23 Checklist Items to Write a Great Mystery
Since I founded a conference based on literary genres (the #1 vote writers’ conference in the U.S. according to The Writer magazine), it might be fun to look at some of those genres.
The first, with a conference named Killer Nashville International Writers’ Conference, is to look at a genre where a definitive and heinous crime has been committed, and that category would be “Mystery.”
I’ve considered the subject and what makes a mystery a mystery, not a chamber pot. I was going to detail each one, but that ended up being a blog the size of a small novella, so for now, I’m only going to list the headings, and then in future blogs, I’ll break down each of these categories. So, in my mind, and my subjective point-of-view and brainstorming, this is what I think is required to write great mysteries. Use this list, if you want, as a checklist for your own stories.
Crime. Something which wrongly harms another.
A Strong Hook. Find a fresh, intriguing angle that creates a sense of curiosity and uniqueness in the reader's mind.
The Sleuth. The detective or sleuth or little old lady who is more curious than her own good.
The Mystery, Of Course. The spine of what sucks a mystery reader in. It is a puzzle that the reader wishes to solve faster than your detective.
Suspense. Things keep happening, and readers keep turning pages to keep up.
Plot. The step-by-step and chapter organization that takes us through the story in the most suspenseful and puzzling way.
Setting. Where the story takes place. Make it unique. A place the reader may have never been before, or an aspect of a location that a reader may think he knows but does not.
Distinct Atmosphere. Something unique that makes the mood and situation itself almost a unique character unto itself. It is the coloring of the canvas. It is not the location but how the location might be lit.
A Steady Drip of Clues. Red herrings or actual clues are there to mislead the average reader and tip off the insightful one.
Active Reader Engagement. We need this from the first page, turning the reader into an amateur sleuth as they try to solve the crime before your detective does.
Motley Characters. An assortment of motley individuals who all could have something to do with either the crime or solving the crime, relationships to those above that have bearing or color for the story, and an assortment of characters on the other side who are involved somehow in the crime.
Suspects. Always. The more suspects, the merrier. And then, the writer (and reader) narrow them down.
Believable Dialogue. People talk, and readers love to listen in on the conversations. Good dialogue makes the story believable and imparts wonderful direct or indirect information.
Structuring Chapters with a Build. Starting simple and growing more complex.
Foreshadowing. You are laying the groundwork so that the reader is always surprised but can never say that the writer played unfairly. Everything is intimated before it is actually shown.
Red Herring. A false lead. A good mystery will have several of these, which could send the plot in multiple directions.
Narrative Momentum. The slow or fast build that takes the reader through the plot.
Evidence. The solid, factual basis that makes the solving of the crime indisputable.
A Breakthrough. The detective gets the scent of the actual trail at this point in the story.
The Climax. The final twist surprises everyone: the crime is solved, and the culprit is known.
Villain. The bad guy or team of bad guys who are responsible for the wrongs that have been done.
Fulfilling Ending. One that makes a reader want to read more of an author’s work.
Read Other Mysteries. Other than writing, there is no better way to learn.
And there you have it—my list of what makes writing a great mystery key. Use the list to create your own mysterious tales. Including all of these in your mystery will satisfy the story, the reader, and your bank account.
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