The Three Stories Within a Mystery

One of the online courses I took about writing cozy mysteries talked about the three stories within a mystery: the story of the crime (how it happened and the backstory), the story of discovery (how the detective figures out what happened), and the prevailing circumstances (the environment in which the story takes place, such as a special event or location). I lump any side-plots, such as the detective's personal problems, into the prevailing circumstances. What I've noticed is that I find some stories, such as the prevailing circumstances, easier to plot (or pants, since I tend to be more of a pantser than a plotter) than the crime story or discovery story. I can actually work out the story of the crime in advance, but plotting the discovery story feels less natural to me. For me, it seems that a lot of the clues my detective has to discover depend on context, which I often don't know until I'm writing it. It's probably due to a combination of me being a pantser and my inexperience with this genre.

Can you think of any other genre that depends on weaving different types of stories together? If so, feel free to discuss it in the comments.

Predicting Plot Twists

As a writer, I think about plots and plot twists when I'm reading other people's work. It's a bit of a challenge to guess the plot twist before the big reveal. However, the story can feel too predictable if the plot twist is exactly what I thought it would be, and of course it's not fun if you're completely wrong. Perhaps the happy medium is getting the plot twist right but realizing there's more to it than you first assumed.

Writing satisfying plot twists is also a challenge. They need to be the right kind of twist, deepening the story. Darth Vader's big reveal at the end of The Empire Strikes Back wouldn't have meant much if he had turned out to be Han Solo's father, since Luke and the audience had no emotional connection to Solo Senior. (Perhaps he'll show up in next month's movie.) Since Luke's goal was following in his father's footsteps, finding out his father was his nemesis was much more dramatic. Twists also have to arise organically from what previously happened in the story. It's not satisfying if they come out of nowhere, and that doesn't play fair with the reader either. There ought to be clues embedded in the story. Fortunately, if they're not in the first draft, they can be seeded in later.

One of my favorite plot twists that I wrote occurs in Twinned Universes (though I can't obviously reveal what it is). What's your favorite plot twist, either one you wrote or one you read? Feel free to share in the comments.

IWSG: Walking and Plotting

I finally remembered to update the badge for the Insecure Writer's Support Group! (Miracles will never cease.) Since it's the first Wednesday of March, it's time to discuss struggles you have with your writing or offer words of encouragement to others. For more information, please follow the link above.

Many writers have different attitudes towards writer's block. For me, when I have trouble figuring out what to say next, that often means there's a problem with the story. However, it's one thing to realize that, and another to fix it, especially when you're still in first draft mode and don't have someone you can brainstorm with.

I've been having problems with Fifth Season, Book Four of the Season Avatars. I'm near the end of the book, and I have a fair idea of how the climax will play out. However, even though I had some ideas jotted down, the last few pages I'd written weren't quite gelling. I went back and added some emotional reaction after a dramatic revelation, but that still wasn't enough to link what I had with where I needed to go. In fact, I was about to make something happen, but it didn't feel right.

We were fortunate enough to have some unseasonably warm weather the last couple of weekends, so I took the opportunity to walk around the neighborhood and let my mind wander. (I'm surprised it ever comes back.) This often turns into good plotting time for me. On one of my walks, I figured out that if I changed what didn't feel right about the current action, it could set up some important plot events and character development for later on. Not only that, but it helped set up a chain of events that would lead into the climax.

I've had to spend the last couple of days revising what I had, but I should be ready to move forward during my next writing session. Sometimes breaking the routine slightly can help you get out of a mental rut.

What's your favorite way to break your writing routine? Do you do something physical, or change your setup? Feel free to share in the comments.

Author Logic

Have you ever found yourself applying the rules of your world inconsistently? I did the other day when a beta reader found my characters saying one thing yet acting as if what they said wasn't true. I must have been trying to increase tension when I did that, but now I have to go back and figure out how to make it consistent.

What do you do when you find you've left plot holes in your stories?