ZARA ALTAIR FOR RWA KISS OF DEATH - COFFIN
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An introduction to developing characters for a mystery novel. Who they are. How they work in the story. And how they add to the mystery puzzle.
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ZARA ALTAIR FOR RWA KISS OF DEATH - COFFIN
- 1. ZARA ALTAIR FOR RWA KISS OF DEATH - COFFIN Who They Are and How They Work in Your Story 1
- 3. Caption - Presentation - Q & A - Writing Session - Share HOW WE’LL WORK TOGETHER
- 4. ZARA ALTAIR Mystery Author Teacher Story Development Script Doctor
- 5. READERS COME FOR THE PLOT
- 6. AND STAY FOR THE CHARACTERS Caption
- 7. “ROMANCE NOVEL IN WHICH SUSPENSE, MYSTERY, OR THRILLER ELEMENTS CONSTITUTE AN INTEGRAL PART OF THE PLOT” RWA ROMANTIC SUSPENSE
- 9. - a baffling crime, usually a murder - an investigator committed to solving the crime - a concealed killer villain - the killer’s cover-up - discovery process and elimination of suspects - evaluation of clues, sorting the true from the false - identification and apprehension of the villain MYSTERY COMPONENTS READERS EXPECT
- 12. HOW DOES YOUR SLEUTH STACK UP?
- 13. - Inspector Jules Maigret - Argolicus used to have as much authority, but now he must rely on his acumen alone. - Commissario Salvo Montalbano - Not as volatile but certainly as doggedly persistent. And, yes, his helper, Nikolaos, sometimes gets the bits he misses. - Cadfael - As compassionate without the religious fervor. - Father Brown - A certain naȉvete which allows people to share intimacies. - Bernie Gunther - Similar strong moral values, without the snark. - Gregor Reinhart - None of the angst, but keen observation skills and an ability to navigate political in-fights. - Gordianus - In the thick of politics, but centuries later. - Falco - At the other end of the social strata, but equally keen to solve a problem. - Commissario Guido Brunetti - Unencumbered by family matters, Argolicus must still navigate a political maze. SLEUTH COMPARISON EXAMPLE
- 14. QUESTIONS?
- 15. COMPARE YOUR SLEUTH 5 Minute Brainstorm
- 16. - observant - obstinate in the face of opposition - trained inspector - expects excellence - fearless in tough situations YOUR DETECTIVE’S SKILLS FOCUS ON YOUR DETECTIVE
- 17. DETECTIVE SKILLS 2 Minute Brainstorm
- 19. Meet Argolicus, a learned man, who turns detective at the bidding of others who know him as trustworthy, wise, and fair. His tools are the logic of Aristotle, the self-restraint of Epictetus, the theology of Arius, and the empirical insights of Marcus Aurelius all sharpened to an edge by wry humor and ferocious curiosity. He collects evidence, deciphers politics, and digs into the deepest secrets of the human heart.
- 20. QUESTIONS?
- 21. MEET YOUR DETECTIVE 5 Minute Brainstorm
- 22. SHARE TIME
- 23. WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO KILL YOUR VICTIM?
- 24. - Context in the story. Much of the victim’s context besides the death is the victim’s relationships with suspects - Physical details. Details that attracted and/or repelled other characters - Emotional makeup. Likewise, what attracted or repelled other characters - Specifics of how the victim impacted the killer THE VICTIM IN CONTEXT
- 25. QUESTIONS?
- 26. - The victim’s public reputation - The victim’s relationship to suspect 1 - The victim’s relationship to suspect 2 - The victim’s relationship to suspect 3 - The victim’s relationship to suspect 4 - The victim’s relationship, if any, to supporting characters: love interest, mentor, sidekick, etc. - The victim’s relationship to the villain VICTIM NETWORK
- 27. YOUR VICTIM’S RELATIONSHIPS 5 Minute Brainstorm
- 28. SHARE TIME
- 29. I KILLED THE VICTIM, BUT NOBODY KNOWS
- 30. - Personal life not related to the victim - Secrets they want to keep hidden - Lies they tell to preserve the secrets - Life-related to the victim THE VILLAIN’S HIDDEN TRAITS
- 31. HIDE TO REVEAL
- 32. QUESTIONS?
