Welcome to the second part of “Elements Your Mystery Novel Needs.” Hopefully, you already saw the first part on my YouTube channel. You can click here to see it. 

This post will cover the other important elements I believe goes into creating a well-written mystery novel. Whereas the video of part one discussed clues, suspects, and how to make a powerful first chapter, this post will encompass ways to structure a plot, apply backstory, write side characters, and how to pick a title that captivates readers.

*(And if you need your novel professionally edited, you can check out my SERVICES page for more information.)

Your Mystery Novel Needs a Good Plot

In my opinion, no other genre of film or literature depends on its plot like the mystery. Whereas literary fiction can ramble on about nothing because it focuses on the character so extremely, the mystery novel relies 100% on its ability to make everything in the plot count towards the big moment in the end. Even mystery-esque genres like thrillers and horror can tell great stories without their full reliance on mystery genre tropes because of their need to allow the reader in to know the story as it unfolds. 

Here are some ways to make the plot of your mystery novel exciting:

Outline

My suggestion for you is to have a brief outline of some type. Whether it is a fully-detailed outline of scenes and plot twists or just minimal descriptions of scenes, I advise you to make it. A mystery novel requires that attention to detail or else you will never finish the story on time nor nail every detail. I’m not talking about an outline about the setting or character details. I am referring to exactly how you want the forward-moving plot to navigate.

To begin, you should write a one-sentence summary that tells your plot of your mystery novel. It may seem like it is not enough, but it will get you started by seeing it in writing. More elements will derive from that one sentence. Just give it time. For now, have that one sentence and believe in it. Feel confident that you will be able to stick to that idea for the whole 400 pages. If you look at that sentence and don’t feel 100% confident about it, then I suggest you revise it until you do. Your plot and the overall story will suffer if you don’t have confidence in it. 

Once you have the sentence summary, you can go further by making a bullet point list of the plot. Use headings, sub-headings, numbers, bolds, and italics. Use underlines. 

For example:

TITLE: MYSTERY NOVEL

ONE SENTENCE SUMMARY:

A hero goes off to solve a murder and discovers a way to solve his own problems, too.

CHAPTER ONE:

HERO FINDS HIS FRIEND HAS BEEN KILLED IN A CAR ACCIDENT

HERO FINDS WEIRD CLUE AT HIS FRIEND’S HOUSE

CHAPTER TWO:

HERO LEARNS HIS FRIEND WAS INVOLVED IN SHADY BUSINESS

HERO HAS HIS OWN FAMILY ISSUES

And so on and so forth…

You get the point. To outline is quite simple, especially when you do it at a bare minimum like this. It forces you to think quickly and write briefly about the plot. I have used this method countless times for my own works.

The Adventure

Your mystery novel’s plot will focus on the character as he or she goes through the plot. That is obvious. However, how you navigate your hero through the plot matters very much.

The hero must solve the puzzle. Or the hero must discover who the killer is at the end. You, the writer, will create certain scenarios that might prohibit the hero from reaching the goal. Like these: 

1. Conflicted backstory

    • If your hero fears flying in airplanes, make sure he or she has a moment when they must board a plane to save the day.
    • If your hero doesn’t trust his mother, make a situation when he must trust her to get information.

Whatever the backstory, you should ensure that the hero has a personal problem that the hero finds it difficult to overcome. And moreover, by overcoming his personal problem it will help him solve the mystery at the same time. 

2. Setbacks

    • Any good mystery novel knows how to include the setbacks to make the adventure worse for the hero.
    • The quest should not be easy for the hero.
    • If your hero just bought a new car, then have it get hit by a truck, leaving him stranded at a strange hotel.
    • If your hero relies on wi-fi to transfer data about a case to his boss, make the power go out…and then have him battle the villain in the dark!

Setbacks are easy and can be fun. You know the hero will eventually get what he or she wants in the end, but to put them through all the hassle beforehand makes for great storytelling. 

3. Amplify the Suspense

    • Making a situation worse is always a great way to keep the reader hooked.
    • Have the villain know a secret about the hero
    • Play with time.
      • Add a countdown to diffuse a bomb or find an antidote to a virus.
      • Read my post about suspense for more and read my eBook about suspense, too.

Your Mystery Novel Needs Side Characters

Supporting characters in a mystery novel is not any different than those found in other genres. 

However, the ones in a mystery will tend to be “shadier” and will almost always serve a purpose that forwards the progression of the plot forward rather than the characterization. 

In mysteries, you will likely find the hero aided by another one like him or her in the same profession.

Cop & Cop

  • It could be the buddy-cop plot where they don’t get along and must work together to solve the plot.
  • One cop is a short-term thinker; the other one has long-term goals
  • And by the end, they have respect for one another.
  • The 2014 HBO series True Detective and the 1995 movie Seven are great examples for you to study this dynamic.
    • The detectives have two totally different outlooks on life.
    • They must work things out for the greater good: to solve the mystery

The Sidekick

Every good hero in a story needs a sidekick that can help him or her along the way.

