Dragon Writing Prompts

Well, this has been coming. Kat has lost enthusiasm because of her work lost with the dead computer and has moved onto other projects. I wasn’t enamored of my murderer or victim and I haven’t taken the time to punch them up. Though I did come up with a detective and side kick I liked: a catperson and a dogperson, ah, the personal and social conflicts that could generate! Maybe I’ll use them for NaNoWriMo …

It’s not a lightly made decision but it had reached a point where it was draining more than returning. If you’ve been depending on me, sorry :-( There are new and used copies of the book I’ve been using, Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery, at Amazon.

Ninth weekend with “Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery“.

This weekend is The Working Synopsis.

The working synopsis is a summary of your story *so far*. At this point most people will still have gaps and weak spots (especially the second act). That’s not only okay, it’s expected at this stage. The synopsis is another technique for organizing your thoughts and seeing where the holes are and what still needs work.

Write the synopsis in the present tense, that is, describe characters as though you’re seeing them and their actions right now and telling someone about it: “Boris is a bottom tier student at a top tier college. When he enters the RA’s dorm room, he finds the senior draped dead across the bed, an iPod cord wrapped around his neck.”

I don’t know why they’re written in present tense but I’ve done synopses before and without anyone telling me to do it in present tense it came out in present tense. Maybe it feels like a play-by-play analysis in sports since you’re chronicling what happens as it unfolds :-)

The authors have written their synopsis in 5 parts. Set a time limit for yourself so you don’t sweat over trying to be perfect. When the timer goes off, stop and move onto the next section. Be fast and loose and have fun with it. Play with the language. A couple of the authors’ suggestions are to:

• start a bunch of sentences with “Because …” as in Because she wanted x, she did y. Because she did y, he wanted z. Because he wanted z, she did a.
• start a series of sentences with “And then ..” And then a happened. And then b happened. And then c happened.

1. Back story (also written in present tense) - 10-15 minutes - This is all the events you have so far that have shaped who you characters are and the seeds of what ends up as murder. (It’s also written in the present tense.)
2. Act 1 - 10 minutes
3. Act 2 — First half - 20 minutes for *both*
4. Act 2 — Second half
5. Act 3 - 10 minutes

Write two synopses: In the first you should feel the “sweep of the story” from beginning to end. In the second (the rewrite) you focus on the problem areas. Take a break before you start on the rewrite but when you come back, start with Act 2 since that’s the area most books have problems in. Give yourself about an hour for the first synopsis and a little more for the rewrite.

Next weekend is scene building.

Yes, we’re back. :-)

Eighth weekend with “Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery @ Amazon“.

This weekend is sub-plots.

This one’s a whole lot easier to understand and explain! :-)

A subplot is another story that runs along side the main story. A novel can have several subplots. They add richness and texture to the story and the characters.

The main plot in a mystery is the hunt for the killer. The subplots run along with it. The authors focus on the rather trite “false trail leading to a scapegoat” in their examples. In fact the Christie novel, Body in the Library, even has bumbling police following the false trail ;-) A false trail is undoubtedly a useful tactic for a first mystery: it builds in a false picture of what really happened.

But subplots, of course, can be any side stories that are going on during the course of the novel. Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series seems to be 80% subplots that involve the main character’s out of the office life. ;-) Usually, because it does often feel more satisfying to the reader, something from the main story has caused or has some effect on the subplot (like when her car gets blown up during an investigation and she has to borrow her grandfather’s (?) car.) Sometimes vice versa, that is, she’ll have to change her bounty hunting because of some crisis with her sister.

Guidelines for Using Subplot

1. Subplots come from back story.

In the author’s example, there are several events in the background of various characters that get mined to create the subplot.

As a reader it often seems as though the author pictures the end of the story and that automatically creates all the characters, their backgrounds and their quirks necessary to reach it. It seems like a magic mysterious process. :-)

But from what the authors are showing, and what has happened to me during the novels created for National Novel Writing Month, the story gets shaped out of the random, quirky ideas that have no real meaning at the time they’re written. The quirky ideas just pour out in the planning process (for the authors) or the writing process (for me ;-). Some quirky ideas that don’t end up fitting with anything, get removed eventually from the story. Some that were minor initially, the author goes back and fleshes them out.

