editTips and Tricks
Below are 10 tips and tricks on how to write confounding mystery.
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Provide clues to the reader to allow for reader participation in solving the mystery.
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Provide false clues - red herrings.
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Include suspense in your dialogie (e.g., contradicting lies, unusual comments).
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Include a mysterious tone wherever you can (e.g., setting description, dialogue, action).
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Don't rush key parts of your story.
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Don't include full backstories - snippets and hints are okay.
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Plan out the killer's method, reason, and opportunities before the first word is written.
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Include a variety of lying suspects to make the truth harder to find.
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The reveal/solution is key - it explains all of the clues, and reveals the guilty person(s) - so make it as thrilling as possible.
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Incorporate the scenery into the plot.
For more information, visit the following websites from which the above points were gathered:
https://www.nownovel.com/blog/writing-a-mystery-novel/
http://www.writersdigest.com/online-editor/7-tips-writing-great-mystery-suspense-novels
(Add / Edit Text
Add New BoxeditHow to Write Mystery
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ISBN: 978-0312304461
Publication Date: February 12, 2004 How to Write a Damn Good Mystery’s purpose is to provide a how-to guide for mystery writing. This book includes information regarding how to incorporate drama into a mystery novel, how to create a resourceful and witty detective, how to create a diverse cast of characters (e.g., detective, murderer, suspect, victim, witnesses), and how to create a logical world fraught with lies and deception. |
ISBN: 978-1585429035
Publication Date: December 29, 2011 Now Write! Mysteries’ purpose is to teach writers-to-be how to create page-turning mysteries packed with suspense and thrills. This book contains information on how to incorporate action naturally into the story, how to create a clear sense of setting, how to create a realistic protagonist and a terrifyingly real antagonist, and how to create a detective that engages the audience. |
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ISBN: 978-0991465514
Publication Date: February 17, 2014 Writing the Cozy Mystery’s purpose is to provide tips on how to create and keep up with the clues while writing a mystery. This book includes information that relates to developing the characters that will populate the story, crafting settings that will provide the locale for the plot, incorporating suspense, crafting clues, and ensuring that the reader is hooked throughout the entire novel/series. |
ISBN: 978-1440347160
Publication Date: January 13, 2017 Writing & Selling Your Mystery Novel’s purpose is to provide the secrets to writing an unforgettable and baffling mystery. This book contains information on how to craft a perceptive and witty detective along with a conniving antagonist; how to construct and include riveting plot, missleading red herrings, and misdirection; how to create a showstopping ending; and steps to take when looking to publish the final product. |
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