  • The sidekick usually is not in the profession as the hero.
    • This benefits the hero because the sidekick might have access to other areas the hero cannot achieve.
    • The sidekick is usually the opposite of the hero regarding personality.
      • This contrast can teach the hero something new.
      • And can help solve the case with his contrasting perspectives to the hero.
      • The sidekick can contrast in many ways, such as:
        • gender; race; rival sports teams; religious beliefs; class; social justice beliefs; etc.
  • However, the sidekick can also take on the role of an apprentice.
    • If so, the sidekick can mimic the hero and learn from the hero.
    • A sidekick can also form a close bond with the hero because of his admiration for the hero.
    • The friendship can lead to great plot points later in the story that builds suspense when that friendship is threatened.

Rival (not a villain)

This one typically gets mistaken for the villain of the group, which he or she is not.

  • The rival is the one whom the hero knows well and despises, but in some way, may fuel the hero to strive.
  • The hero will develop more as a character or solve the case because of this opponent they know.
  • This opponent to the hero can make life difficult for the hero on purpose.
    • An overwhelming boss or landlord or anyone who has power over the hero can act as a rival.
  • The rival is always present to remind the audience of the hero’s mission.

*A perfect rival character is Grumpy from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Grumpy, in my opinion, is the heart of the tale. Because Grumpy is never happy, he becomes Snow White’s “project” to help throughout the story. She never gives up on Grumpy and helps him make his character arc by the end.

Anyone, Not the Hero

The side character can be anyone. It doesn’t have to be someone in the same profession, but it helps because it is a mystery novel, after all. Right?

It also depends on how many supporting characters you will have in your novel. I have edited so many manuscripts where every scene and chapter is only about the hero and maybe one or two other people. That is not cool, folks. Having a limited amount of side characters in your entire novel shows inexperience in writing fiction.

A novel must live and breathe with its supporting characters. They should come in a vast array of types. Some should play a more important role than others. But they should all rightfully exist in the novel. Even if the hero exchanges money with a cashier for a brief second, the author, you, should make the cashier exist in the novel. Do they have small talk? Does the cashier wear a certain article of clothing that says something about her personality?

Side characters are extremely important within the many pages of a novel. There should be no excuse whatsoever if you do not have any in your story. My suggestion for you is to have an outline ready with as much info as possible about the major supporting characters in your novel.

Your Mystery Novel Needs Backstory

In any novel, a certain amount of backstory will be present. But in a mystery novel of any girth, the backstory will likely serve as a necessity to learn of the plot and character’s motivations that will solve the mystery later on. 

Backstory must be there to give the reader some type of explanation as to why the hero acts the way they do or why the plot is happening. Everyone has a past. Some times, that past is positive and some times…it is not. Regardless of the backstory, it is how the author handles the application of the backstory that matters to the reader, even if they do not recognize how it was relayed to them.

*Novice writers tend to overload backstory in the first chapter. Other times, the writer will have entire chapters dedicated to the backstory, taking the reader away from the forward-moving plot. I suggest you don’t do this. 

Because the backstory of a plot or a hero is so vital to the overall story, especially within a mystery novel, it needs—and deserves—proper handling. Along with telling a compelling story, maintaining the interest of the reader is paramount. This is easily lost because of the need to explain anything that has happened before the beginnings of the novel. This is a very important decision the author must make:

  • How much information should there be?
  • Where should the author place this information?
  • How will the reader learn of the backstory? 

How Much is Too Much?

Some writers actually believe that readers care enough to read entire chapters or sudden long shifts in a scene that lasts several pages where the narrator talks about the backstory of a character or plot.

I sure don’t.

And I definitely have no desire to write loads of backstory in my own mystery novel because I already know better.

All I do know is that my main goal as a reader is to solve the mystery before the characters. We readers of the mystery genre are intelligent because our brains are working overtime to put the pieces of the puzzle together as quickly and correctly as possible. And if we have a massive amount of backstory to deal with, that not only bores us to death but also prevents us from solving the mystery. Understand me?

If a writer must use backstory, then he or she should do this to keep it interesting:

  • Don’t overdo the amount. Sprinkle it in from time to time. Resist using paragraphs to tell the backstory.
  • Instead, try to use one or two sentences at a time to keep the reader aware of the backstory but don’t overwhelm them.

Where Should I Put This Fantastic Backstory?

Every writer will have their own choice. Some will prefer to begin with the backstory. Some will prefer to have actual chapters. And other writers may not mention backstory at all.

