How Do You Write A Mystery Short Story?
Readers of short mystery fiction look for instant gratification. They’re not interested in complex philosophical ideas about good and evil or the nature of the human mind. That doesn’t mean, though, your imagination has no room to play. Here’s how to write a successful mystery short story. Read some mystery short stories to get the feel of the pace. Edgar Allen Poe and Arthur Conan Doyle are the masters of this genre. You can even find some of their short stories online at Project Gutenberg (see Resources.) Decide what crime has been committed. Know the criminal’s motivations by exploring his psychology. Write a detailed character sketch of the person who solves the crime, especially if it’s a detective or amateur sleuth you want to build a series of stories around. Make your detective or amateur sleuth have some distinctive qualities. For instance, Sherlock Holmes was an intellectual obsessive who used cocaine and dressed a certain way. Draw a map of every setting in your short story.
