MYSTERY WRITING, more than writing in any other genres, tends to follow certain rules.  Reason?  Readers of mysteries desire and want a way to participate in the experiences of the novel.  They want the intellectual challenge of solving the crime before the protagonist does, and the pleasure of saying to themselves when the last page is turned, I beat him to it. 

     Read constantly in the genre you're writing. Yes, before, during and after.  Get the feel of how other writers go about trying to outfox their readers.  Then improvise and serve up your own special delight chuckful of words.  But, don't forget to research the subject.  You must make the reader believe you know what the hell your're writing about.

     Let's begin with a list of the ways a mystery novel should be written to please the reader.

 

1.   "The plot".  Mystery writing is all about the theme or plot that your novel is based upon.  It becomes your gift to the reader all wrapped-up in a box full of words.  Your mystery, if it's good, is a big "thank you" for spending their money to enjoy what you have created.  Keep the story flowing, spice it up with little character flaws  in your protagonist or a secondary character.  Something like, he's on the verge of become an alcoholic and needs to keep saying no to the "booze" to keep his head on straight.  Give your reader the chance to feel sorry for one of your characters.  This way, you will get hold of them and they will go deeper into your story.  

 

2.   Hook your reader by entering your main character or the story's villain(s) early.  Maybe you can open up with a murder scene or a car accident.  Get the nasty guy or girl in the game in the beginning because the reader needs time to dislike the character.  A reader must feel emotion to get involved in the novel. 

 

3. Be sure the crime/murder is brutal or gory.  Set some intrigue into the scene.  And your don't have to stop at one crime or murder.  Toss in a few for good measure so the reader can smell the blood on the pages.

 

4.  Remember, the crime or murder must be believable.  Sprinkler a few clues prior to the crime/murder and leave one or two iffy ones at the scene.  Then give one bad clue to toss the reader off track, just in case to he/she might have figured out how to slove the case too early in the book.

 

5.   Rape, today it seems to be okay to hook it into a plot. But, don't get too cute with child rape or child molestion, and a big no-no is--no cruelty to animals.  You never want the reader to think that what you write is how you are as person.    

 

6.   Give the reader the sense that the antagonist has a reason and the ability to commit the crime.  Motivation, physically capable and emotion are what the "bad one" needs to perpetrate his or her ugly deed.

 

7.   If you inject the aid of disguises, duel personalities, twins into a plot it sure can make for some interesting endings.  Try to get the reader looking at your left hand, then, use your right hand to make a switch.  If you get the drift of my meaning.

 

Well, (yeah, I know,  that's a deep subject) now you've got a feel or at least a few ideas on how to write a mystery, what are you waiting for, start typing.

 

Go softly into the night.   mgf