Today’s guest blogger is Marja McGraw and she’s talking about mysteries.
She should know, since she has worked in both criminal and civil law enforcement. She writes two mystery series. And having read some, I’ll add my endorsement. She’s lived in five states, but currently calls Arizona home.
Murder in the First…
…chapter, that is. More than once I’ve heard it said that a good mystery begins with a murder. I’ve also heard people say a mystery isn’t a mystery if there’s no dead body. I don’t happen to agree with this.
Many stories need to build up to a crime. You can open the book with a murder, but then you have to let the investigation get into a backstory. What led up to the crime? Who was the victim? Do I, as a reader, even care about the victim? What made that person tick? Why would someone murder this person?
Many television shows begin with a dead body and then the investigator(s) have to learn the backstory through leads and clues. They need to keep the viewing audience glued to the screen. Books, on the other hand, can keep you interested by carefully laying the groundwork for what’s to come. Each chapter can include a cliffhanger at the end to keep the reader interested, even if the murder doesn’t happen up front.
Sometimes a victim is actually a bad person to begin with, and by building up to the death you can create a very unlikable victim. You can take a different path and make him sympathetic because he had a horrible background which molded him into a bad boy. Some people are victims of circumstance. Maybe this person made bad choices in their lifetime.
Other
victims are good people. Someone may have been in the wrong place at the wrong time. As a reader, I’d like to know how that person ended up in the wrong place, and why did he or she have to die? I’ve heard people say there are no coincidences. I don’t agree. Sometimes things just happen, for no apparent reason. A good guy can step on the toes of a bad guy without even realizing it. There are all kinds of scenarios.
Remember the comment about a mystery isn’t a mystery without a death? Not so, I guarantee you. I’ve read some great mysteries where no one was murdered. A missing person would be a mystery. The neighbor in a book might think Fred Smith from down the street is acting suspicious – and his wife hasn’t been seen in two weeks. Maybe the neighbor sets out to see if Fred murdered his wife and buried her body in the backyard. It makes sense to the neighbor because she never did like Fred.
Sometimes suspicious acts can be misconstrued
because that’s what the observer wants to see. And in that scenario lies a mystery. It could turn out that Fred is hard of hearing, or painfully shy, and this makes him come across differently than he really is. It could also turn out that his wife left suddenly, during the night, to take care of a sick relative. In the meantime, it was a mystery until the facts were revealed. The snoopy neighbor is either going to be embarrassed for her suspicions, or she’ll feel good that she found out the truth.
So, if you enjoy a good mystery, don’t worry about when the person dies, or when the body is discovered, and don’t worry if there is no body. Just enjoy the journey that leads you from Chapter One to The End.
A mystery is a mystery, after all.
JIM: Find out more about Marja and her mysteries at the links below. And take only 5 seconds to “Like” the post, or Tweet it. of Google +1 it. Thanks.
Website: http://www.marjamcgraw.com/
Blog: http://marjamcgraw.blogspot.com/
Books available at: http://tinyurl.com/m8s6uux
I like that idea of enjoying the journey, riding along without knowing what formula or rules are taking you where and when.
Thank you, Nancy. I think sometimes it gives the book a more natural feel, but of course there are exceptions. The journey can be a lot of fun if you let it run its own course.
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Enjoyed your comments. As avid reader agree rules should be challenged as formula tires readers patience. Thanks for your thoughts from writing point of view.
Thank you, Jake. I love comments from readers!
Thanks for the examples, Marja! I’ve also heard the assertion that a mystery isn’t a mystery without a murder, and I didn’t figure that necessarily had to be so, likely because I used to read children’s mysteries that didn’t include murders. (The YA Nancy Drew novels I read always did though, if I recall. 😀 ) I do wonder what the differences are between mysteries and suspense novels…
The difference between mysteries and suspense are subjective, Nadine. However, to me a mystery is sort of like solving a puzzle while suspense is more likely to keep you on the edge of your seat along with some mystery elements. A mystery is the unknown that needs to be solved. Suspense can be the same thing, but with… Well, like I said, it’s subjective and depends on each individual reader’s interpretation.
I remember reading a book where a character’s relative had died several years earlier and she felt the need to find out if he’d been murdered or if he really died of natural causes. It turned out to be natural causes, but there was mystery in the investigation and there were extenuating circumstances to cause concern. It was a good book.
Ah! An “edge of your seat” identifier would make sense, as I tend to think of suspense as leaning more towards thriller-action-type reading while mysteries seem more cerebral–or as you said, like solving a puzzle. But, knowing it’s subjective helps, especially when mystery and suspense categories are often clumped together. 🙂
Many people feel a mystery is a mystery, whether it’s humorous, dark, or has you on the edge of your seat. We all look at it differently. Good discussion. : )
Marja,
I agree with you 100%. There doesn’t have to be a murder for a mystery to be a mystery. Unless, of course, you dub the book a murder mystery. Then, you definitely need a dead body. 🙂
Good point, Pat. I always call mine murder mysteries, and one of these days I won’t include a dead body. : ) I personally enjoy it more when the body is kind of “off stage” as much as possible. Thank you for stopping in.
Good story, great characters and a question like what’s happening here or why does someone do that create a good mystery. Mainstream fiction often relies on a mystery to give the story a plot. I like to have dead bodies, but I agree with Marja that it’s not necesary to create a great mystery. A body on the first page cetainly gets the action rolling, but writing a situation or character that’s compelling will keep your reader going until you can bump off someone… if necessary. Marja is skilled at doing all of this and I highly recommend both her series.
Thank you, Lesley. I think figuring out a mystery, with or without a dead body, is the fun part of writing. Keeping the reader guessing is the other part of the fun. : ) Thank you for commenting, and thank you for the recommendation, too. I have to say that I thoroughly enjoy your books and the books of others who are commenting, too.
I agree completely with you, Marja. There are all kinds of mysteries in life that don’t include a murder or any crime at all. Why does an old lady or old man live a reclusive life in a rundown mansion? Why did a woman or man disappear and years later reappear on a deserted tropical island? Those scenarios could make interesting, intriguing tales without bodies or theft or whatever.
Thank you, Pat. Anything at all can be a mystery. If the story leads you to follow clues, it’s a mystery. And why did that recluse live in a mansion by himself? : )
Nice to hear about your books, Marja, and I agree with you that a good story trumps ‘rules’ every time! The reader will want to take that journey with you if your story and characters pull them in~
Thank you for commenting, Marni. It really is all about the characters and the story. The rules can change in the blink of an eye.