A good mystery story has compelling characters, interesting suspense, and puzzles that keep you reading. However, writing a compelling mystery story can be tricky, especially if you've never done it before. With good preparation, planning, composing, editing, and character development, you can write a great mystery story.
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Part 1 of 3: Writing Preparation
Step 1. Know the difference between mystery and thriller genres
Mystery stories almost always begin with a murder. The main question in a mystery story is who is the culprit. Thriller stories usually start with something that leads to a major disaster, such as murder, bank robbery, nuclear explosion, etc. The biggest question in a thriller story is whether the main character can prevent these problems from happening or not.
- In mystery stories, your readers don't know who the killer is until the novel ends. Mystery stories focus on intellectual actions taken to find out the motives of a crime or answer a riddle.
- Often, mystery stories are written in the first person point of view while thriller stories are written in third person or more than one point of view. In mystery stories, the rhythm of the story runs slower as the main character tries to solve the case. In addition, the number of action scenes in mystery stories is not as much as in thriller stories.
- Because mystery stories often have a slower rhythm, the characters in them usually have a better level of depth than thrillers.
Step 2. Read the examples of mystery stories
There are many good mystery stories that can be read to find out the form of the mystery developed and have a good plot.
- The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. Since this 19th century mystery novel was originally written in serial form, the story proceeds in a measured plot. Most of the standard stuff in crime fiction is written by Collins in this novel, making it an interesting and instructive introduction to the mystery genre.
- The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler. Chandler is one of the greatest writers in the mystery genre with captivating stories about the adventures of private detective Philip Marlowe. Marlowe is a tough, cynical, but honest investigator who gets into trouble with a general, his daughter, and the photographer who blackmails him. Chandler's stories are renowned for their sharp dialogue, good rhythm, and engaging protagonist, Marlowe.
- The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Doyle Conan. One of the most famous detectives of the mystery genre and his equally famous partner, Watson, they solve a series of mysteries and crimes in this collection of stories. The unique nature of Holmes and Watson is also influential in their stories.
- "Nancy Drew" by Carolyn Keene. The series is set in the United States. Nancy Drew is a detective. His close friends, Helen Corning, Bess Marvin, and George Fayne appear in several of his stories. Nancy is the daughter of Carson Drew, the most famous lawyer in River Heights, where they live.
- "Hardy Boys" by Franklin W. Dixon. Similar to Nancy Drew, this story centers on brothers Frank and Joe Hardy, a pair of talented detectives who are the sons of a very famous detective. Sometimes, they help solve their father's cases.
- A Crime in the Neighborhood by Suzanne Berne. This new mystery novel is set in a Washington suburb in the 1970s. The story centers on a case in the region: the murder of a boy. Berne fuses a teenage story with the mystery of the death of a child in an ordinary suburban area, and with success, he manages to present his story very interestingly.
Step 3. Identify the main character in the mystery story example
Observe how the author introduces and describes the main character.
- For example, in The Big Sleep, Chandler's first-person narrator describes himself through the clothes he wears on the first page: “I wear a blue suit, dark blue shirt, tie and handkerchief in my pocket, black shoes, and wool socks. black with a dark blue clock pattern on the surface. I look neat, clean, shaved and calm, and I don't care who knows. I am a role model for any private detective who wants to look good.”
- With these opening lines, Chandler writes about the narrator's uniqueness through the way he describes himself, his clothes, and his job (private detective).
Step 4. Pay attention to the setting of place or time of an example story
Observe the way the author puts his story in the setting.
- For example, in the second paragraph of the first page of The Big Sleep, Marlowe places the reader in a setting: “The main entrance hall of the Sternwood residence rises two stories high.”
- The reader now learns that Marlowe is in front of the Sternwoods, that their house is big, and that they are likely rich people.
Step 5. Consider the crime or mystery that the main character must solve
What cases must the main character solve or face? Murder, missing persons, or suspicious suicide?
In The Big Sleep, Marlowe is hired by General Sternwood to "take care" of a photographer who blackmails the general into using scandalous photos of his daughter
Step 6. Identify the problems or obstacles faced by the main character
A good mystery story will keep the reader hooked by complicating the main character's mission to solve cases with various problems or obstacles.
In The Big Sleep, Chandler complicates Marlowe's task by getting the photographer killed in the early chapters, followed by a suspicious suicide by the general's aide. Thus, Chandler created a story with two cases that Marlowe had to solve
Step 7. Observe the mystery being solved in the story
Think about solving the mystery at the end of the story. Solving a mystery must not seem too obvious or forced, and it must not be too improbable and unthinkable.
Solving a mystery should feel surprising without confusing the reader. One of the advantages of mystery stories is that you can set the rhythm to make the solution appear slowly instead of all at once
Part 2 of 3: Developing the Main Characters and Developing the Outline of the Story
Step 1. Create a detective or investigator
Your main character can be an ordinary person or a witness to a crime who is drawn into solving a mystery. Work out certain details for your main character, including:
- Body size and shape, eye and hair color, and other physical characteristics. For example, you could have a female protagonist with dark hair, glasses, and green eyes. Or, you can make a typical detective character: tall with neat hair and a coarse, bearded chin.