- 33. YOUR VILLAIN’S SECRETS 5 Minute Brainstorm
- 34. SHARE TIME
- 35. LOOKING SUSPICIOUS AND TELLING LIES
- 36. - Their life related to the victim - Personal life not related to the victim - Secrets they want to keep hidden - Lies they tell to preserve the secrets SUSPICIOUS SUSPECTS
- 37. SUSPECT SECRETS
- 38. QUESTIONS?
- 39. PICK A SUSPECT 5 Minute Brainstorm
- 40. SHARE TIME
- 41. HOW DOES YOUR CHARACTER SUPPORT THE MYSTERY GOAL?
- 42. - How the character relates to each of the other characters - How they fit in the framework of the story STORY ROLE = CONTEXT
- 43. QUESTIONS?
- 44. SUPPORTING CHARACTER RELATION AND STORY CONTEXT 5 Minute Brainstorm
- 45. SHARE TIME
- 46. LAST QUESTIONS
- 47. zaraaltair.com zara@zaraaltair.com WRITE A KILLER MYSTERY
Editor's Notes
- Welcome! I’m mystery author Zara Altair. Today we’ll discover how to approach mystery characters to build an intriguing story readers love. Thank you to Kiss of Death Chapter for inviting me to The College of Felony and Intrigue.
- Mystery writing is fun. So pull out your playful creativity. We’ll be working through several sessions.
- We’ll all participate today. Learning happens when you take action. You internalize the concept. Each session starts with presentation, followed by a Question and Answer session to clarify, and then a brief writing session, followed by sharing. When you share with others you can give them a light bulb moment for their own story. You’ll learn the main characters in a mystery and how they fit into the story, and how their story role helps you define the character. We’re going to be writing so get your tools ready. Pen and paper, notes on your device. Use the workbook as your guide. You received a link in your invitation.
- A little about me. I am a mystery writer. with a historical mystery series set in Ancient Italy, Argolicus mysteries. and ghostwriter of multiple romance novels. I’ve taught writing for so many years you’ll guess my age. I’ve taught privately and at university. And taught teachers to teach writing. I’m a story development consultant working with screenwriters, directors, and novelists.
- Genre readers have expectations about your story. It’s as true for Romantic Suspense as it is for mysteries. Readers come for the plot…
- and stay for the characters. So let’s look at the basic mystery elements genre readers expect.
- Romance Writers of America (RWA) defines romantic suspense as “romance novels in which suspense, mystery, or thriller elements constitute an integral part of the plot. Today we’re focused on mystery look at the components of a mystery
- For your mystery to resonate with mystery genre fans, the novel needs certain elements that readers expect in a mystery.
- A mystery works as a puzzle. Your sleuth and the reader sort through suspect statements and clues to discern the real killer. Your work as a writer is to hide the killer until the end of the story. Readers expect these components and will be disappointed if they are not there.
- Today we’ll investigate how characters fit in to your mystery. We’re not going to look at your Character Bible, or physical details, or deep wounds. You want to create those character background elements, but not today. We’re going to work on how your characters add to your mystery. You’ll learn that story roles affect how you go about creating and using characters in your mystery so they add the most reader engagement. Let’s start with your sleuth, your detective.
- The main character, protagonist of a mystery is the sleuth. They can be professional or amateur. Their role is to guide the reader through the mystery puzzle.
- You know your protagonist. Presenting your favorite character to the reading public and differentiating him or her to readers is challenging. You want your readers to like your protagonist as much as you do. More importantly, you want your reader to CARE about your sleuth. Caring about your character invests your reader in the story. The first step is choosing other protagonists similar in some way. And highlighting, for yourself, how your protagonist is similar but unique.
- Here’s an example of comparing your sleuth to your personal favorites. You don’t need to know who these literary characters are. My protagonist, Argolicus, lives in 6th Century Italy. The sleuths are from books I’ve read. Your list will be different. Unique to you and your sleuth. The concept is to think of other sleuths in your genre that you admire and then match your detective’s skills and traits.
