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Mystery: March 11, 2020 Issue [#10065]




 This week: I did it because...
  Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon Author IconMail Icon
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  Open in new Window.

Table of Contents

1. About this Newsletter
2. A Word from our Sponsor
3. Letter from the Editor
4. Editor's Picks
5. A Word from Writing.Com
6. Ask & Answer
7. Removal instructions

About This Newsletter

Quote for the week: "When an actor comes to me and wants to discuss his character, I say, 'It's in the script.' If he says, 'But what's my motivation?, ' I say, 'Your salary.'"
~Alfred Hitchcock


Word from our sponsor



Letter from the editor

Why do people commit crimes?

There might be as many answers to that question as there are criminals. Motives often involve basic human needs and wants. We all need food, shelter, safety, love, and acceptance.

If they are desperate enough, even the most law abiding people might commit a crime. Parents might steal food or money if their children are starving. A man might attack someone who threatens his wife, and a mother might kill to protect her children.

In more sinister cases, motives are not as pure. A jilted lover might kill a rival for their loved one's affections or kill their former lover out of spite. A person who is already rich might lie, cheat, steal, or even kill to get more. Corrupt politicians or business leaders might stop at nothing to keep their secrets from getting out.

When the criminal has a twisted mind, the motive might only make sense to the criminal. A serial killer's victims might seem unrelated to anyone else, but might all have some quality that unites them in the mind of the killer.

If there is enough evidence that a person committed a crime, investigators might not try too hard to establish a motive. If a suspect is captured on video committing the crime, has the weapon or stolen good sin their possession, and their fingerprints or DNA is found at the scene, no more evidence may be needed. However the motive does help understand the character and is an important element of a mystery story. In some stories, the motive is the true mystery.

Something to try: Write a mystery story where a character is known to have committed a crime, but the motive is a mystery.



Editor's Picks

STATIC
A Matter of Appearances Open in new Window. (18+)
"My life would be over if people even suspected. I couldn’t let that happen."
#2204433 by Bikerider Author IconMail Icon


STATIC
"The Red Umbrella Mystery" script form Open in new Window. (E)
What would you do for a loved one?
#2189032 by LMs❤️BrewinMagic Author IconMail Icon


STATIC
Scarecrow Open in new Window. (13+)
Who had called, claiming to be Madeline's scarecrow?
#893316 by Cubby Author IconMail Icon


The Universe is a Rubik's Cube Open in new Window. (13+)
I just wanted the girl I lost back.
#1583306 by Kotaro Author IconMail Icon


Five Cold Natured Stories Open in new Window. (E)
Here's a collection of cold natured stories
#2176333 by Bubblegum Jones Author IconMail Icon

 
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