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Printed from https://writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/11119-Stop-thief.html
Mystery: December 15, 2021 Issue [#11119]




 This week: Stop thief!
  Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon Author IconMail Icon
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Table of Contents

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

About This Newsletter

Quote for the week:
"A thief believes everybody steals."
~EW Howe


Word from our sponsor

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Letter from the editor

Stolen or missing items are an important part of mystery stories. The theft might be the main mystery or just a part of a bigger one. A valuable jewel might disappear from a museum in spite of state of the art security alarms and 24 hour guards. Something might be missing from the home of a murder victim. A team of bank robbers might strike over and over, eluding the police at every turn.

In some stories, the plot might revolve around discovering the identity of the thieves. In others, the identity of the thieves is known, but your detectives need to find a way to catch them. Sometimes the main mystery might be figuring out how the theft was carried out.

If your story involves the theft of an object that is heavily guarded, make sure it is carried out in a realistic way. Facilities housing objects of great value often have several levels of security. If the object is a real one, such as the Hope Diamond or the Mona Lisa, make sure the areas where they are kept are portrayed as realistically as possible.

Be sure your thieves have a believable motive. Their potential gain should at least seem to be worth the risk of getting caught. It would be practically impossible to sell a well known item or put it on public display, so thieves would need other reasons. Thieves might plan to hold the object for ransom or cut a large jewel into smaller ones to sell. In some cases, they might just want to steal a valuable object to prove that they can.

If a seemingly unimportant item is stolen, part of the mystery might be figuring out why it is important to the thieves. Serial killers have been known to take souvenirs from each victim, such as a piece of clothing or jewelry. Missing objects such as these might help tie seemingly unrelated cases together.

Something to try: Write a mystery story that involves theft of an object.


Editor's Picks

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Socked In Open in new Window. (13+)
Things can hide in plain sight. It might be dangerous to find them.
#2255313 by Graywriter Author IconMail Icon


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Beware of The Tree of Crows Open in new Window. (13+)
Was Michael feeling guilty, making his dreams turn into nightmares?
#1914800 by Jeannie Author IconMail Icon


Wherever You Go Open in new Window. (13+)
A man recalls the memories of a far-off summer when he met someone he would never forget
#1690839 by Josh T. Alto Author IconMail Icon


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Enemies I Encounter Open in new Window. (18+)
A busy lawyer puts up with a lot in his neighborhood
#2174545 by Lornda Author IconMail Icon


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The Rat Open in new Window. (E)
Sometimes things are not what they seem. (~1095 words.)
#2235956 by Nightkeeper Author IconMail Icon

 
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Ask & Answer

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