The mystery genre, which comprises mystery, thriller, and suspense novels, has a huge and loyal audience. Mystery readers buy books — if they love a character an author has created, they’ll eagerly read every book in the author’s series.
Another benefit for authors writing mysteries: the novels sell for decades. Agatha Christie's novels have sold for a century. Wilkie Collins’s classic mystery, The Moonstone, was first published in 1868 and is still enjoyed today. Beloved mystery novelist Dorothy L. Sayers called The Moonstone “probably the very finest detective story ever written.”
Love reading mysteries? You can write them
If you love reading mysteries chances are that you can write them. IMHO it’s the easiest genre to write. Here’s why. Most mysteries center around a murder: it’s the most heinous crime we can imagine.
Craft three elements, and you’re good to go — you can start writing your first (or next) mystery novel novel immediately.
The three elements you need are:
- A victim;
- A setting;
- A sleuth.
1. Create a victim: who is he, and why will he be murdered?
Many mysteries start with the crime because the death of the victim makes a powerful opening hook.
If you’re a pantser, kill off your victim and your novel is well underway.
Murder mysteries tend to feature two kinds of victims:
- Everyone loved him/ her — there are no suspects;
- Everyone hated him/ her — everyone is a suspect.
Both types have benefits for mystery authors in creating suspense.
2. Create the setting: your story world
Where will you set your story? Mysteries are set in a milieu which will appeal to readers. Ann Cleeves set her Shetland Island series in the Shetlands. Lindsey Davis’s Marcus Didius Falco novels are set in ancient Rome.
Instead of focusing on a place or time, you might like to set your mysteries among a special interest group. Readers love mysteries set amongst groups of knitters, quilters, and in the case of the Dick Francis novels, in the horse racing world.
3. Create your sleuth: who is he? (Or she?)
You’ve got your victim and setting. Now you need a sleuth… Your sleuth is the most important character in your novel. You want your sleuth to engage readers so that they clamor for him to appear in another novel, and another.
Your sleuth will arrive on the scene of the crime and will quickly interact with witnesses and suspects. It’s worth looking at long-running series: what makes the sleuth appealing to readers?
My favorite sleuths include Patricia Cornwell’s Kay Scarpetta and Jacqueline Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs. Think about your own favorites — why do you like them?
A tip for your sleuth. Decide whether you’ll have an over-arching series plot so that your sleuth and his circumstances change over time, or whether your sleuth won’t change, he’ll merely take on fresh crimes to solve.
Winspear’s Maisie Dobbs changes, so does Julia Spencer-Fleming’s Rev. Clare Fergusson. Agatha Christies’ Miss Marples and Hercules Poirot however don’t change much.
Write Your Bestseller: Write HOT Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Word for word, mystery authors earn more than authors of most other genres, including romance.
Check out our new report, “Write Your Bestseller: Write HOT Mystery, Thriller & Suspense”. You’ll discover how, why, and what types of mystery fiction are selling today, and how to develop a mystery writing career.
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