- Let’s take five minutes for you to compare your sleuth to your favorite detectives. How do they mirror skills? How is your sleuth different? There are no right answers. This is a brainstorming exercise to connect you with how your sleuth operates. We’ll spend 5 minutes today. I encourage you to add to this list after today’s session. Two more exercises before we have a sharing session.
- Now we’ll focus in on your detective. Listing their skills and strengths. Draw from the comparison list and think of others. Once you complete your list, prioritize the skills your sleuth uses in your mystery. You may want to brainstorm before you select the top skill. Give yourself bonus points if you list the flaw that get’s in their way.
- Take 2 minutes to list your detective’s main sleuthing skills. This is not physical attributes like tall, dark, and handsome. But the attributes that make them good a solving a puzzle, the mystery puzzle.
- Now you’re going to wrap all that up into a reader introduction to your sleuth. Here’s an example. I’ll use Argolicus.
- Meet Argolicus, a learned man, who turns detective at the bidding of others who know him as trustworthy, wise, and fair. His tools are the logic of Aristotle, the self-restraint of Epictetus, the theology of Arius, and the empirical insights of Marcus Aurelius all sharpened to an edge by wry humor and ferocious curiosity. He collects evidence, deciphers politics, and digs into the deepest secrets of the human heart. Once you create your introduction, you can use it in promotions to entice readers to your story.
- Before we start writing, any questions?
- Take 5 minutes to introduce your detective. Telling your reader why they’ll want to read all about this super sleuth.
- Introduce us to your sleuth. Or share your list of skills. Or share your comparisons. Did you come up with a new way to think about your detective? That was wonderful. Now let’s tackle the forgotten mystery character, the victim.
- The victim in your mystery is more than just a dead body. The victim is the fulcrum for your entire mystery. Without your victim, your sleuth has no mystery to solve, no clues, no suspects to interview, and no killer. Everything in your mystery pivots around the victim.
- The victim’s social and emotional ties impact all your suspects. Those ties are the basis of your sleuth’s investigation. Who knew the victim? What was their relationship? The mystery is based on relationships. You need to know.
- Before we start writing, any questions?
- The victim’s public reputation. This is the first thing your detective will learn. As your detective investigates, she starts meeting the people in the victim’s life. Each of your suspects has a different relationship to the victim. Describe how the victim was tied to each suspect. Each relationship should be different for your mystery. And each one will surface clues and red herrings for your sleuth. That’s why the victim is the key to the rest of the story. If you have more than 4 suspects, describe each relationship. Tip: 8 is about as many suspects as a reader can handle. Beyond 8, the numerous suspects become confusing. The victim’s relationship to suspect 1. The victim’s relationship to suspect 2 The victim’s relationship to suspect 3 The victim’s relationship to suspect 4 The victim’s relationship to the villain. This is the last thing your detective discovers. This relationship probes the depths of the victim’s personality and the villain’s. Make it rich.
- Take 5 minutes to introduce your detective. Telling your reader why they’ll want to read all about this super sleuth.
- Tell us about your victim. Are they likable or despicable? What is it about them that would trigger someone to kill them? Is it obvious or does your sleuth have to dig…a a lot? That was wonderful. Now let’s tackle the forgotten mystery character, the victim.
- Mystery writers have a unique challenge, keeping the villain hidden. In most novels, the antagonist is front and center, challenging the protagonist and creating conflict and obstruction as the story progresses. But the mystery’s antagonist remains hidden until the end.
- Throughout most of your mystery, the villain is one of several suspects. Create a rich background. You’ll give yourself a variety of puzzle pieces to drop into your story. And remember, from the villain’s point of view, they are right. The villain’s attributes are especially important if you write the villain’s story in an alternate voice.
- Experienced writers know that rich background allows for opportunities to use details as they are writing. Even you, the writer, may not know which details you will use in your mystery until you are writing. Once you paint a detailed portrait ov your villain in your character background, think about ways you can drip details and, at the same time, keep your reader from guessing whodunit. I’ve added some ways to hide details about your villain in the worksheet. Play with these successful ways to drip clues about your villain and still keep them hidden.
- Any questions about the villain?
- Take 5 minutes to list your villains secrets and how he or she hides them from others, especially your sleuth.
