  Mystery
This week: Under cover of darkness Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon  
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| Quote for the week: “Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.” ~Terry Pratchett, "Reaper Man" |
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Mystery and darkness go together. Nefarious activities are more likely to go unnoticed under the cover of darkness. Murder, rape, kidnapping, robbery, and other crimes can and have happened in broad daylight, but would be more difficult to hide.
In many cases, it is difficult enough for an eyewitness to remember what they saw during the day, let alone at night. Most people are asleep at night, so there will be fewer people who see anything to begin with.
Darkness is spooky and mysterious by nature. Fear of the dark is one of the basic human instincts that helped keep our primitive ancestors alive.
When we are in darkness, our pupils widen to let in as much light as possible. After a while, our eyes become accustomed to the darkness, and we can see better. However, in some places, such as deep in a cave, there is not enough light for our pupils to let in, even in their widest state. Caves and deep in the ocean are among the few natural places where we can really experience total darkness. Even during the darkest night, there is usually a bit of light.
In some large cities, such as Los Vegas, there is so much artificial light that even the night is almost as bright as day. A story set at night in a city will have different ranges of light and dark than one in an uninhabited area of the countryside. At night in a city, you may barely notice the stars and the moon, while they will be much brighter away from the city lights.
A little bit of light along with the darkness creates shadows, which can add to the mystery and creepiness of your setting. Things in the shadows may not be what they seem. A five foot tall person may cast a ten foot shadow depending on the angle of the light.
A dark, cloudy night will have a different atmosphere than a clear night. There is a reason that "a dark and stormy night" is a classic setting for mystery and horror stories.
Power outages create unusual problems, because places that are normally lit up by artificial light may be dark even in the daytime. Examples include basements of buildings and business places open at night.
Something to try: Write a mystery story where all the action takes place in the dark. Your characters will have to find ways to work around the darkness to find clues and evade dangerous characters.
~*~*~*~*~*
"The beginnings and ends of shadow lie between the light and darkness and may be infinitely diminished and infinitely increased. Shadow is the means by which bodies display their form. The forms of bodies could not be understood in detail but for shadow." ~ Leonardo da Vinci
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Mystery: October 25, 2017 Issue [#8563]
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