by Korina Moss
There are many early choices to make while plotting your cozy mystery. An important one is choosing the murder victim. The victim doesn’t spend too much time on the page. After all, you should have him killed off by chapter three (chapter five at the latest). So, he should be someone who can make a big impression in a short amount of time. If he has an interaction with several characters before he’s murdered, you’ll have the beginnings of your suspect list ready as soon as the body is discovered, keeping the pace brisk. If there’s some kind of relationship between the victim and your protagonist, even better—it may give your main character a reason to investigate or a reason to be suspected!
However, you want to stay away from making the murder victim and your protagonist’s relationship too close. If the victim is a beloved family member or best friend, it will be difficult for the lighter tone of your cozy mystery to recover, as it needs to do fairly quickly after the murder. It’s good to include some humor to lift the darkness of what’s just been discovered, but it won’t land well if the victim is Uncle Dewey or your protagonist’s best friend. That’s not to say your protagonist shouldn’t be affected; they absolutely should. Write a scene where she’s shocked, upset, or reflective about the victim or death itself. Although cozies have a lighter tone, they still need to feel grounded and real. After that brief but somber time is taken, your protagonist goes into investigative mode as soon as the death has been identified as a murder (if it’s not obvious). The pacing of a cozy mystery should be quick and compact, so you don’t want to spend precious early pages grieving and not getting back to the fun part—trying to solve this mystery!
Keep in mind that you’re likely going to be revealing a lot about the victim as your protagonist begins to piece together the murder. So, make sure the victim isn’t just a one-note bad guy. Think of a full backstory for him (for you, not necessarily for the page), so that he’ll come across as a fully formed three-dimensional character. If you think about it, the victim is kind of the star of the book. Make sure he deserves that title.
When you’re deciding who should be your murder victim, consider the following:
• How will your victim make the greatest impact in a short amount of time?
• What is your victim’s relationship with your protagonist?
• Will your protagonist be able to bounce back from their death to keep the tone cozy?
• Will your victim be able to interact with some of the characters so those characters can become the initial suspects?
• Is your victim a fully formed character?
Readers: Do you have any tips or preferences for a cozy mystery author choosing a murder victim?
Korina is also a freelance developmental editor specializing in cozy and traditional mysteries. To learn more or subscribe to her free monthly newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.
It's hard to decide if it should be someone who deserves to be killed or who was an "innocent." The latter sometimes works better for me for immersion.
ReplyDeleteI agree. I've done both. Sometimes it's fun to do someone everyone hates but other times there's more of an emotional investment if it's someone who seemed like a good person.
DeleteBe careful killing characters to whom readers have become attached. That can make for unhappy readers.
ReplyDeleteI should've put that in! Great addition.
DeleteLots of good advice! I'm with Debra. It is hard to decide sometimes.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Debra. It's easier to kill off an innocent.
ReplyDeleteIn the world which most of my characters inhabit, pretty much anyone can be a victim. And it's possible that any of them "deserve" it. I have to admit, though, that they are not "cozies" under the modern definition (although they do fall into the traditional idea of "cozy," as demonstrated by Agatha Christie's classic tales.
ReplyDeleteYes, the cozies that meet the strict modern definition have different "rules" than traditional mysteries.
DeleteGreat points!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kait!
DeleteSuch interesting tips, Korina. Thanks for sharing them. My victims usually somehow bring it on themselves. Sometimes my killers are the "innocent" ones. I mostly love layered characters who have understandable reasons for their actions (though that doesn't make murder okay, of course...)
ReplyDelete