“I really don’t know what I am going to do in terms of what a book is going to be about until I actually start writing it!”—Robert B. Parker
This is the Shenanigators blog and we love all things science fiction, fandoms and speculative fiction in general. You may be wondering why the title of this week’s blog is about crafting a mystery. You may even wonder why I started the article with a quote by Robert B. Parker, one of the most popular and prolific mystery writers of the 20th century.
You’d be right to question, but hear me out. I recently participated on a ConTinual panel were we talked about our favorite whodunits. Most of the authors on the panel wrote SF.
I declare that mysteries are not a separate part of speculative fiction. Like weird fiction, mystery is a blended part of all fiction.
Yes, that’s a fairly bold claim; however, I maintain that like hiding awful tasting vegetables in sweet cookie batter, mystery is folded into speculative fiction. Most of our most beloved stories involve a great deal of mystery. Think of H.G. Wells War of the Worlds. There’s a significant amount of intrigue and mystery in that work. Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451 is also another one filled with mystery. Brave New World? 1984? There are mysteries at the center of those stories for which the protagonists must uncover or discover. They’re not whodunits. No, mystery is more than just a cozy aunt or police procedural. Just as weird fiction is more than simply knock-off H.P. Lovecraft stories.
So, how does one go about craft and writing science fiction mysteries? I’m a science fiction mystery writer. When on panels at conventions and often at book signings, readers will ask me how to write a mystery or more importantly as science fiction mystery. Very much like the legendary Robert B. Parker (author of the famous Spencer for Hire novel series), I often don’t know what I’m going to write about I actually start writing.
Say what?! No outline, Nicole? No preplanning? What kind of author are you?
I’m a mystery writer and as the mystery unfolds for my private inspector, Cybil Lewis, so it does for me. With Silenced: A Cybil Lewis Novel, I didn’t know the culprit or who had “done it,” until, well Cybil did. This type of approach had kept me from subconsciously dropping hints to the reader as I write. There’s nothing more frustrating for mystery lovers (at least for this mystery lover), than to be able to identify the villain or perpetrator before the investigator. It ruins everything.
Now that I’ve explained what I don’t do, allow me to detail what I actually do. Here are four steps I use to craft a science fiction mystery.
Step 1: Pick up inspiration from real life
I’m a proud voyeur. Any time I’m waiting (the doctor’s office, my son’s basketball game, a lull in book signings), I watch people interactions. The essence of mysteries are rooted in human nature.
Take for example, this opening scene from my novel, Cozened: A Cybil Lewis Novel
When I crossed the beam and cleared the gigantic regulator, I saw the massive amount of debris first. Scattered across the pavement was a spray of carnage, smeared human and paint, portions of fiberglass, and seared off fingers. Four to be precise. The nails still clean and manicured as they lay like lightly browned sausages in a heap next to one of the arms. The body, for it was hardly a person anymore, lay sprawled amongst the wreckage. People should not be hacked into pieces like minced onions.
It was unnatural.
As I was traveling to Phoenix many years ago, I inched passed an accident scene. The rubbernecking had mired the traffic, so I was able to get more than an eyeful of the debris, the carnage, and the rest my imagination filled in. That snippet of reality grew into that passage that ended up in my novel.
I keep a pocket notebook and as I observe the world around me, I chronicle those segments of reality that eventually become the grounding elements for my fiction.
Step 2: Verisimilitude
Because I write futuristic thrillers set in post-apocalyptic D.C., there must be some verisimilitude amongst the characters and violation (crime) for modern readers to be able to connect and lose themselves into the story. So, while in many ways, Cybil’s wauto (flying car) and pug (lasergun) are different, the motivations are as old and as real as human nature. Despite our greatest technological achievements, who we are as human beings remains ultimately the same (greed, hatred, love, jealousy, etc.).
Step 3: Outline!
Earlier I said I often don’t know where the story is going until I write the story. This subheading isn’t misleading. Once the story is underway, I keep a detailed timeline and outline of what takes place per chapter. This keeps my facts straight. It also helps that Cybil does the same. She keeps detailed notes on her p-drive.
Outlining and keeping a detailed timeline will help you craft a tight story. In addition, it also helps with your edits. You can remember what happened in what chapter and when. This will be a lifesaver!
My editor is a fan and supporter of keeping a bible for your work, especially if you’re building a series, which I am with Cybil.
Step 4: Have Fun!
Writing any genre must be fun for you, the author. I enjoy a good whodunit or a solid mystery because I like the turns, the twists, and the reveals. They’re opportunities for fun for both you and the reader! It’s even more fun when you can share your writing with others, too.
I adore mysteries, and I read all kinds. I hope you enjoy Cybil Lewis’s futuristic thrillers as much as I do writing them.
Step 5: Let it Rest
Once I’m done writing the story, I let it rest. I apply this approach to all my fictional works. When you spend a lot of time in your other world, you become familiar with how things are supposed to read. It all makes sense because you’re immersed in it. Giving it room to rest and for you to step back from the story, is good for it. The longer you let it rest, the better. When you return to reading the entire draft, you can come back with fresh eyes, and thus, catch all the things that might not be so clear, now. They say hindsight is 20/20. Apply that to your manuscript.
An independent publishing co-op