Who, What, When, Where, and Why

 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

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.