The Structure of a Murder Mystery
I love murder mysteries!
Agatha Christie was, hands-down, my favourite author when I was a teenager. So let’s talk about how to approach writing one.
Elisabeth S. Craig's Take on The Structure of a Mystery
I admire Elizabeth S. Craig’s blog—Mystery Writing is Murder. What an evocative title! Elizabeth Craig is a bestselling mystery writer. When I started reading her blog—this was years ago—she was published by Penguin, but now she is proud to be a hybrid author. This means she uses both traditional (as seen in 'Quilt or Innocence') and indie publishing (her 'Myrtle Clover Cozy Mysteries').
Many of the insights shared below are inspired by Craig’s post, 'Pre-Writing.' I encourage you to visit her blog and read the article for yourself.
In the following sections, I step through Craig's structure for a cozy mystery. I hope this helps aspiring mystery writers better implement her advice in our own writing!
A Mystery Structure in Three Acts
While striving to stay faithful to Craig's article, I've also incorporated insights gleaned from the mysteries I’ve read.
Act One: The Ordinary World
1. Setup or Status Quo
Introduce all your characters, beginning with the sleuth. As Craig writes: 'It’s best to start out with the sleuth so that the reader knows who to identify with right away.'
2. Inciting Incident
For the Inciting Incident you have two choices. Either
(a) write a scene that shows the future victim interacting with the future suspects
or
(b) introduce a body.
3. The Call To Adventure & Acceptance of the Call
If the sleuth isn't a part of the police force, there must be a compelling reason for them to get involved in the case. This could be a friend imploring him to investigate, a deep personal connection to the victim, or the sleuth being a suspect themselves. There are many possibilities.
Act Two: The Special World of the Adventure
4. Tests and Trials and/or Fun and Games
Several key events unfold in this section:
(a) The sleuth interviews suspects.
(b) Suspects provide alibis.
(c) The writer introduces one or two red herrings.
(d) Some of the suspects try to deceive the sleuth.
These lies may include omissions or genuine confusion. After all, we all misremember things.
Some lies aim to cover up unrelated misdeeds, but none are directly linked to the murder. Only the murderer must lie about the murder itself.
However, don’t be afraid to inject variety. It's possible that one of the suspects is genuinely truthful!
5. Midpoint
Drawing from my experience as an avid reader of murder mysteries, I’ve observed that the midpoint serves two crucial functions. First, it introduces new information—details that reshape the detective’s perception of the Special World of the Adventure. Second, the sleuth transitions from a passive (or reactive) stance to an active one.
Let's delve into each of these aspects.
New Information
If the murderer kills again at the midpoint then the clues left during the second murder should appear to falsify the detective's current theory of the crime. How? Well, perhaps the person discovered was the sleuth’s chief suspect. Or maybe the person the sleuth currently believes is the murderer had no motive to harm the latest victim.
Alternatively, the new information could pertain to the killer's motivation for the crime(s). The sleuth might discover the murderer's real name and history. While this provides the detective with fresh insights into who the murderer is as well as the murderer’s potential motivations, it doesn't unveil the killer's identity since this person is living under an assumed identity.
Generally, the new information can encompass anything that:
transforms the detective's understanding of the case,
raises the stakes, intensifies the urgency, and, in the process,
propels the story forward.
Transition from Passive (or Reactive) to Active
In the first half of the story, the detective primarily reacts to the situations and conditions that the murderer creates.
In the second half of the story, the detective takes the fight to the enemy. Now, the detective sets traps for the murderer and, overall, actively works to apprehend this person.
6. Setback
Regardless of what unfolds at the midpoint, at the end of the second act the sleuth is put back to square one. He must reassess the previous evidence in the context of the new information. This will force him to revisit many of the suspects again and question them.
It's also possible that the sleuth is personally impacted by either the latest death or whatever information was revealed at the midpoint. The victim might have been a close friend or perhaps an exceptionally good person who put themselves in danger to aid the sleuth. There are many possibilities. Unleash your imagination!
Act Three: The Return
7. A New Plan or The Epiphany
This is what I consider the lightbulb moment. The sleuth experiences an epiphany, connects the dots, or in some way is led to a new understanding of the case. However, the case has not been wrapped up! The sleuth must confirm this hunch. He must be sure!
8. Climax
Place the sleuth in jeopardy. Heighten the tension, raise the stakes.
Drawing from my reading and viewing experience, the sleuth is sometimes stalked by the killer. However, the threat often extends beyond physical harm. The sleuth's job may be at risk, or their reputation might be in jeopardy. Occasionally, the life of someone the sleuth deeply cares about is in danger. It's essential to note that for the stakes to escalate, they need to have been introduced earlier in the narrative.
Ultimately, however, the sleuth must turn the tables on the murderer and bring them to justice.
9. Wrap-Up
This is the denouement. The sleuth finally draws the curtain back and reveals what he had been thinking throughout the case. He uncovers all the lies told, exposes all the red herrings, discusses any incorrect inferences he made. Additionally, he reveals whether the reader missed a particular clue—a clue that, given what you now know, seems obvious.
Finally, the sleuth unveils the solution to the mystery.
Craig writes, “Are there other components in the story? Of course. But this is the basic structure of a mystery, just as other genres have their own skeletons.”
The Characters
Before writing your zero draft, contemplate:
Who will be your sleuth's sidekick?
What motives drive the characters?
How were the murders executed, and what weapons were used?
Think about what kind of subplot you’ll have. Craig writes that at this point you’re “just brainstorming.” I’ll add here, courtesy of Lester Dent, that you might want to make the murder method big, bold, dramatic, unusual, exaggerated, shocking and different.
Think about the type of subplot you'll incorporate. Craig emphasizes that at this stage, you're just brainstorming. Additionally, again borrowing from Lester Dent’s advice, you might consider making the murder method big, bold, dramatic, unusual, exaggerated, shocking, and distinctive. For example, think about all the different ways characters were done away with in the television show Midsomer Murders.
The Murderer
Craig mentions that she doesn’t fret too much about the murderer’s identity. At times, she doesn’t decide on this until she is finalizing the climax of her story! She writes,
“The killer’s identity? Not really. I have an idea who I think may be a good killer, but I frequently change my mind 3/4 of the way through the first draft. It’s always good to be flexible.”
The Suspects
How many suspects should you have? The suspects are characters with a reason, a motive, to want the victim dead. In Craig’s example, she lists five suspects: the niece, daughter, son, husband, and friend. Ask:
Was the victim wealthy? Did his or her family have a lively expectation of inheriting this money?
Did the victim possess substantial wealth, and did his or her family and friends have lively expectations of inheriting that wealth?
Did the victim leverage their wealth and influence to manipulate others? If so, whom?
That’s it! I wish you a fantastic and productive day. Let's catch up again in the next post. In the meantime, happy writing!