Writing whodunnits and mysteries

***Earniel*** · 04-14-2006, 06:25 PM

Most of us seem to be writing adventures and romance, but I was wondering whether anyone had tried his or her hand on a mystery or a whodunnit?

I've been thinking about them lately and they seem to me harder to write in comparison with, say, adventure-stories. Mainly because you have to work from the murder or crime up to the solution, while dropping hints and letting the characters discover bit by bit of info. And yet you have to be careful not let the reader see through the plot too soon or the story gets boring. While adventure stories can also rely on revelations and surprises, those are seemingly less vital to the story than in whodunnits.

Does anyone here have any experience with this type of story, or read any interesting article on how to write one? Is anyone thinking of writing one? And how would you start writing it if you did? Or why would you not?

04-14-2006, 06:25 PM	#1
*Earniel* The Chocoholic Sea Elf Administrator Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: N?n in Eilph (Belgium) Posts: 14,363	Writing whodunnits and mysteries Most of us seem to be writing adventures and romance, but I was wondering whether anyone had tried his or her hand on a mystery or a whodunnit? I've been thinking about them lately and they seem to me harder to write in comparison with, say, adventure-stories. Mainly because you have to work from the murder or crime up to the solution, while dropping hints and letting the characters discover bit by bit of info. And yet you have to be careful not let the reader see through the plot too soon or the story gets boring. While adventure stories can also rely on revelations and surprises, those are seemingly less vital to the story than in whodunnits. Does anyone here have any experience with this type of story, or read any interesting article on how to write one? Is anyone thinking of writing one? And how would you start writing it if you did? Or why would you not? __________________ We are not things.