- Your character's outfits will not only create a detailed picture for the reader, but will also indicate the setting of the story. For example, if your main character is wearing a suit of armor and a helmet with a knight's crest, the reader will notice that your story is set in the Middle Ages. If the main character is wearing a jacket, jeans, and backpack, the reader will realize that the story is set in the modern world.
- Make your main character unique. It is very important to create a main character that is striking for the reader and interesting to follow throughout the story or novel. Think about what the main character likes and doesn't like. Maybe your female detective is shy and clumsy at parties, and has a secret liking for reptiles. Or maybe your detective has low self-esteem and doesn't think he is strong or intelligent. Focus on the details that will help create a unique main character and don't hesitate to pick things up that you like from around.
Step 2. Determine the setting of the story
Place the story in a setting you know well, such as your hometown or school. Or, do research for a setting you're not familiar with like California in the 70s or Britain in the 40s. If you're using a setting you haven't visited in person, focus on specifics like a suburban house in '70s California or a hostel in '40s Britain.
If you decide to create a story that is set in a time period or location that you are not familiar with, do some research through your local library, the internet, or interviews with experts. Do specific research and interviews so that you get all the details of the setting right
Step 3. Create a puzzle or mystery
Not all mysteries have to be homicides or major cases. However, the bigger the crime, the bigger the stakes in a story. High stakes are important to keep your readers interested and give them a reason to keep reading. Possible sources of mystery include:
- An object that is stolen from the main character or someone else close to the main character.
- Someone close to the main character disappeared.
- The main character receives a suspicious threat or message.
- The main character witnessed a crime.
- The main character is asked to help solve a case.
- The main character finds a mystery.
- You can also combine some of the scenarios above to create a multi-layered mystery. For example, an item is stolen from the main character, someone close to him disappears, then he witnesses a case and is asked to help solve it.
Step 4. Decide how to make your puzzle or mystery more complicated
Build suspense in the story by making it difficult for your main character to solve the puzzle or mystery. You can use various obstacles such as other people, perpetrators, false leads, misleading leads, or other cases.
- Make a list of possible suspects that the main character will meet throughout the story. You can use more than one suspect to steer the detective and/or reader down the wrong path to build suspense and generate surprises.
- Make a list of clues. Enter a diversion, or a misleading false lead. Your story will become more powerful if you include some false clues in it. For example, the main character will find various clues that lead to a suspect, but then he finds that the clues are actually tied to other actors. Or, the detective will find a clue without realizing that it is the key to solving all the mysteries he faces.
Step 5. Use hanging parts to make the story more interesting
The dangling part is a moment, usually at the end of a scene, that puts the main character in a trapping or dangerous situation. The hanging part is important in a mystery story because it can make the reader more interested and push the story forward. An example of a hanging section is:
- The main character investigates a possible clue alone and confronts the killer.
- The main character begins to doubt his abilities and catches himself off guard, so that the killer can commit his crimes again.
- No one trusts the main character so he must try to solve the case alone until he is kidnapped.
- The main character is injured and trapped in a dangerous place.
- The main character will lose an important clue if he can't escape from a certain location or situation.
Step 6. Come up with a solution or end to the story
Close your story with a solution to the puzzle. At the end of the mystery story, the main character has a positive change or a change in his perspective. Examples of story completions include:
- The main character saves someone close to him or someone else who is trapped in the mystery that exists.
- The main character saves himself and changes because of his courage or intelligence.
- The main character dismantles the antagonist or an evil organization.
- The main character reveals the killer or the person responsible for the crimes that have occurred.
Step 7. Write an outline for the story
Now that you've got all aspects of your story, create a clear plot outline. It's important to work out the mystery-solving stages before you sit down and write your story because, in doing so, you'll make sure nothing is missed. The outline that you create must follow the chronology of events or plot points that will occur in the story. The framework should include:
- Introduction of the main character and setting.
- The incident or crime that triggered the story.
- Call to adventure: the main character is involved in solving cases.
- Conflicts and problems: the main character finds clues, meets the suspects, and tries to survive while he pursues the truth. Those closest to him may have been kidnapped as a threat to him.
- The ordeal: the main character suspects that he has found the key clue or the main suspect, and he thinks that the case has been solved. This is a false resolution, and a great way to surprise the reader when the main character realizes he was wrong.
- The big setback: everything looks bad for the main character. He finds clues or suspects wrong, someone else has been killed or injured, and his comrades abandon him. A major setback will increase the tension in the story and keep the reader guessing.
- Disclosure: the main character gathers all the parties involved, describes the available clues, explains the signs that are misleading, and reveals who the real killer or main perpetrator is.
Part 3 of 3: Writing Stories
Step 1. Use the five senses to describe the setting
One of the best ways to create a setting or atmosphere is to focus on the five senses: sight, hearing, smell, touch, and taste. Sensing descriptions can also create a backstory for your character. For example, instead of telling the reader that your character has just eaten breakfast with cereal, you can use your character's senses to pinpoint what remains of the cereal taste on their tongue. Or, he could smell the cereal spilling onto his hands.
