  Mystery
This week: Edited by: darkin
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Welcome to the Mystery Newsletter. Why are mysteries so popular? Mysteries make you think. You follow every clue, examine all of the crime scenes and remember what each suspect said when questioned by the detective. A good mystery can keep you interested until the end. A great mystery will keep you guessing until the last page...when it makes you slap your forehead in surprise!
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A Mystery Novel Recipe.
Last time around, I asked if there was a subject readers were interested in reading about. One of the suggestions I got was from tinkerbell16:
What are some of the key ingredients in writing a mystery novel?
Well, that suggestion gave me an idea for this week's newsletter, so I'm sending tinkerbell16 1000 GPs for making it! Thank you for your suggestion!!!
And now, on with the Mystery Novel Recipe!
First, you need to get your ingredients together.
Title: You'll need a title to catch your reader's eye as they are pursing the mystery book isle at their local bookstore. Something that hints without giving the whole plot away. You don't need a title when you start writing. But before you sell it to a publisher you'll need more than just "My Mystery Novel".
Type of Story: What type of story do you want to write? Are you going for the detective, or do you want more of an amateur sleuth type of tale?
Setting: Where is your story going to take place? In the countryside, a major city, or some faraway place. Will the detective have to travel great distances to solve his crime, or do it from the comfort of his own home town?
Time: When is your mystery taking place? Is it this year, 100 years ago, or 100 years into the future.
Main Characters: You're going to need a few characters, well thought out and full of personality. Make sure that you have given them a purpose in the story. Remember, readers love a character they can relate to.
Detective: You want to create someone who is driven to solve this crime. He needs to find the killer, and deal with him, in order to keep doing what he does. He should not be perfect, but be as flawed as the rest of us.
Killer: This is one of the best characters to make, cause you can be as bad as you want. Your killer doesn't have to follow the basic character rules. He can be cruel and heartless, or he can be the nicest guy to live next door to.
Victim: Yes, you even need to know your victim. What they were like and how they lived is just as important as how they died. You should understand why they ended up that way and be able to convey it to your reader.
Body discovered by: Who finds the body, and how? Why were they there in the first place? Are they suspects because they found the body, or just some innocent bystander who happened upon it?
Witnesses: Did anyone see the murder? Or is the witness someone who happened to see the victim the night before, talking to that tall and handsome stranger at the bar? Police in real life talk to a lot of people while trying to solve a crime, and your detective should also speak to people.
Suspects: While questioning his witnesses, there will be those who catch your detective's eye and make him wonder. He will need to check them out, just like a real detective would have to do.
Scapegoats: Are you going to have someone who's arrested for the crime, while the true killer is still running around free. You want someone who gives your reader enough creepy feelings to make them think perhaps this could be the guy, but also gives them enough suspicion that they still have their doubts.
The Murder or Crime Scene: What happened to the victim, and why, are crucial to a mystery. Think carefully about what the victim represents. Do they have a connection to the detective, or just another anonymous case the detective has to deal with in his daily life? Is their death particularly meaningful, or done in such a way as to make the reader identify with them. The reader needs to want the detective to solve the crime. If the detective doesn't care about solving the crime, the reader isn't going to care either.
Clues: What are the things that point your detective in the right direction to solve his murder? What is the final clue, the one that tells your detective "who done it"?
Red Herrings: Always remember this little mystery novel plot twist can really heighten the suspense of a mystery. But overused, they can ruin even the strongest plots. Use them sparingly and they will keep your readers guessing until the last page.
These are the ingredients I look for in a mystery novel. Pick the ones best suited for your story and writing style. Mix your ingredients up and serve to your readers as a wonderful tale. It is non-fattening and sure to please.
Thank you for taking the time to read. Happy Writing!
darkin
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Here are some short stories I found while traveling the highways and byways of Writing.Com!
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Thank you all for the wonderful comments. I love hearing from you and if you have a suggestion for an upcoming newsletter, please let me know. If I use it, I'll send you 1000 GPs, just like I did for tinkerbell16 suggestion!
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Mystery: January 25, 2006 Issue [#849]
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