Amazon's Price: $ 4.99
|
|
Gripping Tales
Thrilling reads don't come out of nowhere. They were fun to write first!
Before you write, read several successful mystery stories and books. The difference is that instead of just reading, you will read like you mean to learn something. Read the story or novel once. After you have made it to the end, go back to the first page and go over the whole thing again. See how the author inserted clues, misdirected you, and slowly untangled the mystery for you.
Outline the crime. You must know every minute detail of the crime your readers are to solve along with your detective. Follow the time tested approach of who, what, where, when, why, and how. While you don't need first hand experience with crime, you have to have a firm grasp of the type of crime you're writing about. If your criminal likes to pickpocket, read up on that particular practice.
Drop your readers into the action from the word go. Bad actors, red herrings, diligent detectives, cliffhangers - keep everyone and yourself barely holding on to the tale. You could choose to start with the crime itself and then move forward as the villain is ensnared in the web cast by his pursuers. Or you can use flashbacks to describe how we got to the scene of the crime.
You are dealing with human beings, not stereotypes. Both detective and bad guy have to be complex, relatable, and have clear motives.
If you like lists, you are going to love mystery writing. Lists are the mystery writer's best friends to keep all the pieces of the puzzle in a neat, easy to come back to, format. List the potential suspects. List the possible motives. List the clues you want to give. List the red herrings you will use to mislead the readers. List, list, list.
Location, location, location. Use the setting of your mystery to the best effect. Town? City? Countryside? Each of these settings creates a specific feeling in readers. You can lean into it by using expected elements of those places, or you can subvert the reader's expectations by having a typical "big city crime" happen in a rural environment.
Readers depend on your words to see, so use descriptive writing for all scenes so that your readers can discover clues as they explore alongside the detective. This puts the reader into the action and, all by itself, turns your writing into a neat "show don't tell" story in which readers can get absorbed.
After all this reading, writing, there is: rewriting. Find trusted readers to give you constructive critique for your first draft. Seeing your story through the eyes of readers will help you to craft that story to perfection.
What would you do to keep yourself on the edge of your seat while writing? |
| |  | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#2255332 by Not Available. |
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#2254000 by Not Available. |
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#2132045 by Not Available. |
|
Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
Don't forget to support our sponsor!
| ASIN: 1542722411 |
|
Amazon's Price: $ 12.99
|
|
I received these replies to my last Mystery newsletter "Etiology"
Alex Morgan  wrote: Thank you for highlighting my work, Annette ! I really appreciate it!
You're welcome. 
DB Cooper  wrote: My story Olympic Medal Mystery ends without a crime because its made for children. God Bless You for this newsletter.
Olympic Medal Mystery is very timely right now. |
| ASIN: B07K6Z2ZBF |
Product Type: Kindle Store
|
Amazon's Price: $ 4.99
|
|
To stop receiving this newsletter, click here for your newsletter subscription list. Simply uncheck the box next to any newsletter(s) you wish to cancel and then click to "Submit Changes". You can edit your subscriptions at any time.
|
Mystery: August 11, 2021 Issue [#10907]
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
