Category: Mystery Writing Tips

Add an Element of Mystery to Every Genre

Mystery Writing Tips

by Kathryn Jones, @Kakido Scrambled_Cover_for_Kindle-md

The Secret of the Old Clock…The Bungalow Mystery…The Mystery of Lilac Inn…

I was twelve-years-old when I began reading Nancy Drew mysteries by Carolyn Keene.  Nancy not only drew me in to her stories, making me feel like a part of them, she made me feel like one of the sleuths.  And if I solved the mystery before Nancy or one of her friends, I felt especially smart.

As an adult, I enjoy writing novels and stories with elements of mystery in them.  In 2002, I published my first novel, “A River of Stones.”  This book, though not specifically a mystery novel, tells, as part of the story, the understood wanderings of an old man whom every child in the neighborhood knows is a vampire.  The main character, Samantha, gets her very best friends to wear crosses around their necks and homespun garlic next to their skin.  Of course, the vampire isn’t really a vampire, just like Mr. Green, Samantha’s other old and scary neighbor, isn’t a living scarecrow, though he dressed and moved like one on Halloween. Continue reading

Write Mysteries for Kids…for the Right Reasons

Mystery Writing Tips

by Dori Butler,  HauntedLibrary1

 I write mysteries for kids. I don’t write for this audience because it’s easier than writing for adults. (It’s NOT easier!) I write for this audience because I like it! I like kids. I like kids’ books. I make regular trips to the library to check out new kids books and find out which books are the most popular.

 I like to tell stories, but I really like to turn non-readers into readers. Whether they’re non-readers because of ability or interest. As a writer, there’s nothing more satisfying than to receive a heartfelt letter or e-mail that begins, “I never really liked reading before, but then I read your [insert book title here] all by myself.” That’s why I write for kids.Continue reading

Mystery Writing–Familial DNA

Mystery Writing Tips

by D.J. Swykert, @djswykertTheDeathOfAnyone

The Death of Anyone (Melange Books; February 2013 trade paperback and ebook formats) is a fictional story in which a Familial DNA search is a key investigative component. This is a unique DNA search technique not in common use, only two states even have a written policy. With forensic evidence increasingly important in solving current real-life cases and now being introduced into trials I thought it would make an interesting plot for a story.

I first heard about the use of Familial DNA working as a 911 operator in 2006. It came up in a conversation with officers working a case. I thought at the time it would make an interesting premise for a book. I began writing The Death of Anyone three years after leaving the department. I had just finished editing a first draft in the summer 2010 when news of The Grim Sleeper’s capture in Los Angeles using a Familial DNA search was released. I read with interest all the information pouring out of L.A. regarding the investigation and the constitutional admissibility issues confronting prosecutors.Continue reading

Writing Real Characters Amid Horrible Violence: Tips from a True-Crime Writer

Mystery Writing Tips, Writing Tips

By Dan Morse, @morsedan, author of The Yoga Store Murder

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In 2011, as a reporter for The Washington Post, I covered the most violent of murders in the least likely of places. Someone had slashed, stabbed and struck Jayna Murray more than 331 times in the back of a high-end yoga store. The killer used more than six weapons, including a hammer, wrench, knives and a jagged steel bar used to display merchandise. That dichotomy – complete mayhem in a place of peace and Zen – got me thinking about writing a book about the case.

To pull readers along for 300-plus pages, though, I needed detailed scenes that not only advanced the plot, but also built out very real characters. After all, readers of non-fiction are like readers of mysteries; they want to get to know people as they turn each page.Continue reading

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