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Vannetta Chapman | Seven Steps to Writing a Mystery
My recent release, Love In Store, appears in the collection AN AMISH MARKET. Like my
other stories set in Indiana Amish communities, this is a mystery. Today I want
to share my top seven tips for writing a mystery.
- Read a few first! When my publisher contacted me about
writing a mystery, I immediately said YES, and then I ran to my local library. I
pulled a large stack of mysteries from the shelf, sat in a big cushy library
chair, and read through the back cover copyβtaking notes as I went along. Then I
read the first chapters, and finally I took the very best home with me. It
always helps to read what youβre trying to write!
- Decide who your sleuth will be. Sleuths come in all shapes,
sizes, and colors. They can be young or old, female or male, eccentric or
seemingly normal. They can have a special talent, or they might simply possess a
quizzical personality.
- Pair them up with an opposite. In most mysteries your
sleuth will enlist the help of someone elseβsomeone who is their complete
opposite but who possesses a knowledge or skill your sleuth needs. Have fun with
this! If your sleuth is a tidy freak, pair them with a hoarder. If your sleuth
is closing in on sixty, you can have them work with someone fresh out of
college. The key is to keep it interesting and have a little fun.
- Add trouble as you go. Not every mystery has a murder,
though most do. But more importantly than whether you have a cadaver in your
story is that you keep adding trouble along the way. As if things werenβt
bad enough β¦ Follow that train of thought and just keep throwing in more
complications, but make it realistic or youβll lose some of your readers. The
goal is quirky, not impossible.
- Decide on a culprit. I NEVER know who my culprit is until
Iβm at least half way through writing a mystery. I have to play with the idea,
the setting, the characters, and the trouble first. Then it becomes plain to me
who would do such a dastardly deed.
- Go back and add clues. One of the reasons that readers pick
up a mystery is that they want to figure it out. They want to test their skills
alongside your sleuthβs. So give them something. Go back and sprinkle in clues,
and a few mis-directions as well. Above all, be fair! No tricking your readers
just to have a surprise ending.
- Enjoy the process. This is a fun genre to read and a fun
genre to write. These books are about communities and how people interact and
how we donβt always know someone as well as we think we do. So have fun with it.
And if youβre stuck, just go to your local coffee shop and people-watch for an
hour. Youβll find plenty of material.
Giveaway
We're giving away a copy of AN AMISH
MARKET to a commenter.
Vannetta Chapman writes inspirational fiction full of grace. She
discovered her love for the Amish while researching her grandfatherβs birthplace
of Albion, Pennsylvania. Her novel, FALLING TO PIECES, was a
2012 ACFW Carol Award winner for best mystery. All 18 of her releases have been
bestsellers. Chapman was a teacher for 15 years and currently writes full time.
She lives in the Texas hill country with her husband. For more information,
visit her at www.VannettaChapman.com.
All the color and variety of a quaint Amish
shop in a charming collection of novellas by four of your
favorite authors. Feel free to come in and
browse! Love Birds by Amy
Clipston While Ellie Lapp and her mother are still mourning the
loss of her brother, Seth, Ellie starts working at one of the gift shops in
town. Sethβs friend Lloyd is talented at carving wooden birds, but his father
disapproves and expects him to take over the family farm someday. Ellie sees the
beauty in Lloydβs creations and insists Lloyd sell the birds in the gift shop
where she works. As Ellie and Lloyd spend more time together, they begin to
develop feelings for one another, but she accidentally betrays his trust. Will
she lose any hope of a future with him? A Bid for
Love by Kathleen Fuller Every week, Hannah Lynne brings
her home-churned butter to the local market. And every week Ezra stops by to
purchase some. Hannah Lynne knows not to read too much into itβEzra is a
confirmed bachelor and barely even glances her way, despite any hope to the
contrary. But when Ezra bids an exorbitant amount to win the quilt she had her
heart set on, Hannah Lynne canβt stop her heart from taking over her mind. Could
Ezra finally be in the market for love? Sweeter Than Honey
by Kelly Irvin Shattering a jar of pickled beets wasnβt the
impression Isabella hoped to make on her first trip to the local Combination
Store of Bee County, Texas. But as embarrassed as she was by the accident, she
didnβt think it warranted the frosty reaction from the handsome manager of the
store, Will Glick. As she soon learns, though, Willβs heart has been broken one
too many times. And now, for some reason, Isabella finds herself determined to
be the one to repair that broken heart and renew his faith in
love. Love in Store by Vannetta
Chapman Stella Schrock works at the Old Mill in Nappanee,
Indiana, with new employee David Stoltzfus, a recent widower. When strange
happenings begin occurring around town, it appears as if someone wants to close
the mill. Stella and David have to work together to solve the mystery of what is
happening at the Old Amish Mill, and in the process they might just find that
God has more in store for their future than they would ever have dreamed
possible.
Comments
14 comments posted.
Re: Vannetta Chapman | Seven Steps to Writing a Mystery
I enjoyed this great post and can't wait to read AN AMISH
MARKET! Thanks so much for the giveaway opportunity!
(Britney Adams 3:38pm February 20, 2016)
Great advice n a path to make dreams a reality
Thank you for passing on your wisdom
(Amy Lou Binko 4:06pm February 21, 2016)
Enjoyed your post and look forward to reading your book.
(Carol Woodruff 7:17pm February 21, 2016)
What an interesting book! Thanks for sharing your mystery writing tips.
(Bonnie H 8:31pm February 21, 2016)
I love all mysteries and would love to win your book. Since I live very close to OH Amish country, I'm sure many things would seem familiar to me.
(Donna Graham 2:43pm February 22, 2016)
Thank you for your wonderful insights Vannetta. I
especially love the sprinkling of clues in a mystery book
and I like how you pair the sleuth with someone opposite of
them. I would love to read An Amish Market.
(Maryann Skaritka 10:17am February 23, 2016)
I would love to read this book . I love mysteries and love reading about the Amish people .
(Joan Thrasher 11:35am February 23, 2016)
hmm. should be at least one good story out of the bunch. i usually love collections. a good way to find new authors to follow
(Angela Parrish 11:40am February 23, 2016)
This is a book I would love to read
(Jean Benedict 3:33pm February 23, 2016)
i live around the amish most of the time im here in mo they are some of the best wrer you can find and get to knew only if they want to ilove to read them and lbog on them
(Desiree Reilly 9:35pm February 23, 2016)
I'm so glad I am a read and not a writer. I don't think I
have the brain space to remember all that needs to go into
a mystery. I'm glad Vannetta Chapman is good at writing
them.
(Terrill Rosado 2:32am February 24, 2016)
I would love to read your book! I love learning about different cultures and
people, and I always enjoyed my trips to PA where I learned some bits and
pieces about the Amish lifestyle.
(Lily Shah 12:18pm February 24, 2016)
I just admire authors that can write a good book. I have
read a lot of books and this is one that I would really
enjoy. I love reading Amish books but since I have
watched these little girls of an Amish family grow up
after years of their parents bringing them to the local
farmers market I find that their duties have changed and
that the father now walks around and visits other vendors
while the girls who now are young teens watch and run
their table.
(Peggy Clayton 12:24pm February 24, 2016)
I love mysteries and I love stories about the Amish! What a
great combo!
(Denise Austin 6:39pm February 24, 2016)
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