This week: Gripping Tales Edited by: NaNoNette  
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| Gripping mysteries are those that are not only fun to read, but were also fun to write. |
| ASIN: B07B63CTKX |
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Gripping Tales
Thrilling reads don't come out of nowhere. They were fun to write first!
Before you write, read several successful mystery stories and books. The difference is that instead of just reading, you will read like you mean to learn something. Read the story or novel once. After you have made it to the end, go back to the first page and go over the whole thing again. See how the author inserted clues, misdirected you, and slowly untangled the mystery for you.
Outline the crime. You must know every minute detail of the crime your readers are to solve along with your detective. Follow the time tested approach of who, what, where, when, why, and how. While you don't need first hand experience with crime, you have to have a firm grasp of the type of crime you're writing about. If your criminal likes to pickpocket, read up on that particular practice.
Drop your readers into the action from the word go. Bad actors, red herrings, diligent detectives, cliffhangers - keep everyone and yourself barely holding on to the tale. You could choose to start with the crime itself and then move forward as the villain is ensnared in the web cast by his pursuers. Or you can use flashbacks to describe how we got to the scene of the crime.
You are dealing with human beings, not stereotypes. Both detective and bad guy have to be complex, relatable, and have clear motives.
If you like lists, you are going to love mystery writing. Lists are the mystery writer's best friends to keep all the pieces of the puzzle in a neat, easy to come back to, format. List the potential suspects. List the possible motives. List the clues you want to give. List the red herrings you will use to mislead the readers. List, list, list.
Location, location, location. Use the setting of your mystery to the best effect. Town? City? Countryside? Each of these settings creates a specific feeling in readers. You can lean into it by using expected elements of those places, or you can subvert the reader's expectations by having a typical "big city crime" happen in a rural environment.
Readers depend on your words to see, so use descriptive writing for all scenes so that your readers can discover clues as they explore alongside the detective. This puts the reader into the action and, all by itself, turns your writing into a neat "show don't tell" story in which readers can get absorbed.
After all this reading, writing, there is: rewriting. Find trusted readers to give you constructive critique for your first draft. Seeing your story through the eyes of readers will help you to craft that story to perfection.
What would you do to keep yourself on the edge of your seat while writing? |
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| ASIN: B01CJ2TNQI |
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I received these replies to my last Mystery newsletter "Etiology"
Alex Morgan  wrote: Thank you for highlighting my work, NaNoNette ! I really appreciate it!
You're welcome. 
DB Cooper  wrote: My story Olympic Medal Mystery ends without a crime because its made for children. God Bless You for this newsletter.
Olympic Medal Mystery is very timely right now. |
| ASIN: B07NPKP5BF |
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Mystery: August 11, 2021 Issue [#10907]
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