Writing a mystery novel is in many ways the same as writing other genres. You have to come up with a plot, setting and characters. But a mystery novel has other ingredients necessary to make it a great read.
So, what are some of the special ingredients needed for your mystery novel recipe?
Type of Story: What type of story do you want to write? Are you going for the hard-boiled detective, or do you want more of an amateur sleuth type of tale? Private eye or private citizen? Who you pick will help drive your plot and engage your reader.
Setting: Where is your story going to take place? In the countryside, a major city, or some faraway place. Will the detective have to travel great distances to solve his crime, or do it from the comfort of his own home town? Will this be a real place or one you made up? Setting creates ambiance and puts your reader in the mood for a good mystery.
Time: When is your mystery taking place? Is it this year, 100 years ago, or 100 years into the future. Whether the past or present, or distant future, you'll have to research your story to make it more believable for your reader.
Main Characters: You're going to need well thought out characters full of personality. Give them a background and purpose in the story. Remember, readers love a character they can relate to, even an evil one. Some of the different types of characters in a mystery novel are as follows:
Detective: You want to create someone who is driven to solve this crime. He needs to find the killer, and deal with him, in order to keep doing what he does. He should not be perfect. He can be as flawed as the rest of us, but he also should be driven to succeed. No one wants to read about a detective who gives up at the first sign of failure.
Killer: This is one of the best characters to make, because you can be as bad as you want. Your killer doesn't have to follow the basic character rules. He can be cruel and heartless, or he can be the nicest guy to live next door to. This character is the best one to do because the sky's the limit. Be as bad as you want, as evil as you want.
Victim: Yes, you even need to know your victim. What they were like and how they lived is just as important as how they died. You should understand why they ended up that way and be able to convey it to your reader. You can make the victim bad, but be sure to make their death something the detective wants to solve.
Body discovered by: Who finds the body, and how? Why were they there in the first place? Are they suspects because they found the body, or just some innocent bystander who happened upon it? You can use this person as a great red herring too.
Witnesses: Did anyone see the murder? Or is the witness someone who happened to see the victim the night before, talking to that tall and handsome stranger at the bar? Police in real life talk to a lot of people while trying to solve a crime and your detective should also speak to people.
Suspects: While questioning his witnesses, there will be those who catch your detective's eye and make him wonder. He will need to check them out, just like a real detective would have to do. So you'll need background information on all the characters you plan to use as a suspect. Otherwise, what will your detective detect?
Scapegoats: Are you going to have someone who's arrested for the crime, while the true killer is still running around free. You want someone who gives your reader enough creepy feelings to make them think perhaps this could be the guy, but also gives them enough suspicion that they still have their doubts about his/her guilt.
The Murder or Crime: What happened to the victim, and why, are crucial to a mystery. Think carefully about what the victim represents. Do they have a connection to the detective, or just another anonymous case the detective has to deal with in his daily life? Is their death particularly meaningful, or done in such a way as to make the reader identify with them? The reader needs to want the detective to solve the crime. If the detective doesn't care about solving the crime, the reader isn't going to care either.
Clues: What are the things that point your detective in the right direction to solve his murder? What is the final clue, the one that tells your detective "who done it"? Make a list of the clues, when they show up during the story, and who finds them. It will help you keep track of them while you're writing.
Red Herrings: Always remember this little mystery novel plot twist can really heighten the suspense of a mystery. But overused, they can ruin even the strongest plots. Use them sparingly and they will keep your readers guessing until the last page.
Title: You'll need a title to catch your reader's eye as they are pursing the mystery book isle at their local bookstore. Something that hints without giving the whole plot away. You don't need a title when you start writing. But before you sell it to a publisher you'll need more than just "My Mystery Novel".
These are the ingredients I look for in a mystery novel. Pick the ones best suited for your story and writing style. Mix your ingredients up and serve to your readers as a wonderful tale. It is non-fattening and sure to please.
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About the Author
Dawn Arkin has been writing for over 26 years and enjoys writing and reading mysteries. She is an author on
http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Creative Writing. Her portfolio can be found at http:darkin.writing.com so stop by and read for a while.