It’s sort of like creating a patchwork quilt from randomly grabbed squares. Someone can look at the finished product and wonder how the artist knew those particular shades would work so well before she started. How did she come up with the idea to put those together? The truth is the idea came from what she had available to her.

So, as with quilts, subplots can come out of the random background material you’ve already generated.

2. Subplots come from character.

A subplot can come from a character that you find you like as you’re writing or thinking about her. She gets fleshed out and the random ideas about her create a subplot which weaves into the main plot (and can often change the direction you had originally intended to head it in.)

3. Subplots come from objects.

A subplot can come from an object. The authors use the Maltese Falcon as an example. People have been questing for the statue of the bird for a long time. The bird draws those people together to continue their quest while the story takes place. They aren’t part of the murder. They are, basically, distraction. But entertaining distraction :-)

4. Subplots come from theme.

Often it’s been said that you don’t know your theme until you’ve finished your first draft ;-) Which is just to say if you have no idea what your theme is, don’t worry about it. It’s pretty common not to see an overall message until the whole thing is done. (So then, for your second draft, you go back and strengthen the scenes that support the theme and lessen or cut out the parts that don’t. It makes it *seem* like you knew from the beginning that you were writing about “The Death of Love” or “Man’s inhumanity to man” ;-)

Anyway, the authors use “F is for Fugitive” as an example where Sue Grafton has interwoven three stories of “Lost Fathers” into the novel: the scapegoat’s father, the father of the victim’s unborn child and the victim’s father.

It can be very satisfying when a theme inspired subplot also involves the detective. *But* it can also feel forced if it doesn’t grow naturally from the character or you can see it coming from halfway through the book. It doesn’t ring true if every mystery a detective solves involves some soul ripping revelation about herself ;-)

Novel work

1. Back story

Review what you did for Weekend 5: Backstory to find events, objects, and people that might work into subplots. The authors suggest that playing “What if” might help: What if a character gets another scene to tell more about himself? What would come out? How does the character change if she’s wearing a tennis outfit, or a bathing suit, or prison dungarees? (The finished novel never shows all the playing around with possible ideas and directions the author has done in the creation process ;-)

2. Scene Cards

Use scene cards to track the course of your subplot through the structure of your novel. The authors suggest that if you have more than one subplot to use different colors for the cards. Name the subplots (as well as the scenes). Use colorful names that will evoke strong feelings and memories to help you.

3. Plot Picture

Redraw your plot picture diagram. Put the main scenes above the rising line. Put the subplots below. The authors suggest that in a 250-300 page mystery, a subplot needs half a dozen scenes.

Next week is The Working Synopsis.

A break from the mystery writing.

We have the technology now: a brand new old computer. Next week we’ll be working on Weekend 7 so we’re a bit behind.

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Seventh weekend with “Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery”.

This weekend is a plot picture-diagram.

Two things the authors mentioned this time that should have come up before:

Name your scene cards. By naming each scene you’ll be able to more easily call up the package of people, revelations, objects, emotions, the scene contains. This will be a big help to you when you’re trying to get an overall sense of the flow of scenes or when you shuffle them about trying to see where a scene works best. The authors suggest having fun with the names, to create vivid connections between the title and the scene. The more vivid the title, the stronger the connection and picture it will call up for you.

Act length. Acts 1 and 3 are about the same length. Act 2 is about twice as long. Since Act 2 is divided by the midpoint, Act 1, Act 2 first part, Act 2 second part and Act 3 are all about the same length. If the book is about 300 pages, Act 1 will end around page 75, the midpoint will be page 150 and the beginning of Act 3 will be around page 225. At the moment this is important, but when you start writing, if you find yourself on page 120 with no sign of the plot point that should end Act 1, that will give you a clue that things need tightened up there during your first rewrite.

Plot Pictures

So far you’ve generated scenes that need to be in the story, stuff that there won’t be a murder mystery without: discovering the body, confronting the killer, climaxes/crises to raise the drama and so on. You also have a cast of characters who need to enter and exit the book at various points. A plot picture can help you see if characters might be tripping over each other in the beginning and no where to be seen in the middle, or that an important clue doesn’t get mentioned until the end of Act 2.

