The Keys To Writing Mystery Fiction
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As mysteries have grown in popularity, they’ve also grown in variety. Some sub-genres of the mystery, such as the classic private eye story have been around forever. However, other sub-genres, such as the medical mystery or the psychological mystery, are relatively new. Best selling mystery authors range from Sue Grafton and Patricia D. Cornwell to Jonathan Kellerman and Michael Connelly.
As varied as these sub-genres may be, they’re all built on a foundation of key elements. These elements are:
The Mystery – this is the “who did it,” or in some cases, how did he or she do it? It’s the driving question of the story, keeping the protagonist investigating the mystery and the reader turning the pages.
The Investigation – this is the driving action of the story. The story opens with the mystery and closes once the mystery is solved.
The Protagonist – this is your hero, detective, sleuth, the character who solves the mystery. This character has the required qualities to uncover the truth, the drive, the cleverness, the courage. He/she also has a weakness that creates vulnerability.
The Antagonist – this is usually the character behind the driving question of the story. He/she is the protagonist’s equal, if not (at least at first glance) superior. He/she has every intention of getting away with the crime, and therefore makes certain the mystery is challenging and nearly impossible to solve.
Honesty – there are no unforeseeable surprises in a mystery. Mysteries are about uncovering the truth by following the clues. Therefore, the reader (who is as invested in the story as your protagonist) must receive all the clues to solving the mystery that your hero receives.
These are the five keys to writing good mystery fiction. In future articles, we’ll explore each in greater depth. In the meantime, use these as your foundational considerations when planning your mystery stories.
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