#writetip
Are you writing a murder mystery, crime novel or other type of mystery? Sometimes it’s hard to tell when to drop hints and when to hold them for later in the story.
I like to read a mystery and not know who committed the crime until the climax. I like to guess, but I don’t want to be sure. There is a balance between knowing who done it and only having an idea.
Too many hints and the answer is obvious, and I feel let down by the book. Too few hints, and I feel cheated.
So what do I do to avoid this problem?
I have readers that only look for the guilty party. I ask them to read my novel but not correct any errors. I want them to concentrate on who done it.
I have them mark the margin every time they suspect a character. I ask them to put the character’s name in the margin along with a note of why they think the character is guilty.
Do you have a method for finding out if your hints are in the right place?
Creative Story Editors 
Sounds like a great idea, Kristina!
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Thanks Elaine.
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I don’t write mysteries but I did need clues/hints in my novel. I find the best way is to let your critique partner read through it to see if she/he are picking up on them:-)
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I guess this works for any kind of novel. Great to hear I’m not the only one who does this.
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I’m not a big mystery fan and will probably never write one, but recently read the PURE by Claire Gillian and it was awesome. Not too many hints- and some hints I inserted just to throw you off. Good stuff
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You make a good point. I think hints can apply to any genre. Let’s face it, if you know the ending it’s not much fun to read. Thanks for your comment.
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This one had a great action packed ending. If you like mysteries, I’d recommend it (but I haven’t read too many to compare)
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I’m not writing a mystery, but I like the idea of asking a reader to focus on just one aspect of the story, and write their guess in the margins. I might have to try something similar!
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What a great idea – I’ll have to borrow it to use with my beta readers. Thanks for the tip 🙂
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Crimethrillergirl – thanks – let me know if you have any tips 🙂
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