Draw a rising line across the page. This represents rising drama. Divide it into 4 equal parts: Act 1, Act 2 first part, Act 2 second part, Act 3. Label it with the vivid names that you came up with for the 6 key scenes: opening, plot point 1, midpoint, plot point 2, climax, and wrap-up.

Ed, a reader who is following along, shared this from the book. (Which is way more useful, though not as cute, as the rising line of cats ;-)

(click to enlarge)

Now indicate approximately where the major characters (killer, victim, sleuth, catalyst) enter for the first time (called “onstage”). This is where you will create a defining picture of each. Also note where they exit. (From their description it sounds like the authors mean exit a scene, but in their diagram they note when characters make permanent exits from the book, eg, die.)

Note, as each character enters, they bring with them their own agenda to the story. They each have something they want that may clash with what the sleuth wants or what other characters want. So, as each character enters, this is the chance for a new scene. A scene is where the immediate goal, the point of what ensues changes. That is, the sleuth may be finding out about the movements of the murder victim and then the murder victim’s mother enters with her own agenda. That can signal a shift in the point of what follows. Create a vivid name for each of these scenes.

Then attach any minor characters you’ve created.

If time in the story is important, note that. Show the passage of hours, days, weeks, months, years. Whatever pace it is your story is unfolding in. If your sleuth is injured on day 1, you’ll have a visual cue of how far into your story that will still be a factor.

If there’s a particular object that’s key to solving the murder, the authors suggest noting along the plot line where it surfaces (physically or in someone’s recollections) throughout the story. Since their diagram was crowded, they put notes across the bottom, each lining up with the point where they will occur during the story.

Generating Scenes

If the diagram has gotten too full, the authors suggest creating a second one. Put the character entrances on and then note the scenes, with their vivid names, along the rising action line.

Make a scene card for each new scene you’ve created. Add any new information, such as how one scene connects to another, to any scene cards you created previously.

Sixth weekend with “Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery”.

This weekend is key scenes. Like last weekend, it’s a bit of a challenge to interpret what the authors are trying to say. So this one isn’t totally clear and might be better seen as a introduction to the material in the book.

The authors say “Key scenes give you a framework for your mystery.”

You have a bunch of events and emotions you’ve been writing about over the past five weeks. What you need is to start seeing some order for the sleuth will uncover them in. It won’t necessarily be a logical order. There are secrets that people will lie for and events they won’t think important. You want to build up the tension, create drama, and, usually, paint of false picture of what’s going on.

They suggest dividing the story into 3 acts like in a play, each of those will contain 2 key scenes. Written like that, it paints a false picture. The acts aren’t equal in size. Act 2 will be much longer than Act 1 and Act 3.

Act One: The set up. This is where you, well, set everything up. Introduce characters “flashing their agendas.” Agendas clash. Conflict ensues.

• Opener - This is the initial meeting with the murder and many of the main players.
• Plot point 1 - A mini climax. After this point in a play, the curtain falls. Some twist to the story takes place. It can be the arrest of the most likely suspect (who is, of course, the wrong suspect.) It can be another murder.

Act Two: The complication. More characters enter. More possibilities.

• Midpoint - The middle of the book. Another climax. In the final book, this may be one scene or several scenes.
• Plot point 2 - This can be where you resolve a couple of threads or subplots that have been building up. There can be another death. Or a disappearance.

Act 3: The resolution.

• Climax - Where all that’s been building up comes to a head, where good confronts evil.
• Wrap-up - Where all the loose ends are tied up. The authors suggest that the best wrap ups are when the sleuth needs to sacrifice something. The sleuth may turn down money for solving the murder, for instance (if the resolution rubs against his ideals.) (This is probably easier to do in a one shot story rather than an ongoing series character.)

Sources for elements to build up the key scenes.

