Lisa·A lot of times new writers hear “don’t tease readers” or “don’t string readers along” by withholding parts of the story to create false tension. How would you describe the difference between withholding information and creating mystery or suspense in YA?
- Lisa·
Do you outline, and if so, how does outlining or pre-writing differ for mystery than other genres?
What is your strategy for placing clues (timing of each, how they build and meaning changes, etc.) and how do you keep track of them all so you remember to pay them off?
- Lisa·
Who are your favorite mystery writers?
How do you create sensible clues for the reader and your characters to focus their logic on?
How do you include a mystery if you’re writing a fantasy or a sci-fi story?
- Lisa·
What tips do you have for YA writers who may want to include mystery elements in their writing, but wouldn’t classify their books as straight up mysteries?
- Hannah·
Do you have any tips on how to foreshadow a reveal?
Sometimes it’s easy to start with a hook and end with a reveal, but getting through the middle of a mystery can drag. What are strategies writers can use to keep things tense and interesting in the second act?
- Jodi·
I’ve heard people mention starting writing at the end of the book when writing mysteries. Would you suggest doing that, or do you think outlining is enough? Do you think it’s possible to write a mystery without outlining extensively?
What are your favorite sources for more information on plotting mysteries?
- Roberta·
Does being a private Investigator help inform your writing?
You mentioned a second murder, which is common in mysteries. Does a murder mystery *need* to have more than one murder in it?
- Lisa·
Can you define and speak more about what ‘blind alleys’ are in mystery?
- Jodi·
How important is it to try to keep the reader guessing? How do you find a balance between your hero understanding or not understanding clues and the reader figuring things out?
- Lisa·
Do you read your work aloud, and if so, how does that help your final product?
How do you keep a misdirect from disappointing the reader?
How much do you allow setting to influence your mystery?
- Erica·
How did you celebrate landing an agent/your first book/publication, etc? Thanks!!
- Lisa·
Do you have any mystery movies you’d recommend?
Have you considered writing about the corporate investigating you do? Because it sounds fascinating.
When it comes to a mystery series, do you prefer a formula/structured storytelling style?
How do you balance and track when there are multiple mysteries (or sub-plot mysteries) in your story?
What are your favorite mystery tropes?
What is the best way to test whether or not a mystery is working on the page? What should your CPs or beta readers flag for you?
How much realism do you allow for a mystery? Can a mystery be written experimentally or in unconventional formats?
- Seabrooke Leckie·
Is it necessary to have the antagonist be on the page and part of the story from the start? Will it lose tension or create a less satisfying resolution if they’re in the background or out of view the whole story?
- Jennifer Bushroe·
If one POV character knows something another POV character does not, how do you set up the mystery of the reveal without the reader feeling cheated?
- Carey Blankenship·
Do you have any tips on how to craft successful queries and pitches without giving away the plot?
- Seabrooke Leckie·
What are some common mistakes writers make that result in weak mysteries?
- Lisa·
Can you talk a bit about the plot elements and expectations that differ between mystery and say Thriller or Suspense? Is it that there’s a murder?
What are some tropes that you think are overdone? Are there character types that are worn out that could be reinvented or averted like the noir detective or the femme fatale?
The adult mystery genre is MASSIVE. What are storytelling practices used there that you would like to see in more YA/MG?
- Seabrooke Leckie·
When you decide to write a mystery, does your idea first take form around the crime, and you work forward, or the perpetrator, and you work backward?
- Seabrooke Leckie·
Can you explain when the beats of a mystery should fall in a story’s arc in order to pace reveals and keep the reader invested?
How do you maintain interest and stakes for a protagonist without tiring out the reader or relying on the same ones? How do you change up the stakes in a logical manner?
Miss Marple is awesome.
Thank you, Maxine! This was really helpful and informative.
- Maxine·
Hi all! Thank you so much for your fabulous questions. As promised, here are some links about plotting mysteries that I have found helpful:
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