How to Write a Mystery: A Complete Guide

Mystery readers love to play along, piecing together clues before the detective. Writing a great mystery means giving them a fair chance while still delivering surprises.

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Track clues, suspects, and timelines in organized folders. Build your daily writing habit and finish your whodunit.

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Mystery Subgenres

Cozy: Amateur sleuth, small community, minimal violence
Police procedural: Professional investigators, realistic methods
Hardboiled: Cynical detective, gritty settings
Thriller: High stakes, danger to protagonist
Locked room: Impossible crime puzzle

Fair Play Rules

All clues available to the reader
The culprit appears early in the story
No supernatural solutions (unless established)
The detective can't be the criminal
Solution must be logical and earned

Essential Elements

The Crime

Usually murder (highest stakes)
Victim with secrets and enemies
Interesting method or circumstances

The Detective

Compelling personality and methods
Personal stakes in solving the case
Distinctive quirks and voice

Clues & Red Herrings

Clues: Evidence pointing to the truth
Red herrings: False leads that mislead
Hide clues in plain sight—bury them in dialogue or action

Mystery Structure

Setup: Introduce world and detective
Crime: Discovery of the crime
Investigation: Gather clues, interview suspects
Complication: Dead ends, false leads, new crimes
Revelation: Key clue unlocks the solution
Confrontation: Expose the culprit
Resolution: Justice served, loose ends tied

Planning Your Mystery

Work backwards: know the solution first.

Who is the criminal and why?
How did they do it?
What evidence exists?
What false trails can mislead?
Who are the alternative suspects?

Common Mistakes

Solution requires information withheld from reader
Culprit introduced too late
Clues too obvious or too obscure
Detective leaps to conclusions without evidence
Boring middle—investigation must escalate

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