- Think about what your main character might see in a given setting. For example, if your character lives in a place similar to your home in a small town, you can describe his bedroom or his trip to school. If you're using a specific historical setting like a California town in the '70s, you can describe your character standing on a street corner and gazing at the quirky architecture or the passing cars.
- Imagine what your main character would hear in a certain setting. The character may hear the birds chirping or the automatic sprayer spraying the lawn on his way to school. The detective might hear the sound of cars roaring or the waves of the ocean.
- Describe what your main character can smell. When he woke up, he probably smelled the coffee his parents were making in the kitchen. He could probably smell the smell of the city which included rotting garbage and body odor.
- Describe how your character feels. Wind, stabbing pain, something electrocuting, or goose bumps on the back of the neck. Focus on how your character's body reacts to a feeling.
- Imagine the taste of the main character. He might still be able to taste the cereal he ate for breakfast in his mouth or the drink from the night before.
Step 2. Get started with the action right away
Avoid setting paragraphs or character descriptions that are too long, especially on the first pages. Tie your readers in by getting straight into the action with the main character thinking and moving.
- Try to write concise descriptions and paragraphs. Most readers will continue to read a good mystery story because they are attracted to the main character and want to see it succeed. Keep the story short but specific when describing the main character and his perspective on the world.
- For example, Chandelier's The Big Sleep begins by placing the reader in a setting and setting out the main character's perspective. “On a morning about eleven o'clock, in mid-October, with gray skies and rain that looked like it was going to fall at the foot of the mountains, I wore a blue suit, dark blue shirt, tie and handkerchief in my pocket, black shoes, and black wool socks. with a dark blue clock pattern on its surface. I look neat, clean, shaved and calm, and I don't care who knows. I am a role model for any private detective who wants to look good. Four million dollars I'm after."
- With a start like this, the story begins with action, at a specific time, date, and setting description. Then, the physical and work of the main character is described. The section ends with the character's motivation: four million dollars. In four sentences, Chandler has written down many important details of the character, setting, and story.
Step 3. Show instead of tell
If you tell a reader, “detectives are cool”, the reader has to take your word for it in order to follow the story. However, if you show the reader that the detective is a cool person by describing his clothes and the way he walks into the room, the reader can see how cool the character is. The impact of showing the reader certain details is much more powerful than a mere narrative.
- Think about how you would react in a situation if you were angry or scared. Get your character to react in a way that depicts anger or fear without telling the reader about their emotions. For example, instead of saying “Stephanie is upset,” you might write: “Stephanie banged her glass against the table so hard that her plate shook. He glared at the man in front of him and started squeezing the thin white napkin with his fingers."
- This principle can also work well for background descriptions. For example, in The Big Sleep, instead of telling the reader that the Sternwoods were wealthy, Chandler lays out the details of their luxurious home: “There is a French door at the back of the hall, and beyond it is a brilliant green grass that leads to a garage. white, and in front of him, a maid with a glossy black frame was cleaning a Packard convertible. Behind the garage were several decorative trees trimmed as carefully as the fur of a poodle. Behind it, there is a large greenhouse with a domed roof. After that there are more trees, and beyond is a solid, stepped, beautiful line of foothills.”
Step 4. Surprise readers without confusing them
When creating a mystery, it is very important to make the solution not feel sudden or far-fetched. Write fairly, leading the reader to surprise, not confusion. The clues contained in the story must lead to a logical and clear solution even though there are many false clues. Your readers will enjoy the ending if you make them think, “The answer is so obvious, I should have realized it!”
Step 5. Revise the first draft
Once the first draft of your mystery story is complete, reread the pages and examine the key aspects, including:
- plot. Make sure your story follows the outline you've written and has a clear beginning, middle, and end. You also have to make sure your main character undergoes a change at the end of the story.
- Characterizations. Do your characters, including the main character, have their own uniqueness? Do they sound and act similar to each other? Do they look original and attractive?
- rhythm. Rhythm is how fast or slow the action in your story moves. A good rhythm will feel invisible to the reader. If the story seems to be moving too fast, make the scenes longer or describe the emotions of the characters. If the story feels overwhelming or confusing, reduce the scenes so that only the essentials are left. An interesting trick to do: end a scene earlier than you want. This will keep the tension between the scenes and keep the story moving.
- Story twist. This can make a mystery story good or bad. While this isn't mandatory, many of the best stories have twists and turns at the end. Make sure a story twist isn't too cheesy or awkward. The more unique a twist, the easier it is to write. If you want to write a twist that's been used a lot, like "then they woke up," you have to write it really well to make it interesting. A good twist of the story will not only deceive the readers, but also the characters. Try pointing out signs of the twist in action scenes so that when readers think back on your story, they'll wonder how they couldn't think of it. Try to make the twist less obvious at the beginning of the story.
