What are the factors that make it difficult for readers to enjoy mystery novels in a fresh way, and how can these be overcome?
Mystery stories, in which incidents and mysteries occur and are solved by detectives and police, have been a beloved genre for over 100 years. Since they basically require the gimmick of 'posing and answering a mystery,' it seems difficult to differentiate them, so author Lisa Tully analyzes how they can give readers a fresh feeling and what elements make it difficult to enjoy mystery stories in a fresh way.
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When Tully was writing his first murder mystery, he wondered, 'Some people may think that ideas for mysteries and their solutions have already been exhausted and that it is nearly impossible to come up with anything original, yet the demand for mystery stories seems to be unabated, if anything, increasing. How do writers create stories that feel new?' He then analyzed the key elements of a mystery story.
First of all, a feature of mystery stories is that in most cases there is a special kind of 'crime' and a 'culprit' with some kind of 'motive' tries to 'cover up' the crime. Then, the cover-up is uncovered through an 'investigation' and the culprit and their motive are revealed.
Within a set framework, surprise and unexpectedness can be created by choosing the right characters to play the 'culprit' and 'victim.' The details of the 'crime' and the 'cover-up' or tricks are also opportunities to showcase the author's ideas and ingenuity.
On the other hand, Tully points out that writers have far fewer options when it comes to motives. Inspector Adam Dalgliesh, the famous detective created by British mystery writer
The reason why criminal motives are not so diverse is because 'motives spring from the human mind, which has changed little over time and is remarkably consistent across geographic locations and populations,' Tully said. Furthermore, mystery writers may be even more narrow-minded because they are interested in 'how the mind goes mad' and 'how normal emotions become so disturbed that they cause people to lose their desire to obey the law.'
Motives are somewhat consistent across the ages, but at the same time, in small details, they can easily reflect the times. For example, the same 'personal desire' can resonate freshly with modern readers by making it the cause of modern class differences or the desire of a teenage girl who admires a social media influencer. 'I think one of the most powerful ways mystery writers can engage their readers is by setting the story so that it is as close as possible to what they themselves are feeling, witnessing, and worrying about in a changing society,' said Tully.
While many elements of a mystery give writers room for ingenuity and improvisation, the crucial element of motive is difficult to interpret in anything other than a realistic way, which is why Tully says the secret to creating a fresh mystery is to be aware of the dangers facing the mind in our modern age.
in Note, Posted by log1e_dh