Mystery Tropes: A Guide for Writers
by Mary Kole | Former literary agent, now a freelance editor, writing teacher, and IP/story developer for major publishers and creators.
Mystery tropes are an essential part of writing a successful mystery novel. They provide the reader with clues and hints to help them participate in solving the mystery, as well as create suspense and intrigue. In this article, we’ll discuss what mystery tropes are, why they’re important, and how to use them effectively when writing suspense.
Mystery Tropes Explained
Mystery tropes are recurring elements that appear in mystery stories. These can include characters, settings, plot devices, and other elements that are used to create suspense and intrigue. Common tropes include the loner detective, the anonymous killer narrator, the femme fatale, remote locations, families ruled over by grumbling figureheads, bodies discovered in unique locations, poisoned drinks and disappearing weapons. (Mystery tropes that involve a misdirection are called “red herrings.”)
Using these tropes effectively can help you create a compelling mystery story. For example, using a remote location can help limit the number of suspects and ensure that the crime couldn’t have been committed by a passing stranger. Similarly, using distinct family relationships for your characters can help raise the stakes, because everything takes on additional meaning, and give you plenty of opportunities for interesting layers.
Sharp writing also enhances your chosen mystery tropes. When writing a mystery, it’s important to be thoughtful about the adjectives and verbs you choose. Using words like “hastened” or “narrow” can create a sense of urgency and claustrophobia, respectively, and this will contribute to a tense and suspenseful atmosphere. This, after all, is perhaps one of the biggest mystery tropes that’s consistent across the work of many authors.
Revealing the Truth Using Mystery Tropes
Make sure you craft a, well, crafty mystery by including characters who are truthful along with those who aren’t. This can leave it to the reader to decide whose information seems more honest—unreliable narrators are big mystery tropes. Keep your reader’s experience of the story in mind at all times. What do they know and when? How does it become twisted around?
Finally, it’s important to have multiple possible explanations for the mystery resolution. Readers love to guess what’s going on, so don’t take away their enjoyment of these mystery tropes.
In a murder mystery, this could mean having multiple suspicious characters. In a mystery adventure, it might mean having both natural and supernatural possible reasons for a character’s disappearance. Let your readers have some wins and reward them for their curiosity, but don’t feel bad about misleading them, either. After all, twists and turns are all part of the fun.
By understanding and using these mystery tropes effectively, you can create an engaging and suspenseful mystery story. With the right combination of characters, settings, plot devices, and voice choices, you can craft a story that will keep your readers guessing until the very end.
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