QUICK TIPS FROM A COZY MYSTERY EDITOR: THE VICTIM

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 MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series set in the Sonoma Valley, which includes the winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead, and two novels short-listed for Best Contemporary Novel. Listed as one of USA Today’s “Best Cozy Mystery Series,” her books have also been featured in PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, and Writer’s Digest. 

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.

HOW PAUSES IMPROVE YOUR WRITING POWER

By Korina Moss

One of the best pieces of advice I ever read was to treat writing like a muscle – if you use that muscle on a regular basis, it’ll work better and more efficiently. I’ve found this to be true. It at least gets you into a habit of writing, and now the days I don’t write feel odd. There was a time (before contracts and deadlines) when I’d wait to feel my muse before I’d sit down at my laptop, which could translate to weeks of not writing. My muse no longer dictates when I write—I drag her with me to the chair if need be. (If only I could drag myself to the gym since my other muscles have atrophied, thanks to my writing habit.) 

It's great to get into a writing routine, but after a while of overusing any muscle, it can get strained. Since my Cheese Shop Mystery series has come to an end with my recently released sixth book, Bait and Swiss, I was able to take a trip with my son for the first time in six years without a deadline or a book launch looming. Even without my series, my daily calendar is still packed with writing, editing, and book marketing commitments. Which is why I’d decided I was going to take a hiatus from being an author for our nine-day trip. 

During our time in Quebec City, instead of sitting down at my computer every morning, I sat down at a café for a coffee and croissant. 

Instead of using my writing muscle, I used my leg muscles to climb the hills of the city for a great view.

Instead of getting my word count in, I got my steps in exploring every quaint street with antique shops, art galleries, cathedrals, and a grand hotel. 

Instead of doing Google research, I learned firsthand about the Canadian government with a tour through the home of Canada’s Governor General. 

Instead of staring at my computer, I stared out at the St. Lawrence River. 

But you know what I discovered? You can take a break from writing, but you can’t take a hiatus from being an author. I soaked in every quaint street I walked and interesting person I met and delicious meal I ate and piece of art I pondered and street music I listened to and facts I learned; every laugh and conversation my son and I shared, and every new memory we made—all of it was absorbed. Without intent, to later be used for new ideas, new stories, new words on a blank page. As it turned out, when I left my author cap at home, my imagination flourished, and my writing muscle was revitalized. 

Readers: What does a vacation do for you? 

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series set in the Sonoma Valley, which includes the winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead, and two novels short-listed for Best Contemporary Novel. Listed as one of USA Today’s “Best Cozy Mystery Series,” her books have also been featured in PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, and Writer’s Digest. 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.

WRITING AND MOTHERHOOD by Korina Moss

 

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms out there! I’m a writer who’s also a mother. Or maybe it’s the other way around. I’ve had some dream-come-true success as a mystery writer, but when all is said and done, being a mom has been the job I take the most pride in. My son is a kind, accepting, empathetic, open-minded, and hard-working young adult. What else could a mom want? Because of his neurodiversity, I spent most of his school years advocating for him so he would be treated just like any other student and have the opportunity to live up to his potential. Now, he is about to finish his junior year in college on a four-year full academic scholarship, awarded in part for the leadership qualities he exhibited in high school. (Yes, I’m unapologetically bragging about my son.) 

One of the reasons I never dove headfirst into my writing when he was younger was because I didn’t have the emotional energy to focus on my creative pursuits while trying to remedy a flawed educational system (albeit with some amazing teachers and staff). But another reason was simply that I enjoyed getting to do all the fun mom stuff—planning birthday parties, making Halloween costumes, going on class field trips—unencumbered by outside responsibilities. So, I continued to be creative on my own terms – writing biweekly humorous essays for a local newspaper, entering (and winning) a statewide short story contest, and tinkering with a cozy mystery novel for nearly a decade. 

My winning story in the Hartford Courant

When my son was sixteen, I received my first publishing contract. Even then, I had a hard time making the switch to a full-time working (now single) mom. Luckily, my first book didn’t release for two more years, so I only had to focus on the research and writing while he was in school (and online schooling during Covid). All the extras that go into being a published author – the marketing, signings, and conferences on top of deadlines -- didn’t come into play until he was in college. 

