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Printed from https://shop.writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/4051-Bending-the-rules-of-Mystery-Writing-II.html
Mystery: November 03, 2010 Issue [#4051]

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Mystery


 This week: Bending the rules of Mystery Writing II
  Edited by: The Milkman Author IconMail Icon
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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

Time constraints has made it nearly impossible for me to start a new writing genre, the Historical Mystery... so I won't be giving you a "What happened up until this point" summation on my last editorial. That would like a mystery writer giving away the final clue in the first sentence of his book. With no further ado...



Word from our sponsor

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Letter from the editor

Continuing on with the rules of writing a mystery...

6. Write in the first-person narrative. I'll use Jeremiah Healy's reason behind this rule, which really wasn't ever a rule. When the narrator speaks to the reader as "I", the reader comes to identify with the narrator and accepts the limitations of the information that the typically chronological progression of the first-person imposes on the structure of the book. Since it isn't a rule and you can relay your story in the third-person, then by all means continue on. The one provision to this rule is your storyline needs to develop through the eyes of your narrator and many great words would sound false coming from his or her lips which will restrict your vocabulary.

7. The Hero cannot be the Culprit and the mirror image is true as well; the culprit cannot be the hero. As I wrote in the first half of this segment, not all the rules apply to our times and this is probably one of those but remember your readers will want to see some heroic qualities in your hero whether he be the protagonist or the antagonist.

8. The Culprit must appear early. This is another of those timeless rules. Your readers will turn the pages of your story looking for that face-to-face meeting of the investigator and the culprit. Why make your readers wait and let them get the clues of solving the case before your sleuth.

9. Use only two character scenes. This rule is for the clarity of who is speaking without overusing "He said" "She said". If you need more than two character in a scene, each one should have their own distinctive voice so you don't confuse the reader by providing express signals.

10. Authenticity is Required. The underlined title is description enough but why is it important to be authentic in our Mystery writing? Let me answer this question with another... Do you know enough not to offend your "ringer", a reader who knows more about the subject than you do? We, as mystery writers, cannot afford to have a character do the impossible like shoot a seventh bullet out of a Smith & Wesson Combat Masterpiece without reloading or changing weapons. Be authentic when trying to be authentic.

In these paragraphs I've showed you the rules; choose to bend them, break them or adhere to them at your digression because after all your success or failure may depend on how you interpret them.






Editor's Picks

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This item number is not valid.
#158441 by Not Available.

 Reflector. Open in new Window. (13+)
A man wants to be left alone.Why?Is his fear for mirror/glass reflection of his own mind?
#169297 by Princess Author IconMail Icon

 Ominous Open in new Window. (ASR)
when you know things will go bad
#182403 by katt Author IconMail Icon

 
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Haunted Well 2 Open in new Window. (13+)
My body lays decaying in the bottom of that old well.
#179193 by Kings Author IconMail Icon

 Invalid Item Open in new Window.
This item number is not valid.
#200105 by Not Available.




 
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Word from Writing.Com

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Ask & Answer

Since last month was a lt f fun with me asking the questions and you supplying the answers... here are three more.

What time did this character walk passed the Grandfather clock in "Invalid Item" Open in new Window.
Why doesn't the character in "Reflector." Open in new Window. like to shake hands?
In "Invalid Item" Open in new Window. what pages were the students told to work on after finishing the test?

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