Mystery Novel Planning
by Vijay
(India)
Hello, Glen,
I thank you for answering my previous question about Mystery Novel Resolution.
I've purchased your novel planning workbook and written four interesting romance novels by using it.
Now, I'm trying to write a Mystery novel, but I'm not sure how to use your novel planning book. All the four throughlines you mention about (Overall, relationship, main character and impact character) can be applied very well for Romance genre, but I'm not sure how to use it for the Mystery genre. How to plan, how to place the clues, red herrings and resolve the novel?
I hope you share some useful tips so that we can apply the throughlines to Mystery genre too.
Regards,
Vijay
Answer: Hi Vijay,
With Mystery, a lot depends on who the impact character is. The detective is usually the main character, so the reader can be "in his shoes" and play armchair detective. (The overall throughline concerns the effort to identify or catch the murderer.)
Sometimes the impact character is the murderer. In that case, the story can be a kind of "cat and mouse" game in which the villain keeps trying to mislead the detective or get him to abandon his values long enough for the villain to escape.
Another possibility is to make the impact character a secondary character, a contagonist, who distracts and delays the detective from solving the case by making the detective doubt himself.
Either way, the arc of the main character's inner conflict comes from the way the case challenges him to reassess his values, commitment, etc.
For instance, the case might not be "black and white." In some stories someone might have committed murder for what might seem like a justifiable reason. So the detective has to figure out not just who did it but what true justice would be in this situation.
Hint: only rarely can a detective let murder go unpunished. For the most part, mystery readers want to see justice done. But there are exceptions. For example, in Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express, the murder seems to have been understandable if not justifiable. Our sympathies lie with the most-likely-guilty. However, there is just enough doubt about the killer's identity for Poirot to decide not to make an arrest.
This article might interest you...
https://www.how-to-write-a-book-now.com/how-to-write-a-mystery.html
- Home
- Plot Questions
- Mystery Novel Planning
Search this site...
|
||
| site search by freefind |
100% Human Generated Content!
All
articles on this website were written by a human being -- one possessed of flaws and limitations, but also with a personal perspective and a desire to help fellow
writers. No article on this site was written by or with the aid of artificial intelligence (AI).
Popular Articles
Mini-Course
Never be stuck for a great story idea again! This online mini-course will show you how to create simple ideas for original characters and build a plot around each character that contains the essential elements needed for a compelling story.
Recent Postings
-
Writing thoughts and diary entries.
Question: This is my first time trying to write, I constantly imagine fictional scenarios, so I decided to write a novel with them, but in my idea, we -
Synopsis Format
Question: Hello! Thank you for answering my question about how many characters to add in a synopsis! I should have included this question with my last -
How many characters to include in a synopsis
Question: Hello! I'm new to your site, and I love it! I didn't see a question and answer page for synopsis writing, so I wasn't sure where to post this
"I've read more than fifty books on writing, writing novels, etc., but your website has the most useful and practical guidance. Now that I understand how a novel is structured, I will rewrite mine, confident that it will be a more interesting novel." - Lloyd Edwards
"Thanks to your "Create a Plot Outline in 8 Easy Steps," I was able to take a story that I simply just fooled around with and went willy nilly all over, into a clearly defined, intriguing battle where two characters fight to keep their relationship intact, and try to find a balance in control of themselves and their lives. Thanks to you, I'm not ashamed of the poor organization of my writing." - Nommanic Ragus
"I am so glad I found your site. It has helped me in so many ways, and has given me more confidence about myself and my work. Thank you for making this valuable resource, for me and my fellow writers. Perhaps you'll hear about me someday...I'll owe it to you." - Ruth, Milton, U.S.A.
"I never knew what to do with all the characters in my head, but since discovering Dramatica I am writing again in my spare time. Thank you for making this available. Yes, it is a bit complex, and it does take time, but I love it because it works." - Colin Shoeman
"I came across your website by chance. It is a plethora of
knowledge, written in a simplistic way to help aspiring writers. I
truly appreciate all of the information you have provided to help me
successfully (relative term) write my novel. Thank you very much!" - Leo T. Rollins
"I
can honestly say that this is the first website that is really helpful.
You manage to answer complex questions in relatively short articles and
with really intelligent answers. Thank you for taking the time to write
these articles and sharing them so generously." - Chrystelle Nash
"...had no idea that a simple click would give me such a wealth of valuable information. The site not only offered extremely clear and helpful instructions but was a very enjoyable read as well. The education from your wonderful site has made me a better writer and your words have inspired me to get back to work on my novel. I wish to give you a heartfelt thanks for How to Write a Book Now, sir." -- Mike Chiero