by Skye
Alexander
Journalists
write according to what’s sometimes called the “inverted pyramid” style, which
means they front-load their articles, presenting the most pertinent details in
the first paragraph and then fleshing out their material as they proceed.
Newsmen and women aim to present the five Ws––who, what, when, where, and
why––in the first few sentences. This technique gives busy readers the key elements
of a story right away, and allows the newspaper’s editor to cut less important
information if space requirements dictate.
Having worked as a journalist before
turning to writing crime fiction, I noticed that mystery novels follow a
similar practice. If you’re a mystery writer, your goal is to: 1) grab your
reader’s attention quickly and, 2) introduce the main characters and story ingredients
as soon as possible. If you’re a journalist, you may only have a few hundred
words to tell your tale. If you’re a novelist, you’ll have a bigger arena in
which to spin out your saga, but usually you’ll want to present the crime and
the characters in the book’s first couple chapters.
Mysteries
are games writers play with readers. Readers try to figure out whodunit before
the end of the book. Writers try to trick them into guessing wrong. Let’s take
a look at how we might play the game.
Who
One way
writers introduce their characters to readers is by opening with a scene (or
scenes) that include all the important people in the story, both good guys and
bad. In her classic novel Murder on the
Orient Express, Agatha Christie does this by bringing them together on a
train traveling from London to the Middle East. Here, the hero or heroine meets
the villain––although he or she doesn’t know it at the time, and neither should
the reader. In Running in the Shadows, the
fourth book in my Lizzie Crane Jazz Age mystery series, I chose to launch the
story with a gala at the home of a flamboyant and infamous art collector where
all the major characters are in attendance.
If
you’re a reader trying to solve the mystery, notice who appears in the first part
the book. Ideally, the protagonist and antagonist should meet early.
What
In mystery
novels, the main plot (called the A story) centers on the crime. Most books also
include a secondary or B story. Both present the protagonist with challenges as
well as opportunities for growth. Maybe she’s involved in a problematic
partnership or he’s battling alcoholism. If the hero/ine is an amateur sleuth,
he or she may struggle to balance home life and career with solving a murder.
What are the key elements in the
tale? In addition to what actions take place, what other factors are important?
Will readers learn more about the juvenile justice system? Drug trafficking?
Auto racing? Lori Robbins’s On Pointe Mysteries take readers behind the scenes
of the ballet business, where things aren’t always as pretty as they appear on
stage. Some of the books in my series introduce readers to spiritual traditions
they may not be familiar with. What the
Walls Know, the second in the series, is set in a castle owned by an
eccentric occultist and many of the characters are Spiritualists who
communicate with discarnate beings. New Orleans voodoo is a major theme in my
sixth book (scheduled for 2026 release).
When
The period
in which a story occurs is essential to the plot’s possibilities. If an author
writes historical mysteries as I do, the details not only need to be accurate,
they should also provide insights into the villains’ means, motives, and
opportunities. For instance, if a story is set in the 19th century, characters
can’t jet about the world to carry out dastardly deeds or escape from bad guys
bent on killing them. The time involved in traveling by other means can serve
as a plot device, an opportunity to develop tension, and a way of gradually
revealing information. Forensics of the period will also dictate how a crime
can be investigated and solved.
If
you’re a writer, do your research to make sure you get it right. The fifth book
in my series, When the Blues Come Calling
(scheduled for release in the summer of 2025), is set in New York City in
June 1926. That summer, the city was busily converting its elevated railways to
subways. I had to find a map that showed which ones were still above ground that
month and which had been submerged, in order to accurately transport my
characters around town.
Where
The real estate agent’s axiom about the importance of
“location, location, location” also holds true for mystery writers and readers.
The place where a story occurs provides a backdrop for the action and creates
ambiance. It also grounds the tale in a time/space framework with a history,
culture, and physical features that dictate what can or cannot happen there. A
crime that transpires in a seventeenth-century French chateau, for instance,
will be different from one that takes place on the mean streets of Al Capone’s
Chicago.
Writers serve
as tour guides for readers, providing information about places and the people
who live there, as is the case with Tony Hillerman’s novels that take place in
the Four Corners. The third book in my series, The Goddess of Shipwrecked Sailors, is set in the history-rich city
of Salem, Massachusetts and spans two colorful time periods: the clipper ship
era in the mid-1800s and the Roaring Twenties.
Much as I enjoy reading about Louise
Penny’s fictitious town of Three Pines, Quebec, I didn’t want to limit my series to only one setting.
Consequently, I created a cast of New York jazz musicians whom wealthy people
hire to perform at special events. Each stint takes the entertainers to a
different location where they’re presented with a unique set of obstacles and
opportunities.
Why
We
read books to expand our horizons, to learn
about people, ideas, environments, and conditions we may never experience
ourselves. “Reading allows us to see and understand the world through the eyes
of others,” explains writer/illustrator Chris Riddell. Author Anne Tyler says
she reads, “So I can live more than one life in more than one place.” According
to writer Allen Bennett, “A book is a device to ignite the imagination.”
It’s interesting that during the pandemic lockdowns in
2021, print book sales in the US rose to a high of more than 837 million copies.
When the world seems dire and we’re blocked from experiencing our usual lives,
we turn to books not only for entertainment and information, but for hope and
solace.
Perhaps the ancient Greek philosopher Plato best
answered the question of why we read. “Books
give a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and
life to everything.”
About the Author
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Skye
Alexander is the author of nearly 50 fiction and nonfiction books. Her stories
have appeared in anthologies internationally, and her work has been translated
into fifteen languages. In 2003, she cofounded Level Best Books with fellow
crime writers Kate Flora and Susan Oleksiw. So far four traditional historical
novels in her Lizzie Crane mystery series have been published: Never Try to
Catch a Falling Knife, What the Walls Know, The Goddess of Shipwrecked Sailors, and Running in the Shadows. After living in Massachusetts for
thirty-one years, Skye now makes her home in Texas.
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