Mystery readers have expectations. Use these 10 elemental mystery tropes, to give them what they want while writing a great story.
How to Expand Your Story Idea
A story idea isn’t a novel yet. Steps to flesh out your idea into a solid novel plan.
Write Without Fear: How to Overcome Writer Fear
Creativity is risk.Tips to overcome fear for writers. How to acknowledge your writing fears and steps to take to keep writing.
Who’s On First In Your Story?
Tips to master your story’s beginning. Character, setting, voice, action, and the first sentence all work together to draw your reader into your story.
The Mystery’s Magic Character Triangle
Your mystery balances on the character triangle of victim, villain, and sleuth. Each must be equally strong for your story to work.
When Characters Run Wild with Your Story
What to do when a character starts taking over your story.
Stop Overthinking Your Story
Planning makes writing go faster. But sometimes it feels as though you’re trying to squeeze your story into a plot structure. You are overthinking your story.
How to Build Story in the Middle – Part 2
A reversal at the midpoint points toward narrowing the focus in the second half of the middle.
How to Build Story in the Middle – Part 1
How to develop Act 2 in the four-act structure to expand your story and get readers invested in the story.
How To Balance Character and Plot in a Mystery Novel
Techniques for balancing plot and character by planning and then writing scene-by-scene.