Something about your way of speaking is so clear and fantastic. You could be a professional narrator. Also, I love your video style--straightforward without leaving out crucial information.
Hi Jane! I just wanted to tell you how much I love watching your videos and I was wondering if you could give me a little bit if advice. 1. Do you have any tips on how to organize a character's backstory? I'm always thinking up new details about my sleuths life, childhood, family, etc, (things I may or may not use later). Any suggestions on how I should keep track of this? 2. How do you introduce a larger cast of characters all at once? In my mystery, the sleuth is called to a dinner party and the 8-10 guests end up being the suspects. How do I introduce each of these characters without it being repetitive and with each character being memorable/distinctive? 3. Also, how do I balance each character's "screen time?" I feel like my sleuth is getting to know 2-3 of the suspects pretty well and I'm not sure how to transition to the others? Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate it! ❤️❤️❤️
1. You might consider a program like Scrivener. That’s where I keep all of my files that require a lot of organization. 2. I think if each intro is brief, it’s ok if they're slightly repetitive. The reader is aware they’re reading a mystery, and that you're introducing suspects. If they’re longer, consider breaking it up into a couple of different scenes. 3. It's totally fine to spend longer pursuing some suspects than others! I'd say, give each suspect the screen time their story needs. Hope this helps!
I've been watching almost all of your videos in the past few days and taking notes like I'm listening a college lecture. Thank you so so much for sharing this precious knowledge, you are helping me become a better writer
Thank you so much for all of your videos! I'm a newbie writer trying to write a cozy mystery and your videos have been a life saver! I have quick question for you: How do you write a "party scene"? The murder takes place during the grand opening of her new business, and she interacts with several suspicious characters before she interacts with the victim for the final time.
I think you might want to set the scene, then have your sleuth focus in on each character as she meets them. You don’t have to portray everything going on at the party all the time, just whatever your sleuth is focusing her attention on.
Hmm. If NO mystery is solved in the first book… we’ll, yes, I’ve seen this done, but personally I found it a let down. However, if you want to, say, solve one mystery during the first book, but leave a larger mystery unsolved, that’s very common for the genre, and totally works!
Jane, have u ever heard of or even played any games from the Ace Attorney franchise? It’s a super fun mystery comedy where the mystery is formatted as a court trial!
@@janekalmes personally I would reccommend the Great Ace Attorney, a period spin-off set in both Meiji Japan and 1900 England! Plus, the story is way more serious and connected in the GAA chronicles, and imo it’s the best writing that the AA franchise has to offer
TV is guilty of this so many times. I don't know how many times I've followed the clues, only to find none lead to the murderer. "Wow, the writers pulled that one out of their collective ass!" Jon in rural BC, Canada
Another amazing video! Lots of information that has really helped me think about restructuring my mystery story to strengthen it. Mainly the tie in hook from each sub plot (red herring). How is writing going for you are you working on anything new?
Still working on something old. I'm starting to pull my head out of mystery-writing content, though, and excited to put a little more time into actually writing my own stories.
@@janekalmes that sounds fun. Yeah the best stories are a blend of lots of different story types. Can always bring mystery in as your b or c plots if you miss it hahah I am writing a epic fantasy story 3 pov characters and one of them is a mystery type of storyline so all of your videos are really helpful.
The dumb cover up just brings up the stupid denial. Why does this happen so often during the "summation"? "You'll have to prove it" "You'll never prove it!" Who says that? A murderer would either say nothing or they say "But I didn't do it" "I would never do that." "This is a mistake." "you'll have to talk to my lawyer.
![จบจนได้ ! | Black Myth: Wukong #007 [ตอนจบ?]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/DSqvWndF0sw/mqdefault.jpg)
Something about your way of speaking is so clear and fantastic. You could be a professional narrator. Also, I love your video style--straightforward without leaving out crucial information.
Thank you so much! Glad you're enjoying it!
Y’know, I agree with some of these, when they make some character who wasn’t memorable the killer, I go “who was that person again?”
Haha, it happens!
I am 11 and am trying to write my first mystery novel so your videos have been helping me a lot. Thank you
You're so welcome!
Thank you! You are such a good little brainstormer, Jane. More than once your techniques have gotten me unstuck in a scene I was writing.
That’s awesome to hear, thanks!
Amazing video, as usual! It's so frustrating when you find out who the murderer is and you can't even remember who they were 😂
Thanks so much, Amanda!
Red Herring Loop! You just perfectly encapsulated why I'm struggling so much with a rewrite, thank you!
