Mystery: February 22, 2012 Issue [#4895] |
Mystery
This week: Reviewing an "Unfinished" Mystery Edited by: Sara♥Jean More Newsletters By This Editor
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
It is my honor and privilege to grace your inboxes this week. I do hope that you are able to find something useful in what I have to share.
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Reviewing an "Unfinished" Mystery
Many of the works on Writing.Com are works in progress. When it comes to mystery, how can you rate that?
Reviewing unfinished works is a reality on a writing site, and honestly, probably one of the best parts of the site. Instead of having to wait until something is completely finished to get feedback, you can get the opinions of others as you are working to make tweaks that will change later chapters in a more fluid manner.
With mysteries, though, it is very hard. The awesome thing about mysteries is that they are designed to make the reader think and reason. They give glimpses into the characters lives, clues as to who the culprit might be that committed whatever atrocity, and the author gets to think and reason without consequence. If the reader gets the answer wrong, it's a surprising ending, and doesn't affect the real world at all by setting a killer free, or causing another murder... it allows us all to be gumshoes, so to speak.
That same thing that is awesome about mysteries is what makes unfinished mysteries hard to rate and review. The ending of the mystery is, oftentimes, the best part - the one that lets all of the puzzle pieces fall into place. And in an unfinished one, we are missing it.
However, there are still some things we can look at to give the author an idea on how it is progressing, and that is what I intend to share with you today.
1. Are the characters stereotypical and predictable, or are the characters unique and surprising? You've seen them - the classic villain, the classic detective, the classic everything that makes the story far too predictable. The kind where you can guess who the guilty party is based on the first chapter alone. (This does not count the ones where you're allowed to watch the crime happen and step into the mind of the guilty one - those ones are very interesting!) No matter how far along in the mystery an author is, the reader can comment on the characterization of those participating in the story. Maybe fitting the stereotype was desired, and maybe it wasn't, but regardless of whether a story is finished, one can comment on the development of the characters.
2. Too much description, too little? In any genre, description is a key part. It can either halt a story completely dead just to describe a spec of dust in the room, or it can make a story flow naturally and make the reader feel as if they're taking a once-over the room with their own eyes.
3. Is it interesting? Even if you can't read more, do you want to? Would you bug the author, poke and prod them, to get another chapter just to satisfy some of the curiosities and questions? Or do you not mind at all that it's not finished and you're putting it aside because you've run out of parts to read?
4. How is the story progressing? If it is one where you get to step into the mind of the villain - are you still wondering how they will catch him, as he seems to keep slipping away? If it is one where you have to discover the guilty party - are you still guessing? Have they given you enough clues to eliminate some, but still keep wondering about others?
5. Are you enjoying it? Perhaps the most simplistic one, and the one that makes the most sense. Are you enjoying the read? It makes a large difference!
These could likely work with any work in progress. |
I am a big fan of newbies. Since this newsletter is speaking about unfinished mystery works, I have combined the two - I found unfinished mystery stories written by newbies! A few of them have more chapters than what I have highlighted here, just take a look in the portfolio to find more. Some of the newbies here have even never been reviewed! Help welcome them to writing.com by leaving your opinion of what they have written in a review, and introduce them to the greatest part of this site. At least, in my opinion.
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Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter! https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
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Unfortunately, I am not one of your regular editors, but I will try to offer a question for you to answer that they may include in future newsletters:
If you were to create a new, unique villain, what would you chose as their main personality characteristic?
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