Writing Mysteries

I've come across some great tips the past few years for writing mysteries. Although genres have become fuzzy there are still basically two types of mysteries: Hard boiled and cozy.


Hard boiled mysteries can be likened to Law and Order. They usually take place in a well known city and the suspects are spread out. Cozy mysteries tend to take place in a small village or confined area like Agatha Christie's novels.


When I first started writing a novel I picked out a cozy mystery from a well known author and studied it. I outlined each chapter to get a feel for the way the plot was woven. This doesn't mean you're going to copy someone else's work, you just want to get an idea of how the characters work together. I also keep a notebook with me when I'm reading and if I find words or a description I love, I write it down. Again, you're not going to copy, but it does show you how to make the words stand out.


Two resources that have been the most helpful and not only for mystery writing are:
Margie Lawson's Deep Edits lecture. You can attend classes online or purchase the lecture notes. The lecture notes are great. Margie is a great teacher.
Writing the Breakout Novel Workbook by Donald Maas


Other links you may find helpful:
Detective's Log
Writing the Cozy Mystery by Stephen P. Rogers
The Mystery Genre
Exercises for improving dialog
Cause of Death
Plotting the Mystery Novel

Writing Tips

The past few years I’ve come across writing tips and advice from the internet, interviews with authors and writing conferences.

Here are a few:

Clive Cussler said novels do not have to conform to literary works. His goal is to entertain. “To be an author, you have to be a loony who won’t give up.” Seize any opportunity to see Clive Cussler in person. He is as entertaining on stage as Dirk Pitt is on the page.

Jeffery Deaver said he outlines (sometimes as many as 150 pages) before working on a novel. He added that if you use post it notes to outline, check the humidity. He woke up one morning to a blank wall and a pile of sticky notes on the floor.

J.A. Jance said she never outlines. She comes up with a title, then works the book around the title. As she finishes a chapter, she goes back and reviews the prior one. Her husband reads the manuscript when she has finished and then it’s sent to her editor. She writes two books a year.

Alan Alda just seems to have fun.

Jeff Shaara writes novels based on real characters and real events and uses history as his timeline/outline.

Margie Lawson uses her own edit system where she highlights descriptions, dialog and emotion in different colors. She then looks at the colors on the page. If there is too much of one color, she makes changes. Her lectures (or lecture notes) are invaluable.

Jeffery Deaver said the best advice he could give a new author is to take a novel in your chosen genre, and study it. “View rejection as a speed bump, not a brick wall.”


Cathy Yardly (Will Work for Shoes)
General Rules:
Three act structure
Have a big relatable goal then throw in escalating conflict in the way of that goal.
Have a climax, where all looks lost – where the absolute worst that you can think of, in terms of that goal, happens to your main character.
Then everything gets resolved through actions that the character performs as a result of the changes she’s undergone through the course of his journey.