Wednesday, February 6, 2019

Write a Mystery - an overview plan

Overview for writing a mystery... 



     1) INTERVIEW: - the victim, the witness(es), the first person/officer on the scene – Purpose: to develop a theory of what allegedly happened. 

a) Ask your POV character about:
Problem / Conflict
Scene Goal (what they hope to accomplish)
Purpose (Action he/she plans to take to achieve the goal)
Who else is in the scene and are they “with” him/her or “against” him/her? 
b) Ask your other characters if they are “with” the POV character or “against” the POV character and why or why not.


      2) EXAMINE THE SCENE: - to ascertain if the theory can be upheld – watch for:
-          Point of entry –  the previous failures, setbacks or discovery that propelled the character into this scene.
-          Point of Exit – the failure or discovery in this scene that propels the character into the next scene.
 
  3) PHOTOGRAPH: - to capture overall and specific items of evidence.
   Setting: - Where are they? When is it?  What’s the climate, lighting, etc?
Note all physical items in the scene-are they clues or red herrings?


       4) SKETCH – ACTION
       Choreograph what happens. Who was where, when?
       Who did what? How?


5)  PROCESS:  Evaluate, record, collect physical and testimonial evidence for further analysis

-          What did we learn?  How does this impact the plot? The character? The setting?
-          What is the result of the scene?  What step must the POV take next? What is the new goal? 
-          How does this propel the story and the characters into the next scene?
-      Are all the necessary clues and set-up information included?
THE DEVIL IS IN THE DETAILS