 Mystery: May 03, 2023 Issue [#11943] |
This week: Masters of disguise Edited by: Arakun the twisted raccoon  
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Quote for the week:
"Mystery spread its cloak across the sky.
We lost our way.
Shadows fell from trees.
They knew why."
~From "House of Four Doors" by the Moody Blues |
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Disguises can be a fun part of mystery stories, as long as the disguise is effective in the situation where it is used.
Sometimes even a very simple disguise can be effective. Several years ago, a bank in my area was robbed by a man wearing an oversized jacket, hat, and sunglasses. After the robbery, he simply walked into a nearby shopping mall, tossed the coat, hat, and sunglasses in to a trash can, and blended in with the crowd. This happened before security cameras were common, or the clothing change might have been caught on camera.
If you want the characters in your story to use more elaborate disguises, remember that it might not be realistic in all situations. Prosthetic facial makeup, such as the disguise Robin Williams wore in "Mrs. Doubtfire" requires a lot of skill to create and takes hours to apply. Disguises that are to worn for hours in real world situations need to survive environmental changes, such as heat or cold.
Remember that appearance is only part of an effective disguise. The person might also need to alter their voice or mannerisms. Robbers wearing masks have been recognized by their voices, body type, way of walking, or way they held a weapon. One real life murderer tried to fool the surveillance video in the building where he committed the murders by changing clothes "off camera" before going in and changing again when he came out. He was still recognized on video from surrounding businesses by his height and distinctive walk.
If you don't intend your character's disguise to be foolproof, there should be a clue that eventually gives them away. In one story, a young man who was masquerading as an elderly man was found out because he was able to hear the call of a bird that people over 65 usually cannot hear.
Something to try: Write a mystery story in which a character is in disguise. |
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| | The riddle (E)
Mystery concerning a will, a beneficiary and a riddle
#2177935 by Sumojo  |
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| Question for next time: What subjects would you like to see discussed in future mystery newsletters? |
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