The Challenge of Writing a Mystery
Many people have asked me why I write in two different genres. I think it’s because I love a challenge. The writing process between romance and mystery has a completely different mind set. With romance, you plan out the plot around the meeting of a couple. As you develop your story, an attraction begins to grow between the characters. You, as the reader, know the outcome. With a mystery, the reader is usually in the dark. The author has to come up with a plot that no one suspects until the end of the story and hope they haven’t figured it out.
There are many types of mysteries to choose from such as a Cozy Mystery, Suspense Mystery, Hard Boiled, Soft Boiled, and a Thriller. What is the difference? A Cozy Mystery is a slow paced story with a bit of humor but not boring by any means. Many times a romance is added to this series, which makes it fun for the reader. This genre is supposed to be G-rated. It takes place in a small town and the sleuth is an intelligent woman who investigates a mystery. You find out about her life and you get to know her personally as she solves the mystery. In other words, you become part of her world. Cozy mysteries are usually a series of sleuths.
Suspense Mystery has tension but is slow paced. It will keep the reader guessing what the outcome will be throughout the story. Usually the reader knows who the bad guys are in this genre and that is why it’s more suspenseful. A thriller is fast paced and has you on the edge of your seat with constant action. From chapter to chapter, you wonder if the bad guy will ever get caught. It is so suspenseful that you find yourself needing to read a slower paced story afterwards just to give yourself a breather.
A Hard Boiled Mystery is a detective story with violence, blood and guts, etc. In this genre, a private investigator fights against organized crime and violence. It is graphic and darker in tone. If it were made into a movie, it would have an R rating. In a Soft Boiled Mystery, the detective can be a professional or amateur. This genre isn’t violent like the Hard Boiled Mystery and is lighter with some humorous scenes. Now since you know the difference, you can choose what type of mystery you would like to read.
In a mystery, you may or may not allow your reader to know who the bad guys are, according to what type of mystery it is. In a Cozy, the reader doesn’t know who the bad guys are until the end of the book. With a Suspense Mystery, the reader knows who they are and it makes for a more suspenseful outcome. For example, in a Cozy, the heroine hears someone knocking at the door. The person behind the door is a mystery to the reader. In a Suspense Mystery, the reader knows who is behind the door and is yelling to the heroine, “No! Don’t answer it!â€
In some mysteries, the reader can easily be ahead of the hero and almost see the outcome as she begs, “Stop! Don’t go in there!†Remember! The reader knows who is behind the door in a Suspense Mystery. The reader won’t know who is behind the door in a Cozy but suspects the outcome.
There are some rules for writing in this genre, whether it’s a Cozy Mystery or a Suspense Mystery.
1. If you are writing a Suspense Mystery and are allowing your reader to know who the villain is, you must have villains that make us shiver.
2. Sometime in the story, the heroine or hero is thrown into chaos. His or her life may be threatened. At first, he or she doesn’t know why but eventually finds out.
3. Strange things happen such as the hero or heroine receives a mysterious letter or people are following them.
4. As the story develops, they begin to find clues that answer their questions.
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5. Emotions are very important. This helps the reader become part of the story.
6. The hero and heroine are pursued, captured, or they are in terrible danger. Now you have to figure out how they will escape.
7. The reader is ahead of the hero and can see the outcome, as he begs, “No! Don’t go in there!†Remember: The reader knows who is behind the door in a Suspense. The reader won’t know who is behind the door in a Cozy.
8. The hero or heroine must have a certain skill so he or she can defeat the villain. If not a skill, an idea can come to their mind that will help them escape or get out of the situation.
9. The Climax: The hero or heroine rides to the rescue. The bad guy gets what’s coming to him. The victims need to see the villain get his just rewards.
10. Resolution: All loose ends are tied up here. You must answer any questions the reader might have missed during the story or may not understand.
At the end of the book, the reader cheers when the good guy wins and the bad guy gets his just rewards. The reader will sigh when the hero takes the heroine in his arms and gives her a kiss. Then the reader closes the book and hopes to read another story that is just as entertaining as the one he just read.
When I wrote the Amelia Moore Mysteries, which is considered a Cozy Mystery, I tried to be as elusive as possible so the ending would surprise my reader. But I had to also make my characters fun and loveable so my readers would be interested in reading the rest of the stories in the series. Amelia Moore lives in a small town and specializes in missing persons. That alone makes this series different from other cozies. Most mysteries are about “who-done-it.†This series is about “who’s-missing.†There are seven books in this series.
When I wrote the Intrigue Series known as The Adventures of John and Julia Evans, I chose to write a Suspense Mystery. In these stories, my reader knows who the villains are, and this makes for a more suspenseful mystery. Julia is a newspaper reporter and her husband is a professional knife maker. Because of her curiosity, Julia gets herself into a bunch of trouble. In this mystery series, you learn about artifact theft, the Mayan ruins, Montezuma’s treasure, and Superstition Mountain. There are five books in this series: Anasazi Intrigue, Mayan Intrigue, Montezuma Intrigue, Desert Intrigue, and Intriguing Escapades.
My sister-in-law told me that I was the first author who was able to surprise her at the ending of the story. (Whew! What a relief!)