Classic stories of crime, mystery and suspense have long inspired modern writers. Stories like, The Room of the Evil Thought by Elia W. Peattie; The Mystery of the Hasty Arrow by Anna Katherine Green; The Mystery of Marie Roget by Edgar Allan Poe; The Adventure of the Red Circle by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; and, The Blue Cross by G. K. Chesterton. Each of these stories touches on a universal theme that possesses broad appeal. The cursed necklace, the mysterious stranger, the locked room. Oddly enough, it’s the simple things that frighten us most, and classic authors took advantage of the fact. What could be more mind chilling than a common heartbeat that comes, not from a human chest, but from under the floor?
Of course, the umbrellas of crime, mystery and suspense now cover a lot of sub-genres. These popular tales include everything from cozy (bloodless) adventures to romantic suspense to “tween” puzzles, and more. But, regardless of “spin” or sub-genres, overall definitions remain the same.
A mystery is a secret, riddle or puzzle. Within the mystery fiction framework we find cozy mysteries (mind puzzles with little action and lots of deduction), the tough P.I. mystery (crammed with non-stop action and blood-spatter), and the cop mystery (where facts and fear are served up as the main course for a police procedural). Crime tales are, as defined by Wikipedia, stories that “…deal with crimes, their detection, criminals and their motives. Sub-genres include detective fiction (including the whodunit), legal thriller, courtroom drama and hardboiled fiction.” The suspense thriller is unlike any other genre. Here we find spy novels, crimes of passion and familiar madness, and always, uncertainty of resolution. Writing from multiple points of view, including the perspective of the villain, is one trick used to heighten the reader’s anxiety in a suspense thriller, which usually defines the challenge early-on and resolves it as close to the end of the work as possible.
Yet, in these three different types of fiction, there is one universal that can add panache to every tale. Author intrigue. Author intrigue is the singular idea that when the writer identifies and writes about what fascinates him or her that energy is passed on to the reader, like a lit match touching dry tinder. Sound simple? Think of it as a mystery ready to be solved. Write out what you like most in the mystery, crime or suspense fiction that you personally love. If necessary, make a list. Then, set your imagination to work. Weave these elements into your next writing project. The change will surprise you.
Writers exercise the greatest power when they write from the heart. So, discover what touches your heart and let it bloom into words of fire. If you don’t discover why you enjoy mystery and suspense, and then apply that to your writing…it would be a crime!
No comments:
Post a Comment