The irony about writing a mystery story is that the story is a mystery to me. Even if I know what the outcome is, the clues and evidences remain to be discovered in the writing process.
When writing a mystery, I have to be in the moment of the scenes: the Q & A, the search for clues, the drive to locations, etc. My mystery novel, The Birnbaum Case, is a great example of this. When I wrote the story, I was figuring out the circumstances of Stanley Birnbaum’s disappearance while writing it. The mystery unfolded as I wrote it line after line, scene after scene. Even the lines of the dialogue weren’t planned. I wrote them as if I were in the characters shoes, writing what would come natural to them.
When writing a mystery, I want it to be intriguing and exciting throughout. If I had known all the answers at the start, there wouldn’t be room for spontaneity or to rewrite scenes and include unexpected twists. I want to surprise myself as I write to keep the story organic and fresh. I want the characters to sound genuine when they ask questions and answer them. I want the psychology of the characters to be real, not contrived. I want the story to unfold as if life were happening–where things interfere or where situations are unclear.
In essence, I want the mystery to feel organic and unpredictable at the same time. I want the experience of writing the mystery to be that way so that the revelations aren’t seen early on in the chapters.
Besides, the twists and turns are what piques our interest and keep us engaged in a mystery story. A good mystery will keep us reading to know what will happen until the very end. A great mystery will surprise us at every turn, and an amazing mystery will be a story that we don’t want to end.
Fallton Havenstonne 