 Mystery: February 22, 2006 Issue [#896] |
  Mystery
This week: Edited by: darkin
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Welcome to the Mystery Newsletter. Why are mysteries so popular? Mysteries make you think. You follow every clue, examine all of the crime scenes and remember what each suspect said when questioned by the detective. A good mystery can keep you interested until the end. A great mystery will keep you guessing until the last page...when it makes you slap your forehead in surprise!
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| ASIN: 197380364X |
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Amazon's Price: $ 15.99
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Keeping Track of Your Plots.
Last time, I had two really good questions come up. While thinking about which one I wanted to use, I realized both of them were linked together and would make an interesting newsletter. So, what I am going to do answer one, and then the other. Remember, I'm still offering 1000 GPs to my readers who give me ideas for my newsletters
The first question came from rapunzel247, who asked "What is the best way to organize your suspects, clues and red herrings when you're planning and writing a mystery?"
Well, rapunzel247, I don't know if it's the best way, but this is how I do it when I'm writing a mystery.
What I like to use is a plotting spreadsheet. It can be done on paper, or on a computer, though I usually do mine on paper because it's easier for me.
I like to use boxes to help make the plots easier to follow. At the top of a piece of paper, in the middle, I make a box that I label Crime. Inside, I write a very brief description of the crime; usually no more than the victim's name, where and how they died. Then I make a box for every major event in the story below it. Kind of a timeline of information. When the body was found, and by whom? When the first clue discovered, the second, the third, etc? This is the timeline of my story. I try to keep the main plot line the only information in the middle boxes. You'll see why in a moment
Now, for each subplot, I use another line of boxes along both sides the main plot boxes. If I have one subplot, then I have one line of boxes. Two, two lines of boxes, and so on. I tie the red herrings, suspects, and clues for those subplots to the main plots. When does the first suspect show up, and is he/she the real one? What are the red herrings and when are they introduced? For each different item, I place it in a box near the timeline box that it coincides with, and connect them with a line.
This method not only helps me keep track of all the different aspects of a mystery story, it helps me make sure my subplot's timeline flow along with my main plot's timeline. I don't want to have a clue being introduced that has already been discussed earlier. Likewise, I don't want to introduce a clue that is never talked about again.
When finished, it should look a lot like a corporate organization chart. Each subplot nicely laid out beside the main plot. It might sound daunting, but it does give me a clearer picture of my subplots, and how each item relates to the main plot. Doing something like this should also help me decide if I have too many subplots going on. The page should be busy without being impossible to follow.
This leads me to my next reader question...
Vivian  , who asked Darkin, can a mystery become too involved and tangled? How can we be sure, as writers, to have enough "mystery" without creating too much? ~~ Viv
I thought about this question a lot, and realized that I can't determine who tangled another writer's work should be, I can only answer what I find to be too tangled or not enough tangled. So that's the question I'm going to answer, Viv
When I look for a mystery novel to read, I tend to enjoy the ones with only a few subplots over the ones where there are five or more. Personally, if I have trouble remembering what each one is, and what it's correlation to the main plot is, I just won't finish reading the book. Likewise, if the story only has the main plot, or just one subplot, it isn't likely to have enough tension and suspense to keep me reading to the end.
So, for me, if the mystery novel has two to four subplots I'm happy. I can keep track of the events, remember the clues, and keep the suspects straight. I can remember who did what to whom...and why? 
When writing your mystery, you want enough subplots to keep the reader guessing, but not enough to make them run and hide from your story.
Thank you for taking the time to read. Happy Writing!
darkin
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Here are some short stories I found while traveling the highways and byways of Writing.Com!
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#1049528 by Not Available. |
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#979429 by Not Available. |
| |  | The Key (18+)
A man wakes up in an alley and is immediately arrested for murder
#953707 by Bruce   |
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#1073248 by Not Available. |
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Thank you all for your suggestions and comments...here are a few I've received in the last few months.
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dmack : Hello Dr. Demon Squirrel of Doom, The was a great newsletter. I'm keeping a copy of your Mystery Novel Recipe handy for reference when writing my next mystery.
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essence of thought : Thank you for this information, they are of great help for someone who is aiming to write a mystery work. It is also helpful for the reader of a mystery story, to know hoe to appreciate a mystery work he is reading, and also to enjoy the fiction at hand.
One needs to know how he can make his reading more valuable and get the best from what is reading.
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Amazon's Price: $ 13.99
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