 Mystery: May 01, 2024 Issue [#12529] |
This week: That would make a good story Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon  
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Quote for the week:
"Mystery spread its cloak across the sky.
We lost our way.
Shadows fell from trees.
They knew why."
~from "House of Four Doors" by the Moody Blues |
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While it might seem difficult to come up with a new idea for a mystery story, there are millions of great stories just waiting for an author to bring them to life.
How do you find ideas for your stories?
One of my favorite mystery authors says that she just thinks of a strange or interesting situation that leads to somebody finding a body or other evidence of a crime. She begins writing from there, without knowing how the plot will develop. Other writers (like me) might use this same method but will plot the entire story before they begin writing.
Others begin by creating a character and building the story around that character. The character might be a protagonist or villain. The author will spend time developing the character's personality and backstory before placing them in a story.
Some writers come up with their best stories when writing for prompts. A prompt might be a word, phrase, image, character, or situation that must be included in the story. In my daily flash fiction contest I have seen many wonderful stories written for contest prompts. On any given day, all the stories will be written for the same prompt, yet very few will write similar stories. WDC contests are great sources of writing prompts, but anything can be a prompt. Try scanning through images online and writing a story based on a random photo or other image. Some of the "Florida Man" headlines might generate ideas for humorous mysteries.
Dreams can also be a great source of writing prompts. Several of my stories are based on dreams I had.
Remember that a mystery can start with one thing out of place. Here are some examples:
 A store or other business is closed at a time when it should be open.
 A photographer sees a face in a photo of a crowd that shouldn't be there.
 A character sends their DNA for analysis and gets an unexpected result.
 A teacher or student is absent from school.
 A library book is returned with a message inside.
Something to try: Write a mystery story based on an an online photo or other image.
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| | A Woman of Honor (E)
Obsessed with her family's history, Liz discovers a diary that tells an amazing story.
#2256815 by Dee  |
|  | Two Films (18+)
I discover two films in my grandparents attic that recorded events during and after WW2.
#2301514 by Kotaro |
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| Question for next time: What subjects would you like to see discussed in future mystery newsletters? |
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