Jenny Crusie's website Argh Link came up in a Google Alert on Mystery Writers. I enjoyed her August 5, 2014 post, Howdunit: Writing Mysteries, about her personal
experiences trying to write a mystery.
She’s funny…using mental duct tape to patch holes in her
story really captures her struggles with her story. I could empathize.
I was surprised when she talked about her TV binge of
watching mystery shows. Yet, her details about the writing, characterization,
mood, and setting illustrate the structure of good mystery writing.
Jenny knows of what she speaks, her master’s thesis was on
women’s roles in early mystery fiction.
While her blog is chock full of useful info, it was the
questions she asked her readers at the end that captured my attention. Below
are my responses to her questions
Questions:
What
are some mystery titles–books and film–that you think are stellar?
Sadly,
I have a poor memory so I can’t immediately recall from the mass of movies and
books I have consumed which ones stand out.
But
Mary Stewart (Madam Will You Talk) and Dorothy L. Sayers (The Unpleasantness at
the Bellona Club) are my favorite mystery writers because of the quality of
their writing that includes excellent plotting and characterization. Mary Stewart subtly
injected poetry, history, geology, and more into her stories which piqued my interest and
stimulated my life-long love of learning. It was Sayers’ sentence structure
that spurred me to want to write.
Based
on some recent viewings, I like BBC’s 2005 State of Play. I have watched it probably 30
times. It is such a lesson in writing a “mystery/action adventure.” I was
amazed at the use of foreshadowing in the dialogue where little bits about the
character are revealed and later played a role in the plot. The acting was great.
Watching the characters evolve from lack of information and preconceived
notions about the crime into persistence, to deception, to disbelief, and
to revelation.
Another
reason I liked BBC’s State of Play was that every character was well acted and
added to the story. For example, the mother and brother of the young man who
was killed may not be in many scenes but when they are on screen, they have a
huge screen presence. They add energy and realism to the story in very human
ways.
I
have gobbled up tons books and movies, mysteries, science-fiction and more.
There are many other excellent stories. But, one in particular that stands out
is Who Rides a Tiger? by Doris Miles Disney. For some reason, the way she
cast the story and characters made the story believable and surprising. I guess
because the twist held a final irony is what made it memorable.
What
annoys the hell out of you about some mysteries?
I
do not think I have ever figured out “who done it” in any mystery. When I
reread the mysteries looking for the clues, I can see where I missed the clue
but sometimes I think authors get a little too “fancy” trying to hide a unique or
obscure clue.
Plus,
sometimes, the plot seems to get convoluted just to make it confusing not because
it adds to the story.
Are
there any unbreakable rules to mystery writing?
Again,
while I have never solved a mystery, I do think that upon rereading the story,
the reader should be able to see all the clues.
Most
of all, what makes a good mystery?
Besides
the obvious, plotting and characterizations, for me, what makes a good mystery
is not the crime but the mystery of the characters involved, the mystery of
human nature and how it is expressed. Also, I have to have sympathy for key
characters.
Another
reason I like Dorothy L. Sayers is that intertwined in her stories is also the
story of British culture and history, and her settings as well as her
characters embody or reflect these elements.
Subtle
humor and descriptive settings also add a great deal to stories.
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To find Jenny Crusie's website Argh Link go to: http://www.arghink.com/2014/08/05/howdunit-writing-mysteries/
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