1. Backstory - Mine your backstory for elements for each key scene. Gather the pieces together that will paint a different picture than what has really happened so after each scene it will feel like the story is headed in one direction.
2. Plot diagram - This is a visual representation of the elements taken from the backstory. The authors have written the 6 key scenes across the page and a vertical list of elements from the backstory. Lines connect the scenes with elements reealed or effecting each scene. Sometimes elements affect more than one scene.
3. Scene cards - You may have created cards for these particular scenes in the previous weeks. Just mark them as key scenes. Here’s a breakdown the authors suggest for the main elements to put on the key scene cards:
   • Opener: focus on objects: snow, vans, frozen clothing, mud, wounds, sleuth in a parka, etc.
   • Plot point 1: focus on setting and emotion. Then on objects. Build a connection between the emotions you want raised and where the scene is set. In the author’s mystery, the scene is a mansion decorated like the quarterdeck of Ahab’s doomed ship in Moby Dick.
   • Midpoint: focus on action, motive and objects.
   • Plot point 2: setting, action, objects.
   • Climax: focus on the killer

Then summarize each key scene in a short paragraph. Focus on creating a logical sequence for the actions, eg, the sleuth does this because …

Next week is Plot picture-diagram.

Fifth weekend with The Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery: The backstory.

The next 5 week ends are plotting. Plotting is the order you choose to put the events in. While all murders mysteries begin with a murder, that isn’t where all novels begin. If you think of the sequence of events as:

A. Murder
B. Discovery
C. Reporting
D. Crime scene

a mystery novel can begin with any of those. If you begin at part C, then A and B are filled in as the book progresses. Which of these you begin with is up to you and up to the story you’re trying to tell.

This weekend is pulling out details of the backstory from your imagination that creates the crime to help you order the events for your story. Dig into the the various characters’ pasts to create details, choices and life events that lead up to one character desiring to end the life of another and one character to become the person someone wanted to kill.

There are 3 parts to creating the backstory:

1. Checklist
2. Chronology
3. Narrative summary

1. Checklist

This is details of the murder scene.

Time: What time of day does the killing take place? The will affect what the characters have done previous to the murder, what they’re dressed for if they’re headed for a meeting later.

Place: Where does the killing occur? This will affect transportation to and from the murder scene for both murder and victim. It will affect who might see them and whether if they’re scene, some will note it as unusual.

Lighting: Important if the murder happens in a place that isn’t well lit. You’ll need to think about where the light sources are and how well the various characters (murderer, victim, witnesses) can see.

Weather: Affects how the characters are dressed. It will be notable if someone is dressed oddly for the weather suggesting they didn’t intend to be where they were found or seen.

Arrival: How did the killer get there? How did the victim get there? Where did they get their transportation?

Departure: How does the victim get where she or he ends up (if the body is found in a different place from where the victim was murdered)? How is the body moved from where it’s found? How does the killer get from the crime scene?

Struggle: Is there a struggle before the murder? What kind of clues does it leave behind?

Death instruments: What are the murder weapons? How does the killer acquire it or them? Was the murder item grabbed on the spur of the moment or chosen carefully? How does the killer get rid of the weapon?

Wounds: What wounds accompany the murder?

Wardrobe and makeup: How is victim dressed? What were they doing before or planning to do next? Did either murderer or victim leave items behind?

2. Chronology

Write a chronology of the series of events that led up to the murder. This could delve back years into the past that caused two characters to meet or caused one character to explore a new passion or cover up a secret.

3. Narrative summary

Write out the series of events that lead from one event to another and why. The authors suggest beginning sentences with “because” and “since”, that is “Because Maloreen’s little brother was her only family, he was a weak spot for her. Because Maloreen had a weak spot for her brother, when he began running with a bad crowd, she moved the two of them to the Moon colony. Because she moved to the Moon colony and set up shop there, she drew business away from the only other florist in the colony.” Or, “Because Sparky’s master was too busy to feed her, she peed on his shoes. Because the shoes he’d planned on wearing for the crime were peed on, he had to wear the pair with the distinctive tread.”

Then try delving into motives and desires with sentences structured like “Since x wants (desires, yearns for) y and because z stands in his way, x kills her.”

These are just techniques to force you to think about and build up the foundation that supports what happens.

Next week is Key Scenes.

Fourth weekend with The Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery: The catalyst.

