 Mystery: April 02, 2025 Issue [#13057] |
This week: Who could it be? Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon  
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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
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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A mystery story is a puzzle for your readers to solve along with the main characters. As the characters find clues, the readers will be gathering their own. Sometimes you will present the clues to the readers at the same time the characters find them. At other times, the readers will see clues that the readers have not found yet. Among the real clues will be misdirection and red herrings to make the puzzle more challenging.
If the mystery is a crime, the readers and the characters will need to choose between several suspects. Initially, the suspects should all seem equally suspicious. As the story progresses, information will be revealed that eliminates the suspects one by one. The readers should get enough clues to eliminate the incorrect suspects and choose the correct one without making it too easy.
Ideally, at least two suspects should remain up until the time when the true guilty party is revealed. Sometimes it may seem that the mystery is solved only to reveal that the solution is incorrect and another party is guilty.
Some writers never really explain all the red herrings that have been inserted to misdirect the readers, which can lead to confusion. The reader should be satisfied with the solution at the end and not be left thinking, "But what about...???" Unless of course, the left over red herring is actually a clue leading to a sequel or maybe a surprise solution known only to the reader and a few characters. One of my favorite mystery stories, "The Burning Court" by John Dickson Carr has a perfectly logical solution which unfolds throughout the story. Then in the epilogue, it is turned upside down.
Something to try: Write a mystery story with several suspects who all appear guilty until the end.
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| Question for next time: What subjects would you like to see discussed in future mystery newsletters? |
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