One of the favorite book dedications I’ve ever read was one that said (I’m paraphrasing): “To my children without whom this book would have been completed two years earlier.”  I applaud any parent, especially a mother (because we seem to have the extra guilt gene), who is able to tap into their creative energy while raising children. I just didn’t have the emotional bandwidth to sustain both. Some moms I know write in the car pick-up line at school. Some get up extra early or write when their kids are in bed. (Or when their kids are lying next to them, during those times their children are sick or unable to sleep.) Some moms even have full-time jobs on top of it all. I have a friend whose manuscript is on submission who has four children. I only have one, so I don’t know how she does it! Mothers are truly amazing. (Yes, fathers are too, but we can talk about them next month on their holiday!)

Son reading before bed while mom writes

When I was in my twenties, I used to be an assistant event planner at a university alumni center, which required juggling many balls at once. I believe I was able to do it so easily because my investment in anything I was juggling was limited, unlike writing and motherhood. Books are like our babies, right? We birth them too. When I’m working on a book, I’m always thinking about the story. It’s like being in a perpetual daydream, which never blended well with motherhood for me. Luckily, there are plenty of moms out there who manage it just fine… or manage it with a lack of sleep, lots of compromise, and perhaps a helpful spouse. But they manage it, nonetheless, with happy, healthy children and a writing career to show for it. 

My Cheese Shop Mystery series

Maybe you thought this post would offer some advice on writing and motherhood. As you can see, I’m not the one to give it. Plenty of moms have balanced the two much better than I ever have. What I have managed to do is let go of regret that I decided to wait to prioritize my writing until I felt I could handle doing both. It’s okay to decide to hold off a writing career or, conversely, to go full speed ahead. It’s also okay to change your mind daily as you experiment with different ways to juggle the two. We each have to decide for ourselves how much we can handle and what we’re willing to compromise or sacrifice. There is no wrong decision. At the end of the day, no matter what has or hasn’t been accomplished, we’re still moms and we’re still writers. 

Readers: What’s your advice for balancing motherhood with writing or other priorities?   

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series set in the Sonoma Valley, which includes the winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead, and finalist for Best Contemporary Novel for Case of the Bleus and Fondue or Die. Listed as one of USA Today’s “Best Cozy Mystery Series,” her books have also been featured in PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, and Writer’s Digest. Korina is also a freelance developmental editor specializing in cozy and traditional mysteries. To learn more or subscribe to her free monthly #teamcheese newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.

Cozy Mystery Writing Tip: Letting Readers Become Armchair Detectives

by Korina Moss

In each of the books in my Cheese Shop Mystery series, my protagonist Willa and Team Cheese—the three friends she solves mysteries with—always sit at the same hand-hewn picnic table in the kitchenette of her cheese shop to discuss the murder and the suspects. Readers of my series know this is the time when the suspects and their motives will be laid out, helping readers to keep track of what our sleuths have discovered, and allowing them to make their own guesses as to whodunit. 

Cozy Mystery Booktuber, the Beachbum Bookworm

This is part of the fun of reading a cozy mystery—trying to solve the puzzle along with the sleuth. Cozy mysteries play fair with the reader. They lay out clues, weaving in some red herrings. With the clues given, readers may be able to solve the mystery. It all depends on how clever the author is at distraction. Cozy writers need to have a big enough pool of suspects for readers to guess from but not too many to overwhelm them. Readers also need to be able to keep the suspects and their motives straight. Here is the way I help my readers do this. 

• Soon after the murder is discovered, I write a scene cataloging who my sleuth thinks the suspects are. Every cozy should have five to six clear suspects. Your protagonist sleuth may not know who all of them are right away, but you should have a solid list of suspects very early in the book. 

• Then after some investigating (between a third and halfway into the book), I revisit the suspects and what’s been discovered about them. Maybe I’ve dismissed one or added one or maybe the list remains the same. The sleuth may be feeling more strongly about some than others at this point, which can change again based on new evidence. Some suspects may have a strong motive for having murdered the victim, but it appears they didn’t have opportunity or vice-versa. More investigating will reveal new motives and secret opportunities to have committed the crime. 

• As the book goes on, your protagonist’s investigation narrows down the suspect list until he or she is left with stronger suspicions about two or three of them. So, toward the end of the book, I’ll have a scene identifying the narrowed list of suspects and the reasons my sleuth thinks one of them may be the culprit.

Of course, all of these discoveries are also woven in throughout the story but stopping two or three times to write a scene discussing the suspects is helpful for the reader to play along and try to solve the mystery before the big reveal. As long as you’ve plotted your mystery carefully to keep even the savviest reader guessing, helping them become armchair detectives will help you gain a loyal readership. 

