  Mystery
This week: Where's The Humanity? Edited by: Jeff  
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"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known."
-- Carl Sagan
Mystery Trivia of the Week: Megan Abbott isn't just an Edgar-winning, Time Magazine-honored mystery novelist... she also writes nonfiction analysis of crime fiction and teaches on the subject as well. With her Ph.D in English and American Literature, she's taught classes at four different universities, including NYU and as the John Grisham Writer in Residence at the University of Mississippi. Oh, and she's also contributed articles and writing to publications like the Los Angeles Times.
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WHERE'S THE HUMANITY?
When we build our stories - especially in a plot-driven genre like mystery - we can sometimes lose ourselves in constructing the story. Whodunit, how they dunit, where they dun it... there's an endless amount of detail that goes into the setup, execution, cover-up, and subsequent uncovering of a mystery. And, while those little details are all necessary and important, it's equally important to remember that - at the heart of your story - it really needs to be about character. There needs to be a human element to the story if you want your reader to get invested.
From my time working in the movie business where it's a little more noticeable, I've found that an awful lot of writers seem to get so lost in the spectacle they're trying to create, that they forget there needs to be an engaging character underneath. That doesn't necessarily mean what they've written is bad ... and in some cases it's even written quite well ... but a compelling story has to be more than the size of the explosions, the number of car chases, and the increasingly bizarre ways for a victim to be murdered. You need those interesting, unique plotting ideas, but you also need a good character to tie them all together.
A friend of mine pitched me an idea for a movie the other day. (This is not uncommon; everybody seems to have an idea they think would make a great movie!  ). As I listened, he described a vivid idea he had for this futuristic world, how it's different from ours, and this concept about what would happen if [fill in the blank]." And he looked and me and said proudly, "So what do you think?" And while my brain was going  , and my eyes wanted to go  ... he's a friend, so instead I asked him this: "That's a great setting and a great concept and all... but who's the main character in this world? What's his or her story? What are they trying to accomplish? What are they fighting against?" He thought about it for several minutes and said, "I actually don't know. I haven't thought about that yet."
The problem is, the setting, the premise, the cool scene ideas ... those are all important, but they're not going to get your audience invested in your story. In order for them to engage in your story, they have to have a way in. Most often, that's a character they can identify with, trying to overcome a challenge that's understandable. HARRY POTTER isn't just magic school and Quidditch matches; it's about an outcast looking for his place in the world and coming to terms with expectations of greatness. BATMAN isn't just about a billionaire who fights crime at night with cool gadgets; it's about a broken, orphaned kid who dedicated his life to fighting the corruption and crime that claimed the lives of his parents.
When we write our mysteries, the plotting is essential to creating something that's fresh and new. We don't want to read another by-the-numbers murder investigation that we've seen a million times before. But equally important is creating a character and character motivation that an audience can identify with. Because on their own, those explosions and plot twists and clever devices won't carry any weight at all if they aren't happening to and around a character the audience cares about.
Don't forget the human element in your story, even if it's about a convoluted murder or alien robots fighting giant mutants. 
Until next time,
-- Jeff
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I encourage you to check out the following mystery items:
I was nervous. My hands were sweaty and clammy, and I kept wiping them on my plus size jeans, which I hardly even fit into. Going to the doctor was never an easy task, and always awkward. Somehow, everything they tried to lower my weight didn’t seem to work. I clumsily locked the door and crawled into the driver’s seat of the car.
Sam shoved his Fedora back on his head as he gazed down the sidewalk. He checked his watch one more time. It was near 9:00 PM and it was dark. The street light under which he was standing wasn't sure if it wanted to shine or not; it kept flickering off and in spasms. He would have walked down to the next corner where the light shone bright and consistent, if he hadn't told Cassidy he would meet her here at this intersection. He was stuck here, and she was late again.
When I get called to the nurse's office, it's usually for something dumb like getting measured or getting my ears checked. But Matt Armstrong goes there every single day. I'm beginning to think something weird is going on. Like Matt's secretly an alien or something, and the nurse is performing tests on him for the government.
The air was unnaturally still. Heavy snow carpeted the normally lush green hills barely visible from the window in the tiny upstairs bedroom. Rhana, cloaked in her mother's old fur cloak, shivered. She tugged at her sister's jacket pocket, begging her to change her mind.
I heard the voice that the dog barked. Somebody calls me from a cliff. Why would the police move so early? I must escape early. The feeling gets impatient. But my body doesn't move. Blood still flows out of the right side which I was stabbed in. while I controlled a wound, I raised a body. In front of me, there was a medicinal herb. I rubbed a leaf and put it on the wound. Some pains softened. I looked for the place in which to hide. Then there was a big cave the left ahead.
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Feedback from my last newsletter about liars:
Quick-Quill  writes, "In any mystery the synonym for a liar could be a "red herring" or "Chekov's gun." A lie has to lead the reader to a false conclusion. Seducing them from the path toward a quick ending and then to an side path that will take longer to find their way back. Good job. I hadn't thought about it quite this way before."
Thanks for reading... and thank you for always writing in. It's always nice to hear from you.
BIG BAD WOLF is Howling  writes, "What if the person can't, or doesn't want to, remember the truth?"
Interesting philosophical question... rather than, "If a tree falls in the forest..." maybe the real question is, "If someone tells a lie without realizing it... are they really lying?" 
Tornado Dodger  writes, "Great topic for any NL but especially Mystery. People can lie for so many reasons and it's always interesting to try and figure out their motivations.  I love your editorials and I always look forward to your Mystery Trivia as well! Great job! "
Thanks, Brooke! I'm glad someone besides me enjoys random mystery trivia. 
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Mystery: August 27, 2014 Issue [#6521]
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