Hello Writer Bees!
Over the years, I’ve received comments and questions about what writing my whodunit is like. Plenty of times, I’ve talked about my murder mystery WIP here on this blog. My main characters have even appeared in a short story or two. When I started this blog, I wanted to help encourage other writers in their creative endeavors. However, I also wanted to share my honest experience as a writer. The ups and downs that come with a writer’s journey to publication.
So, in the spirit of May of Mystery and sharing my writer life, here what’s its really like to write a mystery.
The good, the bad, and the ugly.
Why I Chose to Write a Murder Mystery
When I was in college, My interest in the mystery genre grew. I started reading detective fiction, like Holmes, Poirot, Marlowe, etc. Those books inspired me to imagine my own dynamic duo. At the time, I was writing an epic fantasy story – which didn’t get past chapter two – and the detective on the back burner kept nagging me, “write about us instead!”. Then, when I finally had the opportunity to give mystery writing a shot – in fiction writing class, no less – I fell in love with my sleuths and their sleuthing and the 1920s NYC setting.
Looking back, I’m not surprised I chose to write a mystery, based on my personal story preferences. Plot twists, complex characters and dialogue-heavy tales are a thrill to read. There’s something oddly satisfying about an extraordinary event happening then unraveling to reveal the truth. It’s like that feeling of fitting the last piece of the puzzle into place. That’s what a good mystery is, right? Something out-of-the-ordinary suddenly becomes a clear picture. It’s exciting, magical even.
These Are a Few of My Favorite Things
Creating the characters is my favorite part. Suspects are awesome to craft, giving each character probable cause and motive to commit the crime. Nothing in this kind of story is black and white. Every character has their good and bad traits, and everyone has the potential for evil. You don’t know who to trust. That’s what makes suspect characters – and sleuthing protagonists – feel realistic.
Dropping clues can be fun too. Like I’m some Easter Bunny leaving presents behind. Let me just hide this bloody murder weapon behind this bush. Since my murder mystery is set in 1924, it’s an extra challenge. No modern technology is present and forensics is minimal. I really have to consider what would be evidence in a murder investigation for this specific time period.
And it sounds cliché to say, but I really do like my detective protagonist and his assistant. Detective Barnaby and Oscar Fitzgerald have this great banter that’s a pleasure to write. I enjoy writing about them investigating together. I wonder if Doyle felt the same way about writing Holmes and Watson’s relationship. When an audience is reading a mystery, they connect to the detective. They root for the hero(es) to unravel the mystery.
Tricky Business
For me, outlining and narrative pacing are my weakest points as a writer. Always have been. I’m working on it. Structuring the sequence of events in a mystery can be difficult sometimes. Timing is everything. When do the readers and the detective learn this piece of information? Is it too early in the plot? Too late? Does this timeline make sense for this investigation? I’m still learning how to perfect the perfect outline.
Also, I’ve been told my pacing is too fast. My narrator is a fast talking New Yorker, how could I not tell a story with some pep in its step? Finding the right tempo is tricky. I’m learning I don’t have to speed through things to keep readers engaged. It can’t all be drama filled and actioned packed. There needs to be moments of relief, a calm pause now and then, to break up all the excitement. All while maintaining the intrigue of a mystery.
What You’d Be Surprised About
With any genre, I’d imagine there’s some level of research involved. Some of it can be lovely, like researching 1920s fashion. Often times, the search history on my computer – or my wandering thoughts in general – can lead to pretty disturbing things. Most mysteries involve murder, so I have to consider all elements of death. Cause of death, details of a corpse, crime scenes, blood and guts. It’s not for the faint of heart. And when creating suspects, I have to highlight the worst in people. Does this make me a dark and twisted person? Probably.
Final Thoughts
Look, this is my first time writing a full length novel. I don’t have all the answers. Writing is a constant learning process. But I’m happy I have this blog to share my writer experience. Mystery writing is a challenge, it’s true. In the end, getting through these challenges will have been worth it, because I will have a complete murder mystery story to be proud of.
Hope this post gave you a little insight into my experience as an mystery writer. If you want more posts on my personal writer journey, let me know in the comments.
For the mystery writers out there, what is your experience writing mysteries? For all creators, what is your biggest challenge crafting a story? What is your favorite part of writing? Talk to me in the comments, I’d love to hear from you guys.
Stay safe and keep writing!
Write with heart,
Lady Jabberwocky
Lady Jabberwocky 
“Since my murder mystery is set in 1924, it’s an extra challenge. No modern technology is present and forensics is minimal.”
I think the last time you talked about mystery writing, I brought up Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Millhone series. The first book was published in 1982, and Sue was still writing up until her death in 2017. In an interview, she said that she kept the books set in the 1980s, each one taking place a few months after the last one even though a year or two would pass in real life between their publication, for exactly the reason you said. It was more of a challenge to write a mystery set before the Internet and Google and smartphones and stuff like that, because the investigator did not have the privilege of being able to look up certain things easily (or, at least, without a trip to the library or some kind of public records office).
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This is a serious question: How early in the story should the body, or the first body, appear? Should it be sooner if this is the first book featuring your detective hero (as opposed to one in a series)?
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Excellent question! Sorry I didn’t get to it sooner!
From my understanding, the “crime” should be introduced within the first 3 chapters. Does that mean you need a dead body so soon in the story? No. It depends on the crime. For example, a missing persons case could lead to a body several chapters in. No matter if it’s the first book or one in the series, the goal is to hook reader’s interest in the mystery right off the bat. Whether that hook involves a dead body or not is up to the writer.
Hope that helps! Best of luck with your writing! 🙂
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Good reading and you’ve a tricky medium but then again any novel writing is tricky.
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My biggest challenge crafting a story? Would that I knew, and that’s the rub for any writer I suppose – once our storytelling has bridged the gap between terrible and acceptable, how are we to measure our work going forward? Is my prose too fat, or too lean, my characters too strong, or weak? I’ve been writing fiction since 2012 and although I feel like I understand the gears and levers in the narrative style I’ve adopted, I can’t say whether I’ve picked the right one. Dang.
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