Helpful Tips for Mystery Writers

Penning a great mystery will be the least mysterious aspect of your novel when you follow these helpful tips:

The big reveal should be a surprise to everyone but you. Who did it? Why did they do it? How did they do it? Your readers should be guessing with every turn of the page, but you shouldn’t be. Have every detail of your villain’s plot planned out before even putting pen to paper, and writing the novel will be an absolute breeze.

Every suspect should be suspicious. Perhaps the prime suspect didn’t commit the murder or steal the diamond, but that certainly doesn’t mean they’re innocent, and none of the other suspects should be either. If every suspect is lying about something, your sleuth will certainly have some work to do, and your readers will certainly sop up every word of it.

Detectives can’t be right all the time. In fact, sometimes they can be catastrophically wrong, and their erroneous deductions and decisions may even lead to more death and destruction. Fear not, however, there is a cause for all this chaos, as it makes for a far more compelling read than the perfect hero getting everything right and saving the day on the first try.

Armed with these tips you’ll be writing a great mystery in no time, and as your plot progresses you may just come up with some tips of your own. Happy writing!

Looking for a deep dive into the world of mystery? Visit our online library at www.pirfly.com for a wide variety of ebooks, audiobooks, music, and more, accessible anytime from your favorite devices.