Readers: When reading a mystery, do you like to try to solve whodunnit? 

You can be an armchair detective when cozy mystery booktuber, the Beachbum Bookworm, discusses my Agatha Award-winning novel Cheddar Off Dead with her YouTube viewers during the last week of March (exact date to be announced). I'll be there too, so buy and read Cheddar Off Dead, go to her channel, subscribe and hit the notification button. Keep up with me on Facebook, Instagram, and my website so you won't miss it!

Cozy booktuber Sonia with an i

BUY NOW FOR $2.99

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series set in the Sonoma Valley, California, which includes multiple Agatha Award nominated books for Best Contemporary Novel and the winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead. Listed as one of USA Today’s Best Cozy Mystery Series, her books have also been featured in PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, and Writer’s Digest. Korina is also a freelance developmental editor and book coach specializing in cozy mysteries. To learn more or subscribe to her free monthly #teamcheese newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.

TAKING THE PATH OF MOST RESISTANCE

 by Korina Moss

When I began writing my fifth Cheese Shop mystery, Fondue or Die, I had one thought – to make things easy on myself. For once, I was going to choose the path of least resistance. You see, I’d just finished writing book 4, Case of the Bleus, which was anything but easy. I’d written it with two mysteries in one book—a murder mystery and a cheese mystery. It was a fun idea, but intersecting the two plotlines for the denouement’s reveal was more difficult than I’d anticipated. Let’s just say, there was a lot of hair-pulling to get it done just right and on deadline. It was worth it when my readers loved it, and it was eventually short-listed for the Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel last year. But when I’d turned it into my editor, overwhelmed and burnt out, I was determined that my next mystery was going to be simple, straight forward, and with much less hair pulling. 

My initial sketchy outline for Fondue or Die kept to my promise. However, the more the story took shape, the more that straight line began to curve and twist and circle back again. It quickly became clear that my new project had become my latest problem child. I couldn’t help it – the plot twists and complications that make my books more difficult to develop are the very things that also make them more exciting to write and more satisfying for readers. “YOU DID THIS TO YOURSELF!” I repeatedly yelled throughout the eight months of writing, revising, and hair pulling. 

So it was with a great deal of gratification—not to mention astonishment and of course, gratitude— that I received the news that Fondue or Die is a finalist for this year’s Agatha Award for Best Contemporary Novel. I’m humbled to see it alongside fellow nominees: A Collection of Lies by Connie Berry (who is also a member of Writers Who Kill), A Midnight Puzzle by Gigi Pandian, A Very Woodsy Murder by Ellen Byron, and The Dark Wives by Ann Cleeves.

The awards banquet will take place on April 26th at the Malice Domestic Fan Convention in Bethesda, Maryland. If you’d like to attend, more information can be found here. 

Readers: Have you ever attended a mystery conference or convention? Would you like to? 

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series set in the Sonoma Valley, California, which includes multiple Agatha Award nominated books for Best Contemporary Novel and the winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead. Listed as one of USA Today’s Best Cozy Mystery Series, her books have also been featured in PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, and Writer’s Digest. Korina is also a freelance developmental editor and book coach specializing in cozy mysteries. To learn more or subscribe to her free monthly #teamcheese newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.

COZY MYSTERY WRITING TIPS: THE BODY by Korina Moss

Let’s talk murder. Every cozy mystery has one, but the question of when the body should be discovered is arguable. 

By and large, readers of cozy mysteries like to try to figure out the mystery along with your protagonist. If a murder doesn’t happen by page 50 in your manuscript, readers can get impatient. For this reason, some writers open with their protagonist finding the victim’s body. This gets the reader immediately curious as to what’s happened, so it seems like the perfect solution. I’m going to tell you why I advocate for holding off for a few chapters. 

Although the mystery is extremely important to a cozy mystery book, the coziness and the characters are just as important. For a sustainable series, they may actually be more important to readers. So, let’s take the time to set your scene first. Let’s start getting to know at least your main character (MC). This doesn’t mean you should start with a slew of backstory. (You can drop backstory like breadcrumbs throughout the book.) Rather, the best way to get to know your MC is through her interactions with other characters, especially your core secondary characters. This will demonstrate your MC’s personality, your cozy theme (her place of business or hobby), and the initial stakes. 

