I never celebrated Halloween (don’t be alarmed), but I always loved watching the special episodes on NCIS and other crime shows. The crime and investigation always took a strange turn that left you confused and somewhat weirded out. By the end, everything made sense and all the seeming nonsense tied a nice little bow around the killer or thief. That’s the best part about a mystery; the active search for a guilty party and the twists and turns that leave you guessing as to who the culprit truly is. Which is why this Halloween, I’m deep-diving into the genre of mystery and seeing what it takes to write the next great detective.
Solve the Mystery Before Writing
Before we go into the details, I think I should mention that you, as the writer, should know who, how, and why the murder or theft occurred before writing chapter 1. I always thought a mystery was solved at the end of the story. For a reader, it is. As a writer, all the details, clues, connections, and motives are directly linked to knowing the answer.
Solve the mystery before you write. Plan each sequence and add convincing red herrings as you go. Writing a mystery on the fly will give you a headache and make life frustrating.
Main Character: Detective
In the beginning of every mystery, the investigator, be it detective, PI, or teenage wonder, is introduced and their personal problem made known. Like any well-developed character, they’re going to have habits and issues that make them relatable. For a mystery, one particular problem needs to be resolved at the end when the mystery is solved.
An example would be a lifestyle of risk-taking which affects the investigator’s personal relationships. Other situations can be crafted, but the idea is to make them and the mystery to solve unique so readers latch on.
Main Antagonist: Killer/Thief
My IEW Guide to Writing curriculum talks about the antagonist later, but I thought it was pertinent to mention him early. Every Sherlock has a Moriarty; the thief or killer of your mystery must have the same drive to get away as the detective has to find him. His identity is revealed at the end (unless you want him to be the POV), but you should know who he is, what’s his motive, and where he goes to evade the protagonist. He’ll come back a little later.
Crime Scene
The entire middle of a mystery revolves around the crime scene. Before designing the playing field and leaving clues, some formatting should be addressed. There’s a three part scene followed by a four part sequel that continues throughout the story.
The scene is composed of a short-term goal, a conflict, and then disappointment. An example would be a goal to interview a suspect, the interrogation goes south causing conflict, and then the goal isn’t met.
The following sequel includes reaction, uncertainty, detail, and action. Reaction is the initial feelings from the previous scene (I say “initial” because you could call back that interview). An example of this sequence would be introspection/conversing with partner about feelings, momentary uncertainty about the next step, decision about what to do, and then acting upon it. This leads into the next scene.
While the pattern sounds clunky and unimpressive, these are formal terms. Goals might be a little bigger. Disappointments might reveal something different that skips uncertainty and goes straight to detail and action. The sequel section can vary in time spent, changing the tone of the situation.
Investigation
Onto the good stuff. The investigation has six main components: victim, killer, suspects 1, 2, and 3, and clues.
Victim
Little will be known about the victim to start until the investigation gets under way and more information is revealed. Investigators normally see the gender, age, and probable cause/missing item. Interviewing passersby and investigating the surrounding area will give more information about the victim.
Further data like name, associations, work, and such will be revealed later when the driver’s license is run or fingerprints scanned. More interviews reveal more details. Secrets are a good way to hook readers; some secrets can be hidden from records or discovered through them. Said secret should connect to the killer, but there can be a misread of evidence and the name dismissed to further the story.
Killer
Told you he’d be back. :)
The antagonist should be introduced as a bystander or interviewee near the beginning so the reader can try to solve the mystery as well. He isn’t suspected until later when the investigator gets the right clue and is on to him.
A good killer has motive, opportunity, and means but one or two of the three is unknown until all the pieces come together. This keeps him out of trouble but also paranoid that the investigator will find the answer. So an “airtight” alibi is needed, but that furthers the danger of being caught. For murder mystery, the killer might select another victim in order to hide his tracks. A thief of would take something of no importance to hide suspicion and confuse police.
Suspects
Expert writers can juggle three suspects, reason being that each new suspect is another name readers need to keep track of. If done incorrectly, a reader will get confused and the mystery will fall apart. Two is the safest bet.
Suspect one is a name given at the initial sight, either by description or reputation. Because of their proximity to the scene, they’re brought in for questioning. Suspect two appears later in the story, most likely from further investigation. One of these two is the prime suspect while the other is a fake. The prime will be proved innocent in the end when the killer is revealed. Whatever happens, keep the tension. Interrogation can get drawn out and boring.
Clues
This part scares me beyond a shadow of a doubt. Not only do you need actual clues, but you also need fake clues. An investigator doesn’t know what matters and what doesn’t, so they take in everything. One clue should lead right to the killer but be hidden and “insignificant” so the detective and reader don’t think of it until later.
Interviews with bystanders will follow a similar line of questioning as a journalist. What’d you see/hear? What were you doing? What time? Answers will vary between interviews, so take into account human error and stick with the most common answers.
Extra Players
Other characters that can add to the mystery or personal problem can be a partner, boss, and significant other/friends. All investigators need a Dr. Watson, a partner who’s supportive and helpful. They’re also a good sounding block to further the sequel process and move into the next scene. A boss or superior figure can apply pressure and create deadlines for when the mystery should be solved. Or they can be supportive in a professional capacity.
Significant other, friends, and other relationships add to personal tension. The significant other might be tired of being second to the job. A close friend could have been friends to the victim or at risk of being the next body. Or, even better, someone the investigator is close to is a suspect in the murder/theft.
Climax
The climax will have three parts: crisis, climax, conclusion. A ticking clock and foreseen disaster have occurred, leading into the crisis. Some authors have everyone in the same room, but the importance of this scene is revealing the single clue that connects everything and eliminating the previous suspects.
The climax tells how the investigator found the killer/thief and then names him. Detective stories where the announcement is made in front of the culprit usually have them running for the door. Most TV shows have the culprit named and the investigator going to the last place they saw the perpetrator. However the bad guy is caught, the conclusion wraps up all loose ends, solves the personal problem the detective was dealing with, and brings the story to a happy, well-deserved close.
Final Thoughts: Read the Greats
You can learn a lot from books and tv shows. Tropes that work, character archetypes, motives to kill, etc. Reading the greats can spur ideas for your own work. It can also assist when you get stuck in your mystery and aren’t sure where to take it.
Agatha Christie, Marcia Muller, and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle are some of my favorite mystery writers. Agatha Christie’s work has recently been adapting to a number of movies, but reading the books allows you to understand description and other writing elements.