  Mystery
This week: Romancing the Mystery Edited by: Kate - Writing & Reading  
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All that I see or seem is but a dream within a dream.
Edgar Alan Poe
A mystery is an answer in search of a question; knowing what's been done and journey to discovering the how and why of it. It deals with something unknown to the reader, which the writer reveals in bits and pieces with both subtle and overt clues, drawing the reader into the puzzle. Welcome to this week's edition of the WDC Mystery Newletter, where we enter and explore the puzzle for ourselves and our readers.
Any woman can fool a man if she wants to
and if he's in love with her.
Agatha Christie
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Greetings, fellow sleuths.
Consider the similarities in a mystery and a romance. In a mystery, intrigue and tension is crafted of interwoven facts, miscues, heightened suspense and action. In a romance, the love story is woven step by step on emotions, needs, doubts and personalities. A romantic mystery blends the two. There's a mystery, a puzzle that needs to be solved, clues uncovered and resolved to release the mounting tension or alleviate a growing danger. There's also an internal tension among two or more of the characters that needs to be resolved in order to release the emotional and internal tension. See the similarity? The mystery draws characters into the puzzle who, while finding and solving external clues and resolving red herrings uncover and explore the rising tension of personal and emotional bonds and mis-cues as they also are brought to resolution.
In a romantic mystery, there's first an unknown that needs to be solved, a puzzle, consisting of a crime or danger that must be resolved while a romantic relationship is either revealed or develops in the act of solving the mystery puzzle. The tension is both external and internal, interacting to effect the believable and satisfying resolution of the mystery and the increasing depth of the interpersonal relationship. We uncover and solve clues both external (the crime or external danger) and interpersonal (among and between the characters).
Blending a bit of romance with a mystery is as versatile as the mystery genre itself. Consider the hint of romance in the classic puzzles crafted by Agatha Christie. Wilkie Collins crafted the hunt for the Moonstone with internal and interpersonal puzzles. Dashiell Hammett, master of the noir detective, showed Sam Spade falling for the mystery woman he later spurns in the Maltese Falcon. Fast forward in time to Carol Kilgore, whose novels and short stories are foremost mysteries, but interwoven with overt or subtle romantic puzzles. And on the softer side, check out Nancy Picard's mysteries.
What dynamic puzzles and characters are created with this blend of mystery and romance. As we read, we find that the mystery touched with romance is as versatile as is the writer's vision - be it hard-boiled or soft-boiled detective flirting with a romantic interest, or a gothic or cozy-style mystery imbued with the essence of romantic or sensual tension among the characters.
The reader of mysteries (which, as writers of mystery, we all certainly are), seeks to step into the story and find a sleuth or other character with whom to empathize or perhaps feels sympathy for. In a mystery with romantic interplay, the atmosphere and tension between the characters is introduced early in the story, most often concurrently with the external puzzle to be solved, be it a murder, or other crime, or impending danger. For example, the dark room, the scream, the bloodstained floor, introduces the crime; and not merely the individual reaction of the characters, but their reaction to each other with respect to the scene introduces the relationship that will grow in tension to its resolution alongside the external puzzle.
The two puzzles are interwoven, with revealing details drawing the reader into the puzzle and the 'lives' of the characters on their journey to solve the why and how of the mystery and the why and how of each other's need to solve said mystery. Most romantic mysteries are written in third-person, affording the reader an opportunity to explore the multiple images and impressions of the characters as they uncover and resolve clues both external and intrinsic to themselves. The characters' reactions to the clues, and to each other's reaction to both finding and solving the clues, are intrinsic elements to the story itself and the atmosphere that creates the ebb and flow of tension in the unfolding mystery. Each piece of the puzzle interlinks and, as it is uncovered and set in place, it affects the puzzle as a whole. At each new stage of the puzzle, the bonds of relationship grow either closer or farther apart as they draw from and build upon discovery. Your readers also get more involved in the story and want to solve the mystery and understand the characters and their reasons for pursuing the quest, perhaps forging a common bond (relationship(s)) or not - it's your puzzle!
And just as we play fair with our readers in resolving clues and bringing the mystery to a satisfying, believable solution where, perhaps, the reader has an 'aha' moment, so also the intrinsic romance need be resolved in a satisfying and believable manner, as an integral part of the puzzle. So your satisfied readers can also say 'yes, I knew they belonged together,' or 'of course they were just too different.' Remember, you're the puzzlemaster, scattering the pieces of your puzzle, but not hiding from the discerning eye external and internal clues to discovery and understanding.
Consider if you have a short story, poem or flash mystery that blends with another genre (romanctic mystery, perhaps , the following paying publication, which is open to submissions through the end of September ~ check out the guidelines ~
http://www.bigpulp.com/submissions.html
And, in response to a comment from last month's issue on short stories and even shorter fiction, if you've a blended flash mystery, check out the guidelines for publication here ~
http://www.untreedreads.com/?page_id=1039
Now, fellow writers, I know you're ready for some good reads as you each
Write On!
Kate
Kate - Writing & Reading
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Check out a few of the mysteries threaded with romance by members of our Community ~ and let the writers know how they've drawn you into the puzzle with a comment or review
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#1687248 by Not Available. |
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Chapter 1 of a mystery set in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont in 1983
#1505682 by Cant-dog  |
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#1595178 by Not Available. |
Now, thinking outside the box, check out this month's Bard's Hall call for a mystery ~ perhaps the prompts incite a blended tale, why not a puzzle with a hint of romance
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I'd like to share a couple comments in response to my exploration of short stories as viable and satisfying end produts of a writer's vision and pen. I hope you visit with each of them and share your thoughts on their stories, longer and shorter.
From: DB Cooper
I really enjoyed this newsletter. I am furious because there is not enough market for short, short, mysteries.
I think that with the growth of e-publishing, short stories and flash fiction appear to be making somewhat of a comeback, not only online, but in futureprint anthologies for which some e-publishers are requesting rights from authors. I've cited the guidelines for a couple such potential markets above for your consideration. ~ Do let us know if your short stories are accepted so we can read them there as well ^_^
From: Carol St.Ann 
(Well, I feel sheepish: I'd never pondered over mystery style categories. Good stuff!) I don't believe I've written in before. Shame on me. These juicy tidbits, week after week, are invaluable! They're light and easy to digest and chocked full with interestng information and valuable lessons that round-out and enrich our writing experience. Thanks so much for all the hard work and research (and time!) you invest. It shows. It's an integral part of what makes WDC a writer's dream community! Carol
Thank you Carol for sharing the exploration and for your continued encouragement. I look forward to visiting your port for some good reads and invite fellow readers to do likewise. Write On!
I thank you for this respite in your virtual homes ~ until we next meet
Write On!
Kate
Kate - Writing & Reading
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Mystery: September 22, 2010 Issue [#3964]
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