Mystery Writing

About This Course

What makes a mystery?

If you consider the books you've read most recently, you may be surprised to discover that many--if not all--are mysteries. From Dan Brown to Dennis Lehane, mysteries are hot items on today's best-seller lists.

This course will teach you the techniques you need to know if you want to become a best-selling mystery author.

Mystery Writing begins by introducing the four story types and then explains how they relate to mysteries. It then reveals the three-act story structure, which is any story's key to success. Next, it shows you how to propel the action forward to a climax, followed by a catharsis in which your readers feel the release of tension that accompanies a great finish.

The difference between story and plot is one of the most important distinctions in fiction writing--and one that many professional authors don't fully understand. But you will have mastered it by the end of this course. You'll also get a chance to experiment with viewpoints and see which one works best for your mystery. And you'll write a complete scene from your story and learn the internal structure that makes every scene feel right.

Finally, you'll delve into the special techniques that apply to mysteries, including crime scene description, MacGuffins, and the use of red herrings to misdirect your readers and create suspense.

Examples from real mystery novels will show these techniques in action. Then, following each lesson, you'll get to practice on your own story. And when you have questions or insights to share, you can join your instructor and classmates in a dynamic, interactive discussion area.

This information-packed online course combines the best advice of many writing professionals, tempered with the instructor's own experiences as a mystery writer. Follow the guidelines taught in this course, and you'll be well on your way to writing a successful mystery of your very own!

About The Instructor

This course includes a knowledgeable and caring instructor who will guide you through your lessons, facilitate discussions, and answer your questions. The instructor for this course will be Steve Alcorn.

Steve Alcorn is the published author of a wide range of fiction and nonfiction works including the mystery A Matter of Justice, the historical novel Everything in Its Path, the romance Ring of Diamonds (under the pseudonym Sharon Stevens), and an illustrated journal of his travels around the world called Travel Kid. During the past decade he has helped more than 10,000 students turn their story ideas into reality, and many of his students have published novels they developed in his classes. When he isn't writing and teaching, Steve is the CEO of Alcorn McBride Inc., a leading theme park design company.

Syllabus

A new section of each course starts monthly. If enrolling in a series of two or more courses, please be sure to space the start date for each course at least two months apart.

Week 1

Wednesday - Lesson 01

You're probably wondering if you can really write a novel or screenplay. You may have already started one—maybe even several—and then run out of steam. In this first lesson, you'll begin finding out the secret that guarantees success. It's the secret of knowing where you're going before you start. We'll also take some time today to discuss what makes a mystery great, and to explore a number of real-world examples.

Friday - Lesson 02

Did you know that there's a big difference between story and plot? Amazingly, even many professional authors are confused about this. Today you'll learn that plot is physical while story is emotional. Balancing the two is one of the keys to writing fiction that will satisfy your audience.

Week 2

Wednesday - Lesson 03

This lesson is about the dramatic elements at the heart of every story: passion, theme, character, and premise. Your passion is what drives you to tell your story and the theme is the underlying message it carries. To convey your theme, you create characters that represent it—either positively or negatively. Put these elements together and you've got your premise.

Friday - Lesson 04

Character is what story is all about. Without a character—and a change in him or her—there can be no story. Today, you'll discover why the best characters are flawed. We'll explore you main character—the protagonist—and the opposing force of the antagonist. And then we'll look at tricks and techniques for creating characters that are memorable.

Week 3

Wednesday - Lesson 05

In this lesson, we'll explore the structure underlying almost every great story. That's right: Nearly every successful story has the same structure—a structure that virtually guarantees success! Like Sherlock Holmes, we'll examine each element of it under our writer's magnifying glass. Then we'll test our theories against some well-known mysteries. By the end, we'll have solved the mystery of story structure.

Friday - Lesson 06

This is the first of three lessons in which you'll construct your story outline, act-by-act. In Act 1, you'll hook your readers. Then you'll fill them in with some character history called backstory. Finally, you'll exit Act 1 with a bang by triggering a traumatic event in the life of your protagonist.

Week 4

Wednesday - Lesson 07

Today, we work on Act 2 of your mystery. If Act 1 ended with a bang, Act 2 starts with a whimper. Your protagonist begins in crisis—an emotional state brought on by his or her flaw. And because of that flaw, your protagonist will struggle throughout the act as the antagonist deals setback after setback. Fortunately, at the conclusion of Act 2, your protagonist finally figures out the source of all this emotional distress and overcomes it.

Friday - Lesson 08

The epiphany that ended Act 2 has prepared your protagonist for triumph in Act 3. So it's time to devise a plan. The result will be a final confrontation with the antagonist. This lesson looks at the best way to defeat the antagonist—it's not what you might guess. Then, with that dramatic climax behind you, you'll be ready to tie up all your story's loose threads in the ending.

Week 5

Wednesday - Lesson 09

We've accomplished a lot and you've gotten pretty comfortable with story structure. This is the lesson where we put it all together. We're going to move from story idea, to story outline, to developing scenes. From these little seeds, we're about to grow a forest.

Friday - Lesson 10

In this lesson, we'll unravel the internal structure of every piece of fiction you've ever read. This is different from story structure and it's something I bet you never even knew existed. It's called scene and sequel. After today, you'll never forget it.

Week 6

Wednesday - Lesson 11

One of the most important choices an author makes is viewpoint. It affects every aspect of story—from theme, to pacing, to suspense. Today we'll look at the three most common viewpoints: third person omniscient, third person limited, and first person. We'll explore the advantages and disadvantages of each by considering examples from real-word mystery novels.

Friday - Lesson 12

Much of what we've talked about in this course applies to all types of fiction, not just mysteries. So, in learning how to write a great mystery, you've also been learning to be a better writer in all genres. But in this final lesson, we'll examine some elements unique to mystery writing. Then we'll wrap up with ideas about how to follow the roadmap you've created and actually reach your goal of a finished novel or screenplay.

Requirements

Internet access, e-mail, the Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox Web browser, and the Adobe Flash and PDF plug-ins (two free and simple downloads you obtain at http://www.adobe.com/downloads by clicking Get Adobe Flash Player and Get Adobe Reader).