Unlike the previous three characters, the catalyst character isn’t as clear cut. In fact, I read the explanation in the book several times and it was difficult to get a clear picture because the role is relatively vague.

In chemistry a catalyst participates in a reaction but isn’t itself one of the parts reacting and it remains unchanged. They explain the catalyst character as someone who “makes things happen”, “a change agent, a motivator driven by a deep inner need that drives the plot.”

Which seems pretty straight forward until they start giving examples ;-)

So, my interpretation is the catalyst is someone who has a personal connection to the case who gets the sleuth asking questions and keeps her energized. The catalyst adds an extra dimension to the sleuth’s hunt for the killer beyond a search for justice. The catalyst might be the victim’s mother, the sleuth’s boss, the scapegoat’s father. It can be a cop, a reporter, the sleuth’s assistant. It can be the possessor of what the killer’s trying to get. (What the authors call the resource base.)

The authors say a litmus test for the catalyst is:

1. Connects to the other characters.
2. Connects to the resource base.
3. Helps with the plot.

It might be easier to think of the catalyst not as a vital character (like the killer or sleuth) but one that helps you write the story :-)

So once you’ve picked a candidate for your catalyst from the extra characters that have arisen from the previous three weekends or made up fresh, there are four parts to work on:

1. Connections.
2. Resource base.
3. Profile.
4. Scene cards.

1. Connections

Explore (and develop and create and make up) the connections between the catalyst and the other characters. You can start off on the surface and then dig deeper into motivations, shared experiences, hurts and dreams. Think passionately. The stronger the connections, the more strongly the characters feel, the more interesting they are. A desire to hold onto wealth that represents what amounted to love from a distant father is more captivating than “Cuz it’s mine.”

A tiny sampling of possible connections:

family
money
business
guilt
love
passion
revenge
fellow students
friendship
barkeep
debt of honor
blackmail
hobbies

2. Resource base

Explore the connections between the catalyst and what the killer is trying to gain possession of. The authors suggest you write a narrative exploring the background of the character and their first entry into the story. Explore details of dress and manner. For that you write in present tense, such as, “Irina is my catalyst, She enters the story dressed like Cinderella …” What does she want? Does she want the resource base? Does she want to protect it?

3. Profile

Some of this you may have come up with as you were developing the previous characters or during the previous two exercises. “With a profile, your goal is to discover motive.” Start with physical details and work up to need and desire and want, to create an agenda for your character. She’s the one helping the plot. So figure out why she’s doing that?

4. Scene cards

Create scene cards where the catalyst appears. Make notes about time, place, season, weather, objects, others in the scene, who talks to who, essence of their discussion. Note wardrobe that reveals weather, season, personality, background, status and so forth.

Next week begins 5 weeks on plotting with charts and circles and arrows and 8x10 color glossies.

Third weekend with The Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery: The sleuth.

Rather than starting with a stock sleuth build someone you want to know more about. That seems obvious but you do need someone who interests you enough to carry you through the book: a female vampire hunter, a lizard scaled ex-mecha mechanic, a dragon groomer for the queen, a rumpled Harvard grad with a penchant for the afternoon soaps … :-)

There are 4 parts:

1. Back story
2. Character sketch
3. Scene cards
4. The sleuth speaks

1. Back story

Write a couple of pages on the back story of your sleuth. You may want to start with the events that connect the sleuth to the mystery if there is personal involvement: how did your sleuth meet the killer or victim or others connected to the crime? What pieces of her history brought her to being a sleuth? Who is her family and what was her relationship with them like? Where are they now? What was her upbringing (wealthy? poor? constantly on the move?) Education? Special relationships in the past that shaped who she is?

2. Character sketch

Do this quickly. Describe the sleuth’s physical characteristics, personal habits, daily routines, quirks, daily delights and irritations. Wardrobe (comfortable, business, stylish, athletic, artistic … which should reflect (or perhaps attempt to disguise!) who the character is inside.) Loves? Enemies? Favorite books, TV shows, food. Small details — like saving playbills in a shoebox — can bring a character to life.

