A Guide to Writing

Mystery

So I remember when I tried to write a mystery and it didn't end up too well, and to be quite honest, I could've used these tips that I found. So for all of you guys, out there, here's a few tips that can probably be used to help your writing process along.

[1] Ideas, Ideas, Ideas
Look for ideas as you read the newspaper, a robbery, a murder, or a bank heist can all be used as great ideas for a good mystery book.

[2] Main Character
Your main character doesn't have to be a detective. Your MC can be a schoolgirl, a college professor, or a FBI agent (yes I know, that's a different type of detective.) But you have to make sure that they have a good personality to match who they actually are, and keep them in character throughout the whole book!

[3] Minor Characters
Does your MC have a sidekick that helps them? Or what about the people who don't want they mystery to be solved...?

[4] The Plot is the Problem
Who's going to get in the way of the mystery being solved? The mystery should be the problem of your story, and if there's more to the plot, you're also adding more to the mystery.

[5] Make a List of Clues
Only one of the clues should be the most crucial clue your character or characters find. This clue should be the clue that helps your characters solve the mystery. Also, making a list of clues can help you connect a few clues together and piece together which clues you want to have in your story.

[6] Misleading Information
Don't forget about the few "clues" that mislead your readers along the way. If one of your side characters loves glitter, and glitter is found at the crime scene (that crap cannot be removed, like have you tried to remove glitter from your hands? The next day you could find that crap in your hair) then the readers will suspect the minor character while you slip in a real clue.

[7] Use Some Suspense
Suspense is also a crucial thing to a mystery because it can drag the reader farther into your story. If your characters are scared, your readers might be too.

[8] The Setting Should Fit the Mood
Where should your story take place? A graveyard, dark tunnels, a creepy attic, or a haunted house. Anywhere as long as it fits the eerie mood.

[9] Introducing the Mystery
You should introduce your mystery and your MCs at the beginning of your story, that way your readers can get to know the mystery and the characters.

[10] Know It Before You Write It
You need to know how a mystery will end before you start writing it, that way you don't forget about clues or the plan you've made when you started writing it.