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Printed from https://www.writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/10907-Gripping-Tales.html
Mystery: August 11, 2021 Issue [#10907]




 This week: Gripping Tales
  Edited by: Annette: Free & Wild in GoT
                             More Newsletters By This Editor  

Table of Contents

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

About This Newsletter

Gripping mysteries are those that are not only fun to read, but were also fun to write.


Word from our sponsor



Letter from the editor

Gripping Tales


Thrilling reads don't come out of nowhere. They were fun to write first!

Before you write, read several successful mystery stories and books. The difference is that instead of just reading, you will read like you mean to learn something. Read the story or novel once. After you have made it to the end, go back to the first page and go over the whole thing again. See how the author inserted clues, misdirected you, and slowly untangled the mystery for you.

Outline the crime. You must know every minute detail of the crime your readers are to solve along with your detective. Follow the time tested approach of who, what, where, when, why, and how. While you don't need first hand experience with crime, you have to have a firm grasp of the type of crime you're writing about. If your criminal likes to pickpocket, read up on that particular practice.

Drop your readers into the action from the word go. Bad actors, red herrings, diligent detectives, cliffhangers - keep everyone and yourself barely holding on to the tale. You could choose to start with the crime itself and then move forward as the villain is ensnared in the web cast by his pursuers. Or you can use flashbacks to describe how we got to the scene of the crime.

You are dealing with human beings, not stereotypes. Both detective and bad guy have to be complex, relatable, and have clear motives.

If you like lists, you are going to love mystery writing. Lists are the mystery writer's best friends to keep all the pieces of the puzzle in a neat, easy to come back to, format. List the potential suspects. List the possible motives. List the clues you want to give. List the red herrings you will use to mislead the readers. List, list, list.

Location, location, location. Use the setting of your mystery to the best effect. Town? City? Countryside? Each of these settings creates a specific feeling in readers. You can lean into it by using expected elements of those places, or you can subvert the reader's expectations by having a typical "big city crime" happen in a rural environment.

Readers depend on your words to see, so use descriptive writing for all scenes so that your readers can discover clues as they explore alongside the detective. This puts the reader into the action and, all by itself, turns your writing into a neat "show don't tell" story in which readers can get absorbed.

After all this reading, writing, there is: rewriting. Find trusted readers to give you constructive critique for your first draft. Seeing your story through the eyes of readers will help you to craft that story to perfection.

What would you do to keep yourself on the edge of your seat while writing?


Editor's Picks

Olympic Medal Mystery  (E)
Lisa solves a mystery to further her life's dream to become a detective.
#2045360 by DB Cooper

STATIC
Watching Always  (13+)
Some say I'm crazy, just a little touched -
#2234521 by iKïyå§ama-BacktoWonderland!

 Invalid Item 
This item number is not valid.
#2255332 by Not Available.

STATIC
The Circus of Thieves  (13+)
A tongue-in-cheek murder mystery staring Bob, the private investigator
#992994 by W.D.Wilcox

 
STATIC
A Spirited Contest W/C 563  (13+)
Winner! The Writer's Cramp In Honor of National Tequila Day July 24, 2021
#2255251 by Queen NormaJean Greeneyes

 Invalid Item 
This item number is not valid.
#2254000 by Not Available.

 
STATIC
Bended Tales  (ASR)
The gods have spoken.
#2249915 by Cubby~Home!

 Invalid Item 
This item number is not valid.
#2132045 by Not Available.

FORUM
WEIRD TALES CONTEST   (18+)
A Contest Inspired by the Old Pulp Fiction Covers of Weird Tales Magazine
#2083492 by Beacon - Night's Watch

FORUM
Distorted Minds Contest  (18+)
Special flash fiction round for the month of November!
#2103204 by Warped Sanity

 
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Word from Writing.Com

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Don't forget to support our sponsor!

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Amazon's Price: $ 5.99


Ask & Answer

I received these replies to my last Mystery newsletter "Etiology

Alex Morgan wrote: Thank you for highlighting my work, Annette: Free & Wild in GoT ! I really appreciate it!

You're welcome. *Smile*

DB Cooper wrote: My story Olympic Medal Mystery ends without a crime because its made for children. God Bless You for this newsletter.

Olympic Medal Mystery is very timely right now.

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