Initial stakes? Yes, it helps the tension to have something extra at stake beside solving the murder. Is there an event your MC wants to carry off without a hitch? Is there a person she’s trying to impress? Perhaps something your MC has been working toward that MUST go right… and then a wrench is thrown in when a body is found. Having more at stake is always a good thing. 

But let’s get back to the body. 

If you take one to three chapters to introduce your setting, what is initially at stake, and your most important characters, readers are immediately invested when your MC discovers the body, and the finger of suspicion is pointed at her or someone close to her. By waiting until the end of chapter three to discover the body, readers know and (hopefully) already like your protagonist and her friends. They might even love her cozy business and see themselves living in her town. They know something personal to her is at stake that now will be more difficult (if not impossible) to accomplish. All this happens the moment she finds the body and it allows your readers to instantly root for her. Readers connect to your book more strongly if they are rooting for your main character rather than merely being curious about the body she’s discovered.

The initial stakes help to keep your readers interested before the murder takes place, but you should also use these chapters to “set up” the murder, which means introducing the victim while they’re alive and one or more of your suspects. Therefore, when the body is discovered, your MC may already have a theory about motive and some possible suspects. The stakes are now raised, and no time is lost in beginning the investigation! It’s a slower build with a bigger payoff. 

Author’s Note: 

It’s always a slippery slope to tell writers what they “should” do, because books can successfully tell a story in lots of different ways. Most writing rules are merely suggestions and the tips I offer are no different. My editorial tips are based on the expectations—in my experience—of my publishing editor at Macmillan, my literary agent, and readers of cozy mysteries. My goal is to help writers make their cozy mystery the best it can be, but it’s okay that not every tip resonates with every writer. 

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series set in the Sonoma Valley, including the Agatha Award winner for Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead and the Agatha Award finalist for Best Contemporary Novel, Case of the Bleus. Her books have been featured in USA Today, PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, and Writer’s Digest. To learn more about her books and editing services, or to subscribe to her free monthly #teamcheese newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.

Virtual Book Club Alert! My second Cheese Shop Mystery, Gone For Gouda, is the January book for Little Bites Book Club. This takes place on Instagram Live and everyone is invited. Go to allison_vic on Monday, January 27th at 8PM EST/7PM CST. Click on her IG Live profile to watch and/or comment during the discussion. Keep up with her Little Bites Book Club on Instagram.

FAIR DAYS

 by Korina Moss

September always puts me in the mood for a fair. I’ve been going to the Eastern States Exposition, better known as The Big E, in Massachusetts for 20 years. It’s an agricultural fair and then some, celebrating all things New England and takes place for 17 days in mid-September. 

I love the vibe of a fair: Watching happy people carrying large stuffed animal prizes on their shoulders, eating anything on a stick, and buying items that seem like “must buys” in the moment; the rhythm of the crowd noise punctuated by screams of teenagers on thrill rides and the bells and whistles of midway games; the quieter stalls of farm animals, giant pumpkins, and ribbon-winning pies, produce, and quilts; and the comingling aromas of cotton candy, kettle corn, smoked meats, and fried foods. Together, they create the cozy comforts of a fair—a perfect locale for a cozy mystery. 

Thus, it’s no surprise that I took a lot of inspiration from my love of the fair for my fifth Cheese Shop Mystery, Fondue or Die, which takes place at the Dairy Days festival. I pulled some of the dairy aspects of The Big E and incorporated them into my festival— the butter sculpture and the cows, goats, and sheep, as well as foods like milkshakes, poutine (fries topped with cheese curds and gravy), and mac and cheese in a bread cone. The Big E’s dairy judging turned into a cow parade for my fictional festival, and I added games like cow chip bingo and a musical udders contest (fake udders, of course). The festival’s Miss Dairy pageant was also my own idea. I think the chaos and slightly farcical nature of an outdated competition like this with, nonetheless, high stakes, make for a good mystery setting. 

Butter sculpture in progress

The best part of writing Fondue or Die was getting to spend so much time in my imagination at the fair. The worst part was no access to fair foods. My imagination apparently cannot adequately satisfy my craving for fried Oreos. 

What’s your favorite part of the fair? Give a shout-out to your favorite fair or festival. 

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series set in the Sonoma Valley, including the Agatha Award winner for Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead and the Agatha Award finalist for Best Contemporary Novel, Case of the Bleus. Her books have been featured in USA Today, PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, AARP, and Fresh Fiction. Her 5th book, Fondue or Die, releases on October 22nd. To learn more and preorder, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.