How to write a mystery
novel – tips on writing |
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If you are looking for tips on how
to write a mystery novel I would
guess that you are struggling with two key decisions:
what sort of mystery
to unravel, and what point of view to adopt.
Mystery
novels are like crossword
puzzles: there is a very well understood structure to
them, but the degree of difficulty of solving them (and
satisfaction for the reader) is often more important
than the mystery itself. The more clues the better,
the more complex the relationship between the elements,
the better. There is always a very strong back story
– often for the victim if the mystery
revolves around personal misfortune.
Maintaining the correct timing and pace are probably
more important in a mystery novel
than in any other. There is generally a good deal of
build up to each plot turn. Too many clues and twists
served up too quickly, and the pleasure of unlocking
is taken away from the reader. Too few too slowly, and
the reader loses interest in the mystery
novel.
The other key decision for you to make when considering
how to write a mystery
novel is the choice between first
and third person viewpoints. It is a well aired debate
within the mystery genre
as to which suits it best of all. The majority of mystery
novels are written in the third person –
which is seen to better present clues and give more
variety to the story. However first person stories can
often be more compelling – as the reader has the
thrill of being inside the main character’s mind.
Ultimately, the choice will depend on what you feel
most comfortable with. One way in which we help you
is that NewNovelist software works with both points
of view. In fact, you develop the characters and the
worlds when you write a mystery
novel and the plot turns, regardless of the point
of view that you elect to use. You can change this without
losing the effort that you have put into the development
of your key building blocks – who and where. NewNovelist
writing software enables you to save your edits and
make modifications to the story with ease so you can
play about to your hearts content in order to decide
which writing style is preferable.
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Information about NewNovelist:
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Creative writing and learning
how to write a novel can be exceptionally hard.
First, you have to learn the basics, then you have to
practice….and practice…and practice. And
you also have to research what makes a successful novel.
The vast majority of novels adopt a basic formula, and
we incorporate these within NewNovelist.
Whilst throughout these additional information pages
we have provided tips and “how-to” advice,
the real gold dust is in our software program (available
on CD or to download). It is based on tuition from the
leading university Creative Writing course in England
(University of East Anglia), and uses templates to provide
you with the structure you might otherwise spend years
researching. These templates can teach you the basics
to writing all different
types of novel: crime,
mystery, detective, fantasy,
childrens, thrillers, military and many many more. In
short, it provides you with a virtual tutor.
In addition to the template structure, there is context
sensitive help available – advising you on timing,
tone and beat – and scores of examples drawn from
modern and classical literature. For beginners this
will be a revelation. For more experienced writers it
provides a welcome refresher.
Whatever your standard of writing
a mystery novel, and whatever
your motivation, if you want an all-in-one
writing course, advice, tutor, editor and note
taker you should buy NewNovelist today.
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"I thought you might like to know that I have had my first
novel published this year after investing in NewNovelist.
It's title is "Stephen Harris
in Trouble" and is published by Jessica Kingsley Publications"
Tim
Nichol, used NewNovelist software to become a published writer.
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"NewNovelist is an extremely useful
piece of software for anyone wanting to write a novel –
it is easy to use, and it incorporates part of the syllabus
from the Creative Writing Course at the University of East
Anglia."
Dr
Louisa Joyner, former Creative Writing tutor, University of
East Anglia
louisajoyner@ytglobal.com
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