MYSTERY
MYSTERY NOVELS:
CHARACTERISTICS:
- start with a murder (on page one) or a crime (jewels robbed, kidnapping) but thrives on murder
- the sleuth (main character) is a detective or a person intimately involved
- the detective is trying to find out who has done it
- the conflict originates between the person who is trying to solve to murder and the criminal who is trying to cover his or her tracks
- include red herrings (wrong information to divert attention)
- include pivotal clues that reveal important information
- are sprinkled with genuine clues
- the mystery results from clues that form a puzzle the reader is trying to put together
- descriptions are important because they give clues to solve the mystery. Often clues are hidden in the descriptions or words people say.
- the motive must be convincing
- there is a close number (3 or 4) of suspects who all have motives to kill and/or the opportunity and one is totally unexpected
- the back story is important, every character's back story he or she shared with the victim
- characters have secrets they want to keep hiding
- all suspects lie about something
- the suspects create the tension by their reactions (anger, shock, awkwardness, fleeing the town, etc.) as they feel scrutinized and their lives inspected
- the victim is murdered in an unusual or terrifying way (pufferfish poison, drawn by laughter, falling down a cliff, etc)
- characters suspect each other
- suspects reveal clues that harm other suspects with only goal to create more tension and misdirect the motives
- the climax reveals whodunit and why-he-dun-it.
- only show small parts of the offstage action
- the "detective" has a dark past and going after a murderer is better than face the real world
- the "detective" has an addiction or is emotionally broken because of an event in his past which will get back at him at some point and hinder his progress
- the killer or criminal is identified half way through the novel. The rest of the novel will be used to find evidence against him or her. Except that the detective made a mistake and accused the wrong person. The "detective" digs his hole
- the second killer identified is the right one. The "detective" is stronger and more determined. The climax reveals the motive and how the killer murdered his or her victim.
- Have two important scenes: the discovery of the murder and the big reveal
- plotting tons of details is essential
- at the climax, the reader is convinced that anyone could be the culprit
- the setting must be vivid in order for the reader to situate the characters
- character development and psychology is important
- something is missing on the murder scene
QUOTE:
“The difference between thrillers and mysteries that there’s a puzzle in the mystery. If you can disentangle it, it will lead you to the answer.”
-- Jean V. Naggar, agent
EXAMPLES:
FICTION:
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
A Crime in the Neighborhood by Suzanne Berne
A Dark-Adapted Eye by Ruth Rendell
A Coffin for Dimitrios by Eric Ambler
The Silence of Murder by Dandi Daley Mackall (YA)
The Killer's Cousin, by Nancy Werlin (YA)
Shelter by Harlan Coben
Paper Towns by John Green
The Monstrumologist by Rick Tancey
MOVIES:
"The Mentalist."
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."
RESOURCES:
Spann, Susan. "25 things you need to know about writing mysteries." Terribleminds. October 15, 2013. <http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2013/10/15/25-things-you-need-to-know-about-writing-mysteries-by-susan-spann/>
Palumbo, Dennis. "Taking the mystery out of writing mysteries." Writers' Store. <http://www.writersstore.com/taking-the-mystery-out-of-writing-mysteries/>
Roberts, Gillian. "The Writing Desk." Gillian Roberts.com. <http://www.gillianroberts.com/writing.html>
"Writing the Mystery." Writing World.com <http://www.writing-world.com/mystery/>
Mysteries by kids. <http://kids.mysterynet.com/writing/>
Mystery cube creator. <http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/cube_creator/>
CHARACTERISTICS:
- start with a murder (on page one) or a crime (jewels robbed, kidnapping) but thrives on murder
- the sleuth (main character) is a detective or a person intimately involved
- the detective is trying to find out who has done it
- the conflict originates between the person who is trying to solve to murder and the criminal who is trying to cover his or her tracks
- include red herrings (wrong information to divert attention)
- include pivotal clues that reveal important information
- are sprinkled with genuine clues
- the mystery results from clues that form a puzzle the reader is trying to put together
- descriptions are important because they give clues to solve the mystery. Often clues are hidden in the descriptions or words people say.
- the motive must be convincing
- there is a close number (3 or 4) of suspects who all have motives to kill and/or the opportunity and one is totally unexpected
- the back story is important, every character's back story he or she shared with the victim
- characters have secrets they want to keep hiding
- all suspects lie about something
- the suspects create the tension by their reactions (anger, shock, awkwardness, fleeing the town, etc.) as they feel scrutinized and their lives inspected
- the victim is murdered in an unusual or terrifying way (pufferfish poison, drawn by laughter, falling down a cliff, etc)
- characters suspect each other
- suspects reveal clues that harm other suspects with only goal to create more tension and misdirect the motives
- the climax reveals whodunit and why-he-dun-it.
- only show small parts of the offstage action
- the "detective" has a dark past and going after a murderer is better than face the real world
- the "detective" has an addiction or is emotionally broken because of an event in his past which will get back at him at some point and hinder his progress
- the killer or criminal is identified half way through the novel. The rest of the novel will be used to find evidence against him or her. Except that the detective made a mistake and accused the wrong person. The "detective" digs his hole
- the second killer identified is the right one. The "detective" is stronger and more determined. The climax reveals the motive and how the killer murdered his or her victim.
- Have two important scenes: the discovery of the murder and the big reveal
- plotting tons of details is essential
- at the climax, the reader is convinced that anyone could be the culprit
- the setting must be vivid in order for the reader to situate the characters
- character development and psychology is important
- something is missing on the murder scene
QUOTE:
“The difference between thrillers and mysteries that there’s a puzzle in the mystery. If you can disentangle it, it will lead you to the answer.”
-- Jean V. Naggar, agent
EXAMPLES:
FICTION:
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
A Crime in the Neighborhood by Suzanne Berne
A Dark-Adapted Eye by Ruth Rendell
A Coffin for Dimitrios by Eric Ambler
The Silence of Murder by Dandi Daley Mackall (YA)
The Killer's Cousin, by Nancy Werlin (YA)
Shelter by Harlan Coben
Paper Towns by John Green
The Monstrumologist by Rick Tancey
MOVIES:
"The Mentalist."
"The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo."
RESOURCES:
Spann, Susan. "25 things you need to know about writing mysteries." Terribleminds. October 15, 2013. <http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2013/10/15/25-things-you-need-to-know-about-writing-mysteries-by-susan-spann/>
Palumbo, Dennis. "Taking the mystery out of writing mysteries." Writers' Store. <http://www.writersstore.com/taking-the-mystery-out-of-writing-mysteries/>
Roberts, Gillian. "The Writing Desk." Gillian Roberts.com. <http://www.gillianroberts.com/writing.html>
"Writing the Mystery." Writing World.com <http://www.writing-world.com/mystery/>
Mysteries by kids. <http://kids.mysterynet.com/writing/>
Mystery cube creator. <http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/interactives/cube_creator/>