A bug bit me.
And I’m not mad about it.
Have you noticed I’ve been blogging more? I think I’ve blogged more this past month than I have in the past two years.
I’m blogging more because I’m exercising my writing muscles. I want to start writing more fiction and to do that, I need to write SOMETHING.
I’ve been wanting to write a mystery. I love mysteries and have been really enjoying the mysteries I’ve been reading lately. (Pst – follow me on Goodreads). But the question is, how the HECK do I write a mystery?
I mean, I can WRITE the story, but how do I structure it? How do I write a story that the reader doesn’t see through in the first ten pages?
I’ve been watching a lot of writing vlogs lately. This one from Alexa Donne caught my eye.
Video summary:
1. What is a (bonkers) reason for someone to kill someone?
A. Motivation / Reason
2. Come up with alternates / additional reasons for someone to kill your victim
A. Red herrings / Misdirects
3. Third-Act / Climax (about 70/80% into the story)
4. Brainstorm of good victims – archetypes – list characters around the archetype
5. Who is the killer?
6. Who is the main character?
A. Outsider or an Expert
7. Construct the setting
8. How to approach law enforcement involvement
A. Local cops vs. FBI
B. How does legal authority play in your story?
9. How is the body discovered?
10. How does your main character get involved / find the body?
I have to say, this is helpful information. I’m a pantser, meaning, I write by the seat of my pants. I don’t outline. However, I’m working on changing that because though I can furiously write a story and it’s thrilling to see where it takes me, I inevitably get stuck, then frustrated, then disgusted and I end up tossing my story. I want a more hybrid approach. Where I’m outlining to a point, but then giving myself the freedom to see where it takes me. I think they call it the headlight method.
“Writing by your headlights simply means that you plan the first part of your story then write it. When you get that section written, you’ll be able to see what happens next and can plot out the next few scenes or chapters.”
Learning about the art of writing motivates me!
Write From Karen 