I'm so glad! That’s great to hear!
Hi Jane! I just wanted to tell you how much I love watching your videos and I was wondering if you could give me a little bit if advice.
1. Do you have any tips on how to organize a character's backstory? I'm always thinking up new details about my sleuths life, childhood, family, etc, (things I may or may not use later). Any suggestions on how I should keep track of this?
2. How do you introduce a larger cast of characters all at once? In my mystery, the sleuth is called to a dinner party and the 8-10 guests end up being the suspects. How do I introduce each of these characters without it being repetitive and with each character being memorable/distinctive?
3. Also, how do I balance each character's "screen time?" I feel like my sleuth is getting to know 2-3 of the suspects pretty well and I'm not sure how to transition to the others?
Thank you so much for your help, I really appreciate it! ❤️❤️❤️
1. You might consider a program like Scrivener. That’s where I keep all of my files that require a lot of organization.
2. I think if each intro is brief, it’s ok if they're slightly repetitive. The reader is aware they’re reading a mystery, and that you're introducing suspects. If they’re longer, consider breaking it up into a couple of different scenes.
3. It's totally fine to spend longer pursuing some suspects than others! I'd say, give each suspect the screen time their story needs.
Hope this helps!
You are always on point!
Thanks so much!
I've been watching almost all of your videos in the past few days and taking notes like I'm listening a college lecture. Thank you so so much for sharing this precious knowledge, you are helping me become a better writer
That's awesome to hear!
Another great video Jane! Had to come back and watch a third time since I’m writing my first cozy mystery and this is all super helpful! ☺️
Yay, thank you!
Excellent tips! Walking through an explanation of each really helps. 100% useful, as usual👊
Glad it was helpful!
Another brilliant video!! ^_^
Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for all of your videos! I'm a newbie writer trying to write a cozy mystery and your videos have been a life saver! I have quick question for you: How do you write a "party scene"? The murder takes place during the grand opening of her new business, and she interacts with several suspicious characters before she interacts with the victim for the final time.
I think you might want to set the scene, then have your sleuth focus in on each character as she meets them. You don’t have to portray everything going on at the party all the time, just whatever your sleuth is focusing her attention on.
They should have had Steele suggest that Laura fluff the villain's pillow, etc
Very funny, and very in character!
Excellent apart from, you meant to say was subconscious not unconscious.
can you write a mystery series where the rime is not solved in the first book?
Hmm. If NO mystery is solved in the first book… we’ll, yes, I’ve seen this done, but personally I found it a let down. However, if you want to, say, solve one mystery during the first book, but leave a larger mystery unsolved, that’s very common for the genre, and totally works!
@@janekalmes Yes, that's what I was thinking, solve smaller ones along the way
Yes, I think that style of series totally works!
Jane, have u ever heard of or even played any games from the Ace Attorney franchise? It’s a super fun mystery comedy where the mystery is formatted as a court trial!
I haven’t; I should look it up!
@@janekalmes personally I would reccommend the Great Ace Attorney, a period spin-off set in both Meiji Japan and 1900 England! Plus, the story is way more serious and connected in the GAA chronicles, and imo it’s the best writing that the AA franchise has to offer
@@rainbowsomeone You had me at “Meiji Japan.”
TV is guilty of this so many times. I don't know how many times I've followed the clues, only to find none lead to the murderer. "Wow, the writers pulled that one out of their collective ass!"
Jon in rural BC, Canada
Hahaha! Yup! it happens!
Another amazing video! Lots of information that has really helped me think about restructuring my mystery story to strengthen it. Mainly the tie in hook from each sub plot (red herring).
How is writing going for you are you working on anything new?
Still working on something old. I'm starting to pull my head out of mystery-writing content, though, and excited to put a little more time into actually writing my own stories.
@@janekalmes that sounds fun. Yeah the best stories are a blend of lots of different story types. Can always bring mystery in as your b or c plots if you miss it hahah
I am writing a epic fantasy story 3 pov characters and one of them is a mystery type of storyline so all of your videos are really helpful.
This reminds me of another type of bad mystery. One where the murderer simply has no motive, or a very weak motive, to commit the crime.
To quote Redlettermedia "You didn't notice....but your BRAIN did..."
Great quote!
The dumb cover up just brings up the stupid denial. Why does this happen so often during the "summation"? "You'll have to prove it" "You'll never prove it!" Who says that? A murderer would either say nothing or they say "But I didn't do it" "I would never do that." "This is a mistake." "you'll have to talk to my lawyer.
Haha, good point!