Get Hooked

Once you have your idea for a novel there are many considerations. How your story unfolds as we just discussed is only one. Finding a “hook” is another. “Rosebud” was the hook in Citizen Cane. This was a drama not a murder mystery but having something that intrigues the reader at the beginning of the story holds the readers interest. In my murder mystery "Marie O'Day," the murder victim appears to the young man looking for her killer. He becomes obsessed with her. Is she really there or a figment of his troubled mind?

FINDING THE HOOK

???????????Let’s take a murder mystery. In a typical murder mystery there is a detective he (or she sometimes) could be the hard-boiled type like Sam Spade or a drunk on the skids like Philip Marlowe or the sophisticated type like Gay Lawrence, the Falcon.

?????A dead body is discovered, and the detective is called in to find out who done it. The hook is who killed the poor unfortunate.

?????The detective interviews various people who knew the dearly departed and, along the way, picks up clues. Naturally the murderer has to step in to thwart the detective, sometimes by a bullet in the head. Remarkably the detective survives every attempt on his life and, in the end, cleverly puts together the clues and reveals most dramatically the killer. This is a perfectly good plot progression, and it has worked in many, many stories. You don’t have to reinvent the wheel. However, if you can find a way to tweak the wheel, something that gives your yarn a different spin you should put on your thinking cap and come up with one. Maybe the “hook” is your detective. Sam Spade, the Falcon, Philip Marlow each have a unique personality. How he investigates the murder because of his character adds to the story. Your uncouth P.I. or your terribly suave P.I. is your hook because your reader wants to play along with him.

?????Let’s take Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple. First she is not your typical detective. She is a sweet but ruthlessly clever old lady. Usually in the novels, she does not get directly involved with the suspects. The Scotland Yard inspector spills out the facts to her and asks for her advice. This is a different spin on a murder mystery plot. The action plays out without Miss Marple being on the scene, in most cases. The setting of a quiet English village with seemingly “normal” people adds to the charm of the story. Yes, as a reader we want to find out who done it, however, the “hook” is Miss Marple. We want to spend time with her and see how she solves the mystery. One might think that a murder mystery is about the murder but really it’s about the detective. Who is he or she? As a reader is your detective someone we want to spend time with? The personality of your detective, a drunk in the big city or a seemingly sweet little old lady in a country village is the engine of your story. And if you can think of a way to have a twist on the story all the better. Happy Writing!