Personally, I don’t enjoy reading too much backstory at one given time. I find it a fault in the writer’s ability to navigate an interesting narrative—no matter how interesting the story is to read. I feel this way because I know that if the writer truly felt that the info in the backstory was important to the plot, he or she could, and would, integrate it into the current plot.

So, where?

  • Quickly mention the backstory in the first chapter…
  • Then, again in each opposite chapter…
  • Until the current plot and backstory become so ingrained that their importance merges together to reveal something in the third act.

How Will I Display the Important Backstory?

This is the easy part.

You can install the backstory with a few different methods, all of which are equal and have the same effect. 

  • Dialogue
    • When done through two characters talking about an incident in the past, the dialogue in a mystery novel is kept cryptic with subtext.
    • This dialogue should convey just enough info without giving away too much.
  • Inner Monologue
    • You can choose either a first or third-person narrative to do this.
    • Divulging backstory in a first-person narration will break the 4th wall.
      • And will talk directly to the reader. 
      • This is a good and a bad way to do backstory.
      • It is good because the backstory is immediate to the reader.
      • It is bad because the backstory can be boring if done too much.
    • Third-person narration 
      • Works well, but it has the tendency to linger on as if a part of the actual current story.
      • There is nothing quite dramatic about the backstory in third-person.

*Whichever Point of View you choose, just remember that when you write the backstory, your VERBS should jump back, as well. If your novel is written in the present tense, then any backstory should be in the past tense. If your story is written in the past tense, then the backstory should be in the past perfect tense. Simple as that. 

Any Other Ways?

A really great way to layer in the backstory can come in the form of text, audio, or video. 

Especially in a mystery story, these documents can quickly deliver the appropriate amount of info. Literature and film use this method to discuss events that have happened before the current story. It allows a brief summary of what important instances have affected characters in the past and what the current characters can do now that they might be involved in similar situations. 

Some types are:

  • Journals:
    • A great way to provide the backstory about the plot and especially the character. 
    • A journal is so private and personal it can highlight just the significant moments while not going astray.
  • Video
    • In literature, this can be tricky for the writer.
    • If the story uses a video, then the writer needs to only detail the specific moments in the video.
    • A truly talented writer will use objects, symbols, colors, and sounds within the video that will provide an important backstory.
  • Audio
    • If a character finds an audiotape it can provide great elements to a mystery novel.
    • The background sounds or the voice of a character can foreshadow or symbolize events to come or clues for the hero.  

Choosing the Title of Your Mystery Novel

The title of your novel is so important I cannot stress it enough to you.

The good thing about choosing a title for a mystery novel rather than any other genre is that you don’t necessarily need to make the title too subtextual.

A genre like literary fiction tends to have titles that force the reader to understand certain themes of the novel (i.e. The heartbeat of the dead vase). A mystery novel can have a title work just fine if it is about an object or character (i.e. The red door). 

The title you choose should provide a clear and concise pitch to your literary agent. The better the title, the easier it will be for them to sell your novel to a publisher. Also, the title should be compelling enough to lure in readers who may not know you yet. Straightforward titles are common in the mystery genre; however, every once in a while you might see a more complex title that you now represent something deeper. Whatever the title, it should be easier for a reader to remember.

So, when should you choose this title? Should you decide on a title before you write the book or after?

Before You Write it

  1. Having a working title will give you possible clues and plot ideas for the story.
  2. It can force you to stay on the path you had in mind rather than go astray.

After You Write it

  1. Naming the novel after you complete writing it will give you the most ideas because you already know everything about it.
  2. You won’t be so angry when your literary agent changes the title on you because you haven’t had that much time to get attached.

Series Titles

In the mystery genre, you will find that series’ are quite common. 

They will have sleuths or detectives that will go on for several books as they go through their many adventures. Because the main hero is in every novel, the author will many times title the next novel with a similar title as the last. Usually, a similar word or number is a common theme. This tells the reader that it is the next progression in the tale of the hero. 

How Many Words in a Title?

Believe it or not, the number of words you use in your mystery novel matters. Big time. Less is more.

The higher the number of words, the more likely you are dealing with a literary fiction novel—a book more in tune with serious themes and poetic resonances. 

The fewer the word count in the title, the more likely the mystery novel will embrace the mystery community. 

So, how many words work well for a mystery novel title?… Under 4 words.

If you think of a damn good title in under four words…awesome! Chances are the title will work more successfully than longer titles. 

There you have it. Those are my four major elements to writing a good mystery novel. Please check out the first part I made on YouTube here. You can check out my YouTube channel where I talk about creative writing and editing. Click here to visit. 

And if you have a manuscript that you think might need some editing before sending it out to a literary agent or before you self-publish it, you can check out my SERVICES page to hire me as your book editor.

And if you want to amplify the suspense in your short story or your novel, you can purchase my eBook here. 

Get edited. Get published.

~M