Someone was inside her house. Sucking in a deep breath, Katie threw her legs over the side of her bed and then crept towards her door which she had shut earlier that earlier. Slowly, she reached for the cold handle, and then warily, she twisted it. As soon as she opened the door, Katie spotted the shadow standing in the hallway. She screamed and the noise was followed by a gunshot.
R.I.P. Katie.
Trick question: what kind of mystery includes a murder?
Yup, a murder mystery is one of the commonest types of mysteries and usually it involves a detective of sorts trying to figure out who killed the victim. Most of the time the story will focus on the investigator’s discoveries and thoughts, and a good murder mystery will keep the reader guessing who the killer was.
But what about the killer?
Nobody is born with a knife and an enemy. That’s why your murderer’s motive must be believable otherwise the reader won’t believe and they won’t be satisfied with the ending. For example, if in the last chapter of your book, announce that Kate’s murderer, (Using the excerpt above,) was really her coworker who was jealous of Kate’s curly hair, your readers will have a hard time believing that the coworker pulled the trigger.
Now, if you dropped hints throughout the book, indicating that Katie’s coworker, (let’s call her Jane) was constantly being ignored, while Katie was getting everything such as a boyfriend, a higher paycheck, and a hefty inheritance from her dying grandmother, and then you showed that Katie ended up getting the huge promotion that Jane felt she deserved, it might sound more reasonable that Jane decided to get rid of Katie.
After all, with Katie gone, the promotion would be hers.
So, whenever you’re planning the characters in your book, make sure you spend some time on your antagonist as well. Give him, (or her) a motive, personality, and several goals as well. Your killer is human just like all the other characters in your book, (probably) and thus, he has the capability to think and he needs to do so.
BUT, be careful not to make your killer too suspicious, otherwise your readers will be quick to point a finger at him and the trick to writing mysteries is to surprise your reader and make them think, “Man, I should’ve thought of that.”
Also, most killers are aware of the consequences of their actions, so unless you’re doing it intentionally, don’t make your criminal stupid. Would a murderer really bring the gun he used to kill his victim home? Would he really break into a sweat every time someone talked about the crime with him?
Now, on the other hand, nobody is perfect and criminals aren’t an exception. They can and will slip up. Maybe there was blood on the bottom of their shoes and they didn’t realize it. That’s more believable than saying there’s blood underneath their fingernails, that they didn’t bother to clean.
So, what’s the bottom line? Keep your killers three-dimensional, just like your protagonist. Figure out WHY they did what they did and then lead both your reader and your detective to them and then let them make their own assumptions.
In case you were wondering, no this concept doesn’t just apply to killers. It can also apply to thieves (Yes, stealing their grandmother’s recipe was worth it, because now they’ll be the most famous chef…in jail,) jaywalkers, and other types of criminals.
Oh, and one more thing…make sure your criminal pays for his crime. Whether it’s jail time, a fine, or even just returning the recipe he stole, make sure you’re criminal has a consequence for what he did.
And if you going to make it a legal punishment, do a bit of research. Try to figure out if your punishment is reasonable. For instance, a driver who breaks his neighbor’s window wouldn’t get charged as severely as a serial killer. Get a feel for how many years in prison your murderer would face.
Also, stay tuned for advice on writing the other characters in your story. I mean someone has to be the hero, right?
-D.P.
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