- Introduce us to your villain’s secrets and/or share how they hide the secrets your list of skills. That was wonderful. We’ve covered the big 3 of a mystery: the sleuth, the victim, and the villain. Now let’s look at suspects.
- Suspects are the lifeblood of your mystery. Without them your mystery sleuth would have no challenges and solve the mystery in an instant. While evidence, clues, and red herrings help your reader keep guessing, the suspects provide personal interaction with your sleuth. That interaction is the story world that keeps your reader turning pages. Your suspects may not LOOK as suspicious as these three, but you want them to feel that way to your detective.
- Your challenge as a mystery writer is to create characters that challenge your sleuth. Your detective must track down, examine, and determine each suspect’s relationship to the victim. Each interaction with a suspect drives your sleuth – and your reader – toward the final solution. Each suspect had a relationship with the victim. Use that relationship to provide insight into the victim’s world. But, each suspect also has a private life. That private life is what drives the interaction with your sleuth. Some writers use suspects as the major focus like Ann Cleeves, Elizabeth George, P.D. James. They go deep into the suspects.
- The secrets your suspects harbor do not need to be related to the murder. A suspect can appear suspicious by hiding a personal secret that doesn’t relate to the victim or the murder. The very act of attempting to hide a secret creates tension in your story. Tension keeps readers turning pages. The more readers see your characters hiding secrets the more they engage in solving the mystery. Your sleuth works hard to uncover the secrets suspects hide. Your readers will work just as hard as suspects throw up screens and hide personal secrets. As long as you have a firm grasp on each suspect’s relationship to the victim, you’ll help your reader plunge into the clues, relate to the suspects, question their actions, and keep guessing until the end.
- questions about the suspects?
- Take 5 minutes to focus on one of your suspects (not the villain) how are they suspicious in your sleuth’s eyes? What secret do they want to keep secret. What lie do they normally tell to hide the secret? What is their backup lie when someone, like your detective, pierces through the first lie.
- I love how you are giving each other ideas. Suspects are the backbone of your mystery. Share one of your suspects. How do they hide the truth? And how does your sleuth suss out the truth behind the lies? You all are awesome.
- Every mystery has the same goal. Your protagonist sleuth is searching for truth. That truth is to discover the villain. One of the best ways to keep your character creation under control is to know how each character supports the mystery goal—the villain reveal, the truth uncovered. Each character either supports or hinders your sleuth’s search for the truth. Each supporting character requires a character arc, a strong point of view, and distinctive personality traits. Strong supporting characters grow and change in the story. Characters that readers recognize from their own life add dimension and reality to the story. Supporting characters must be dynamic and engaging to your reader.
- The primary aspect of secondary characters is their role in the story. Context is how the character fits in the story. The character serves a role in moving the story forward. Context works in two ways: How the character relates to each of the other characters How they fit in the framework of the story Knowing each character’s context from the beginning will help you avoid some common character story malfunctions. Character context makes your story cohesive from start to finish. Knowing a character has red hair is less important than how that character works in your story. You can change a shy girl to an aggressive girl, and she may still have the same story role. As long as you know the context of a character you can play with traits and aspects, but their function in the story remains the same. As your characters interact in your story, they expand your reader’s experience of the main characters and enliven your story.
- questions about the suspects?
- Take 5 minutes to focus on one of your supporting characters. What is their relationship to the protagonist? Sidekick? Friend? Mentor? How does that work? Does your protagonist always listen to them? Are they always at odds? If you are writing romantic suspense, you may want to choose the love interest. Do they help or hinder your sleuth? Are they a dual protagonist? Are they an opponent, bent on keeping your sleuth from the truth?
- Supporting characters round out your story, enliven the plot, and add dimension to your protagonist as we see them through those other character’s eyes. Share one of your supporting characters.
- Any last questions?
- Thank you! I hope you had fun today playing with ideas. Most of all, I hope you gained new insights into thinking about how characters work in a mystery. My website is zaraaltair.com You can reach me at zara@zaraaltair.com My complete course on writing a mystery is Write A Killer Mystery. There’s a private group for students where we share ideas and I answer questions in a monthly Office Hour session.