  Mystery
This week: The Odd Simplicity Edited by: Gaby  
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The Odd Simplicity
A while back I read an excerpt from a book which stuck with me for months, if not over a year. Come to find out, there was more than one book about the same character. Odd Thomas.
I've heard good as well as bad things about this character's books, but it didn't matter to me either way. I had to find out for myself what it was about. With the help of "CLOSED!The Monthly Reading Challenge" I finally sat down and started reading. At times I've had mixed feelings, but all in all, I truly like Odd. You are allowed to disagree but don't give up on him too quickly. He has his bad moments.
What I found out actually surprised me. The excerpt that I've read is in a book I have yet to read but the words were woven so nicely, they pulled me in and didn't let go. Odd wouldn't let go. However, Odd is a very simple character in a not so simple world which surrounds him. His obstacles aren't the everyday kind. And yet, I like him for who he is without what he is and what he can do.
In mystery stories, our focus is, more often than not, focused more on what's going on and the bad guy rather than the good guy. We present the main character with a problem, then follow leads while tossing twists and turns at every corner in order to keep it interesting. You have to in order to keep the reader interested. What I've noticed by reading this genre is that we focus less on the good guy, other than when we have to.
Of course, that's not always the case, but still. Let's say we have a detective who is investigating a crime. We know that eventually, somewhere at the end of the book, the bad guy will be caught. Our main focus is to figure out the details, right? But how much do we know about the main character? What is his/her back story?
Many will tell you, if it's not important, get rid of it, meaning if it doesn't matter to the story itself remove it. Even I say that in reviews, but only when it comes to certain parts of description and details. Not everything matters and the most important part is not to bore the reader with too much unimportant paragraphs which lead to nowhere. Focus, but focus on more than just the task at hand.
You'll be surprised what a difference it makes to tell a bit about your character while chasing the bad guy. They might even have things in common without knowing it. Such opportunities open doors to more ideas that you ever thought possible, so be open minded when it comes to your focus of the story. Your character doesn't have to be a genius in order to be likeable, but should be included more than in just a simple chase and finding out the truth. This way it's only half the fun.
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Mystery: October 16, 2013 Issue [#5947]
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