  Mystery
This week: Horses or zebras? Edited by: Arakun the Twisted Raccoon  
More Newsletters By This Editor 
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
Quote for the week: "A leopard can't change his shorts"
~Terry Pratchett |
| ASIN: B07P4NVL51 |
Product Type: Toys & Games
|
Amazon's Price: Price N/A
|
|
Doctors have a saying, "If you hear hoofbeats, think horses, not zebras." This means that the most likely explanation is likely responsible for a patient's symptoms.
This saying applies to criminal investigations as well as illnesses. If all the evidence seems to point to one suspect, he or she is likely to be arrested and charged with the crime. Of course, the most likely suspect is not always guilty in real life, and especially not in mystery stories. Who would want to read a story where the obvious character turned out to be the killer? Of course, if the least obvious character is always guilty, that solution will become predictable too! 
The best solutions to mystery stories are unexpected, but they make perfect sense when the reader has all the facts. A zebra shouldn't gallop in out of nowhere, but instead, it should hide among the herd, pretending to be a horse. Maybe the devoted wife actually hated her husband, or the aristocratic gentleman is really penniless. Or maybe the zebra doesn't have to hide at all, because all of the possible solutions are zebras. Maybe the victim was loved by everyone, or so it seemed...
In their quest for an original mystery plot, writers often skip past the zebras and go straight to unicorns ( totally unbelievable solution). Readers won't care how original your story is if it doesn't make sense. If a smart character does something foolish or the police conveniently ignore important evidence, your readers will see the unicorn's horn and lose interest in the story.
Something to try: Write a mystery story where everyone is a suspect. |
| |  | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1985916 by Not Available. |
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1319136 by Not Available. |
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1983858 by Not Available. |
| | | Invalid Item
This item number is not valid.
#1946702 by Not Available. |
|
Have an opinion on what you've read here today? Then send the Editor feedback! Find an item that you think would be perfect for showcasing here? Submit it for consideration in the newsletter!
https://www.Writing.Com/go/nl_form
Don't forget to support our sponsor!
| ASIN: 197380364X |
|
Amazon's Price: $ 15.99
|
|
Answer to last months's question: Who is the best character you ever created and why?
BIG BAD WOLF is hopping  One of my favorite Characters would be Zena. She's this ex-thief who has a heart of gold. That being said, don't get on her bad side.
However, another Character I created, and commonly use, can be found in the Campfires done by one Twiga  - James. He's the kind of soldier who is prepared for most anything, and is armed to the teeth. He also has something of an arrogant, know-it-all attitude and is known to even berate his superiors, and those around him. That being said, when his friends are in trouble, he'll go through Hell to help them, and he's done that on a couple of occasions.
J. A. Buxton  This isn't an easy question to answer since I'm torn by three of my male characters. If push came to shove, I guess I'd have to say William Walker, the owner of a large estate, who gave a safe haven to both the elderly and children. He was the main reason I wrote Home of the Red Fox along with the two following novels now as e-books on Amazon. I'm not sure if the following link works here, but I do invite anyone to check out my Facebook author's page where my novels about Walker, Randall, and Vulcan are mentioned.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/J-A-Buxton/339955082702711?sk=wall
Quick-Quill 
I have two. One is Trevor the Detective in my some-day-to-be-finshed manuscript. (submitted) The other is one I'm developing.
|
| ASIN: B07P4NVL51 |
Product Type: Toys & Games
|
Amazon's Price: Price N/A
|
|
To stop receiving this newsletter, click here for your newsletter subscription list. Simply uncheck the box next to any newsletter(s) you wish to cancel and then click to "Submit Changes". You can edit your subscriptions at any time.
|
Mystery: June 18, 2014 Issue [#6380]
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
