As we continue to explore eBook trends in fiction, another very popular genre is mystery and detective fiction. Mystery and detective fiction may also be one of the most challenging to write well, because it can be incredibly tricky to write believable, well-plotted mysteries and whodunits.
Don't forget to check out the other blogs in our eBook Trend series:
Zombie lit
Romantic fiction
Crime fiction
Fantasy fiction
Writing Good Mystery and Detective Fiction eBooks
A successful mystery or detective novel needs to have a well-developed mystery at its core. Great mysteries always have mystery solvers, too, whether they are hard-nosed detectives or the Nancy Drews, Agatha Christies, and Kinsey Millhones of the world.
In genres like romantic fiction, you can take detours in your narrative, devote whole chapters to character development or historical detail that brings the story to life. In mystery and detective novels, however, the function of the story is to always move the reader one step closer to solving the mystery. Rather than devoting an entire chapter to an in-depth look at a character, weave the details of a character's personality into more action-oriented development.
And don't give away too much too soon. At the same time, don't hold back so much that the solution seems implausible. If you magically wrap up the mystery without the reader being able to connect the dots, you will lose them. And, if they know by page two who did it and why, you will likewise lose their interest (and their recommendation and five-star rating that helps you sell more copies of your eBook).
Mystery and detective fiction requires you to walk a fine line between giving the reader too much and not giving enough. It can help to begin with who, what, where, and how the mystery will be solved and work backward from there, to build in the clues you'll need to tease the reader.
Have you written a mystery and detective fiction eBook? Share a link to your eBook in the comments!
Image credit As we continue to explore eBook trends in fiction, another very popular genre is mystery and detective fiction. Mystery and detective fiction may also be one of the most challenging to write well, because it can be incredibly tricky to write believable, well-plotted mysteries and whodunits.
Don't forget to check out the other blogs in our eBook Trend series:
Zombie lit
Romantic fiction
Crime fiction
Fantasy fiction
Writing Good Mystery and Detective Fiction eBooks
A successful mystery or detective novel needs to have a well-developed mystery at its core. Great mysteries always have mystery solvers, too, whether they are hard-nosed detectives or the Nancy Drews, Agatha Christies, and Kinsey Millhones of the world.
In genres like romantic fiction, you can take detours in your narrative, devote whole chapters to character development or historical detail that brings the story to life. In mystery and detective novels, however, the function of the story is to always move the reader one step closer to solving the mystery. Rather than devoting an entire chapter to an in-depth look at a character, weave the details of a character's personality into more action-oriented development.
And don't give away too much too soon. At the same time, don't hold back so much that the solution seems implausible. If you magically wrap up the mystery without the reader being able to connect the dots, you will lose them. And, if they know by page two who did it and why, you will likewise lose their interest (and their recommendation and five-star rating that helps you sell more copies of your eBook).
Mystery and detective fiction requires you to walk a fine line between giving the reader too much and not giving enough. It can help to begin with who, what, where, and how the mystery will be solved and work backward from there, to build in the clues you'll need to tease the reader.
Have you written a mystery and detective fiction eBook? Share a link to your eBook in the comments!
Image credit 