Over the next few days, I’ll be teaching a class on “How to Write a Mystery” at the Cape Cod Writers Center Conference (CCWCC). Doesn’t seem like this would be a difficult issue for me to talk about. I’ve written a number of mystery novels and short stories. Plus, I’ve been teaching for 20 years. Yet I have struggled to come up with something to say. Something original.
Photo by Alex Brennan
The fact is that there’s a lot of information out there about writing a mysteries, and a lot of it is good.
One of my favorite resources is Hallie Ephron’s classic, Writing and Selling Your Mystery Novel. I’ve turned to this book countless times when writing my own novels, and it’s cheaper to buy than going to a conference. There’s also How to Write a Mystery: A Handbook from the Mystery Writers of America. You have to think that’s good.
Then there’s also a ton of interesting stuff on line. Just google how to write a mystery and see what you come up with. And that’s not even bringing AI into the equation.
So I struggled to figure out what I could to do add value. How could I teach something different? And then, I came up with an idea I really liked. There’s a book I’ve been reading (that shall remain nameless) that has seemed to me to be a perfectly-written mystery. The protagonist compelling, the sidekick engaging, the crime mysterious, the setting haunting, the plotting perfect. So, I wrote up a graph/overview of that book. I made a chart of when the murder takes place, how the detective goes about interviewing suspects, and so on. Also, I added in some fun writing exercises. I think/hope that the students will leave class feeling like they know how to write a mystery.
What resources do you draw on when writing a mystery?
SUSAN BREEN is the award-winning author of The Fiction Class and the Maggie Dove mystery series. She won the 2024 Margery Allingham Award for Short Mystery Fiction. Her new novel, MERRY, will be published by Alcove Press in Fall 2025. www.susanjbreen.com.
I have three books I especially like: Chris Vogler’s THE WRITERS JOURNEY, Jack Bickham’s SCENE AND SEQUEL, and Brody’s SAVE THE CAT WRITES A NOVEL. They are not only full of pearls for the writer but delightful to read.
I love Save the Cat, Nancy. It’s been a huge help to me.
One of my very best friends, Arlene Kay, is attending! Have a great time, you two!
I’ll look for her, Lane!
Susan, I love your idea of charting a mystery you think covers all the points. I think it will help your audience understand what they need to think about when they start writing.
Thank you, Catherine. I hope so!
I learn from every book I read that makes me feel something. If it’s good, I think about what the author did that affected me and how they did it. Hint: in my case, I’m a sucker for good natured protagonists who want relatable things. If it’s bad, I force myself to dissect what the author did that didn’t work for me. All of this goes into a mental file of Do’s and Don’ts. It’s useful! And yes, I’ve been known to reverse engineer novels on paper, just to see how it was done.