3. Scene cards

Flesh out some of the previous scene cards with anything new you’ve discovered about your sleuth. (Perhaps you wrote the scene cards based on a professional sleuth and now realize he’s an amateur for example.) And add more such as: Recreation of the crime scene, Killer confrontation, Sleuth’s reward (the piece that makes the outcome satisfying for the sleuth, eg, being able to turn down dirty money offered, bringing a killer like the one who slew the sleuth’s sister to justice.)

Make notes of what the sleuth is feeling, seeing, thinking.

4. The sleuth speaks

Get some dialog for your sleuth flowing. It can be a bit of the crime scene, or something that stirs the characters emotions. Whatever it is, get her talking about it so you hear her voice.

Next week is The Catalyst. A catalyst is something that remains unchanged but causes changes in what it contacts.

Second weekend with The Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery: The victim.

There are four parts to the work on the victim:

1. Monologue
2. Character sketch
3. Killer connection
4. Steps to the murder
5. Plotting with scene cards

1. Monologue

Write in the first person, the hopes and dreams and fears of the victim. In the authors’ example, they wrote an internal monologue of the victim’s feelings and hopes and running commentary written in the present tense as she went about the events preceding the murder.

I didn’t find it natural to create both events and feelings at the same time so ended up with something that sounded more like a series of diary entries, expressing her feelings towards the various people.

2. Character sketch

This covers the same information as you did for the killer: personal, objects, character links, resource base. (If your mystery has more than one victim, describe the victim that opens the book.)

Use it as a way to draw out more of the character and how who she is gets revealed in what she looks like (what did her hopes and dreams and hobbies do to her physical appearance), how she dresses (what was she dressed in and why those particular clothes), objects she kept around her. (The sleuth will use all these to go the opposite direction, creating a vision of the victim from the objects.)

3. Killer connection

How did the murderer and victim connect? How did they meet? How long have they known each other? What choices did the victim make in life (or were made for her) that brought killer and victim into each others lives?

4. Steps to the murder

Walk the victim through the steps leading up to the point she is killed. Get her dressed, get her prepared to head off towards where she meets the killer. This can be third person or a monologue or a mixture. Whatever draws the details out for you.

5. Plotting with scene cards

If your victim is dead when the book opens, obviously the scene cards will be the crime scene and then people discussing the victim:

1. Crime scene - give a physical description of the victim and the scene. Draw out sights, sounds, smells, textures.
2. Witness Interview - sleuth will dig up the victim’s past.
3. Suspect Interrogation - sleuth will try to connect the suspects with the victim.
4. Victim’s Lair - more clues to the past and connections to the killer.

Next weekend is the sleuth.

First weekend with The Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery: The killer.

There are four parts to the work on the killer:

1. Interview with the killer
2. Character sketch
3. Murder checklist
4. Plotting with scene cards

Part 1 - Interview with the killer

The first part, Interview with the killer, is the bulk of the project for the weekend and quite possibly will provide answers for 2 and 3.

This was unexpectedly easier than one would think. How can you interview someone you know nothing about who has done something you know nothing about?

It’s actually not as impossible as you think because people — and characters are people too — love to talk about themselves :-)

I did begin by picking out a murder reason. Here’s a couple of resources:

• Way too many good reasons to murder someone
• All the plots in the world

I had this vague impression the murderer would be a youngish woman, in a fantasy world that was almost contemporary. Then I had her sit down (after her death with an angel reporter but that’s all pretty vague and won’t appear in the story) and start talking about the murder and her past and basics about who she is and what led up to the murder. I didn’t have her answers planned out. They were made up on the spot. In a couple of places she contradicted herself and came up with better answers so while it’s not necessary to be consistent, you’ll notice that made up answers open doorways of possibilities that lead to more possibilities which flesh out the character and background for you.

Part 2 - Character sketch

The one he’s given is pretty vague and basic.

• Personal: Name, age, sex, profession, residence, birthplace, skills, hobbies, weaknesses etc.
• Objects: Home, toys, wardrobe, vehicle, tools, jewelry, etc.
  (That one didn’t do much for me but it might be because mine is a murder to eliminate control rather than one to gain something.)
• Character links: Connections (blood, money, work) to other characters.
• Resource base: This phrase doesn’t quite do it for me ;-) but what the authors mean is what the killer is trying to get (treasure, power source, object of desire). What’s between the killer and what he wants?

