Your mystery balances on the character triangle of victim, villain, and sleuth. Each must be equally strong for your story to work.
Write Time Blog
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.
Your Mystery’s Hidden Villain
Unlike other novels, the mystery’s villain must stay hidden until the final reveal. Here’s how to keep them secret until the end.
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.
Are You Missing the Fun of Story Writing?
Three proven ways to kickstart each writing session so you don’t waste time staring at a blank page.
Use Moral Choices to Deepen Your Story
How to build tension and heighten reader engagement with moral choices.
Is Your Mystery a Mystery?
The genre differences between mystery, suspense, and thriller. Plus ten mystery elements you need to include in your mystery novel.