Part 3 - Murder Checklist

This is the environment the killer operates in:

• Place (where, indoors or out, did the killer choose, how much planning, etc.)
• Time (when, what time of day — which affects what the character is wearing and has with him and what he has access to)
• Lighting (artificial, natural, twilight, blazing sun of the desert)
• Weapon (why, how did the character get access to the weapon, how much knowledge does the character have, is it an immediate death or slow death (poison)
• Wounds (what kind of wounds, did the killer try to remove signs of the murder)
• Weather (season, temperature, what affects on the murder or the body does this have?)
• Planning (how much planning was involved, where did the killer get the weapon, was planning on paper or in her head?)
• Disposal (how was (if it was) the body disposed of? left there? left for animals? thrown in the ocean? etc.)

Part 4 - Plotting with scene cards

These are index cards with brief descriptions of scenes. For now you’ll create 2 or 3. As you gather more, as the story grows more complex, you’ll be able to shuffle them about to see how the order affects the story.

Give each scene a title (this will help when you start shuffling!) and tell a bit about who, what, where. Make stuff up! You can always change it later.

1. Murderer Onstage - This is the first time the murderer appears. (It might also coincide with:
2. Murderer meets the sleuth - It might be an interview. It might be inadvertant. It might be at the crime scene. It might be a friend they’ve known.
3. Murderer Confesses or Murderer Revealed - This might be the classic everyone gathered in the library as the sleuth goes through the possibilities. Or it might be the sleuth explaining.

And that’s it.

Next week is the Victim.

Note: This project only went on for 10 weeks before a computer ate all my daughter’s notes and we lost enthusiasm for it. But you’re welcome to read through as far as we got to see if the book might interest you. It was a new and interesting experience for me to plot out a book before writing it :-)

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I just picked up an intriguing book called The Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery by Robert J. Ray (author of 7 Matt Murdock mysteries though I’m not familiar with the series) and Jack Remick.

It’s 52 weekends to a finished mystery novel. They write their own mystery along with the reader.

Kat thought it sounded like fun so, as we’re doing it, I thought I’d post summaries of what the authors suggest you do each weekend on Fridays so you can join in if you’d like. Obviously their book has more thorough explanations and lots more encouragement. But we’ll see how well it works!

If you’d like to try, mysteries don’t need to be contemporary! I like historical mysteries, though that might involve some research. ;-) But authors have successfully combined fantasy or science fiction with mystery, like Laurel K. Hamilton’s vampire series and Isaac Asimov’s Robot series, just to name two.

To get going, they suggest creating a story profile. Obviously at this stage you won’t know much! But write down ideas that pop into your head. They aren’t etched in stone. You can always change them. You can always leave blanks to fill in later as the story sails along:

Fill in (as you can):

• Working title
• Type of tale
• Setting
• Time
• Main characters
  • killer
  • victim
  • sleuth
• Notes on the murder
  • weapon
  • wounds
  • time of death
  • motive
  • other
• Body discovered by
• Witnesses
• Suspects
• Scapegoats
• Other

The creation schedule is broken into 4 parts:

1. Planning
2. First draft which is written “fast and loose” — like NaNoWriMo :-)
3. Second draft — where the gaps are filled in and the bumps smoothed out
4. Final draft — where it’s polished

And the weekly breakdown of tasks is:

• Weekends 1-4: Character work
  • Killer
  • Victim
  • Sleuth
  • Catalyst
• Weekends 5-9: Plotting
  • Back story
  • Key Scenes
  • Plot Picture-Diagram
  • Subplots
  • The working synopsis
• Weekends 10-13: Scene building
  • Crime scene
  • Dialogue
  • Action
  • Setting
• Weekends 14-25: First Draft
  • Writing Act One
  • Writing Act Two
  • Writing Act Three
• Weekends 26-38: Second Draft
  • Weekends 26-29: Rewriting Act One
  • Weekends 30-35: Rewriting Act Two
  • Weekends 36-38: Rewriting Act Three
• Weekends 39-52: Final Draft

(By the way there’s also The Weekend Novelist for writing a novel.

And that’s it until next Friday!