# (Cozy) Mystery outlines?



## sugarhit (Feb 9, 2015)

Anyone have a good outline for writing a (cozy) mystery? I have a Save the Cat and other fiction outlines but I think they fall short for mysteries


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

I don't really write to an outline, but I stick pretty closely to switching between "family issues" and "mystery plot" and "red herring."  I am a "seat of the pants" writer, but I take the various elements and make sure to mix them up until reaching the end of the story.  My stuff also juggles a romance subplot, but not all cozies have that.  Mysteries and all their subgenres are the hardest to write because if you set yourself too much in a pattern, the mystery/clues don't work very well.  I've worked from outlines with other genres, but when it comes to mysteries, I have to have a lot of randomness.


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## Coleen Kwan (Oct 29, 2011)

I've read Writing the Cozy Mystery by Nancy Cohen. I also found Alexandra Sokoloff's Writing Love: Screenwriting Tips for Authors II useful. (It's not just for writing romances.)

Hope that helps.


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## JB Rowley (Jan 29, 2012)

You might find Karen Woodward's blog useful: http://blog.karenwoodward.org/2014/03/how-to-write-murderously-good-mystery.html


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## RBK (Nov 28, 2014)

If you're already familiar with Larry Brooks' methods, this should help:

http://storyfix.com/the-mystery-and-the-romance-of-structure


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## Lucey Phillips (Aug 31, 2015)

I'll be watching this thread ... I was wondering the same thing! Right now I'm working on some women's fiction stories but I really want to get into cozy mysteries -- I love reading them. I just have no idea how to start constructing the story. And I don't know if I could really pull it off as far as having an outcome that isn't obvious.


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## North Star Plotting (Jul 11, 2015)

JB Rowley said:


> You might find Karen Woodward's blog useful: http://blog.karenwoodward.org/2014/03/how-to-write-murderously-good-mystery.html


You beat me to it 

I second this blog! I use it for all our cozy mysteries - it covers everything you could need to throw in, without overwhelming. She also links to a few other posts that have some good advice too.


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## valeriec80 (Feb 24, 2011)

This is the best article I've ever read on mystery writing:

http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2013/10/15/25-things-you-need-to-know-about-writing-mysteries-by-susan-spann/

This bit especially:

All suspects are liars. Let me repeat for emphasis: Every one of your suspects is a liar. The issue is that only one is lying about this murder. The rest don't want the sleuth finding out they were dressing in drag, having sex with a prostitute dressed as a purple dinosaur, or fertilizing the marijuana grove at the time of the killing. Figuring out what your suspects are hiding is just as important as figuring out "who-done-it" &#8230; and sometimes, a lot more fun.


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## KGGiarratano (Aug 14, 2013)

How timely! I am writing an outline for my first cozy mystery right now! I'm going to check out Karen Woodward's blog right now.

So far, I write a list of suspects and give them all MOMS -- motive, opportunity, means and secrets. Some have better motives, others have better means. But only one has all 4.


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## Issy (Aug 25, 2013)




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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Great to see a bunch of other cozy authors out there!  I don't see too many on this board!


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## Not Here Anymore (May 16, 2012)

Coleen Kwan said:


> I've read Writing the Cozy Mystery by Nancy Cohen. I also found Alexandra Sokoloff's Writing Love: Screenwriting Tips for Authors II useful. (It's not just for writing romances.)
> 
> Hope that helps.


^^ Alex's book is a great resource as well as her other book, Screenwriting Tricks for Authors.


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## Genre Hoarder (Oct 4, 2014)

I write cozy mysteries. Nancy Cohen's book is a wonderful resource. I use both her techniques and Libbie Hawker's book to outline mine.


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## sugarhit (Feb 9, 2015)

Thank you for the Woodward link! so helpful



Coleen Kwan said:


> I've read Writing the Cozy Mystery by Nancy Cohen. I also found Alexandra Sokoloff's Writing Love: Screenwriting Tips for Authors II useful. (It's not just for writing romances.)
> 
> Hope that helps.


I actually just finished the Nancy Cohen book last night. Really great and succinct, thanks.



Issy said:


> Beyond that, the usual advice applies: read the very best examples in the genre you are writing in. Make notes. Understand how others are successful in delivering what the audience wants. It will start to sink in. Using an outline is a great short cut and very useful - but your progress will be faster if you immerse yourself in good examples of cozies, too.


That link is amazeballs! thank you.

I do read cozies but I still feel like I'm missing something, you know? I see an outline as a framework.



valeriec80 said:


> All suspects are liars. Let me repeat for emphasis: Every one of your suspects is a liar. The issue is that only one is lying about this murder. The rest don't want the sleuth finding out they were dressing in drag, having sex with a prostitute dressed as a purple dinosaur, or fertilizing the marijuana grove at the time of the killing. Figuring out what your suspects are hiding is just as important as figuring out "who-done-it" ... and sometimes, a lot more fun.


This is phenmoenal advice -- both yours and the link.



Lucey Phillips said:


> I'll be watching this thread ... I was wondering the same thing! Right now I'm working on some women's fiction stories but I really want to get into cozy mysteries -- I love reading them. I just have no idea how to start constructing the story. And I don't know if I could really pull it off as far as having an outcome that isn't obvious.


That's my concern too, Lucey. I read somewhere recently that a good way to go is start with which clue allows the sleuth to solve the crime and work backwards from there to how the crime is solved, by who, etc. If you surprise yourself, you'll probably surprise the reader.



KGGiarratano said:


> How timely! I am writing an outline for my first cozy mystery right now! I'm going to check out Karen Woodward's blog right now.
> 
> So far, I write a list of suspects and give them all MOMS -- motive, opportunity, means and secrets. Some have better motives, others have better means. But only one has all 4.


I like this approach. How is opportunity different from means?


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## Zelah Meyer (Jun 15, 2011)

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## A. N. Other Author (Oct 11, 2014)

This scrivener template might help with planning... http://allindiewriters.com/scrivener-murder-mystery-novel-template/

As for outlining, I like John Yorke's Into the Woods: http://www.amazon.com/Into-The-Woods-Stories-Work/dp/1846146437 It's geared a lot toward screenwriting, but isn't as simplistic as Save the Cat.


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## Fictionista (Sep 14, 2012)

This is great, and very timely. I'm planning to write a mystery and am in the beginning stages of preparing an outline so the links in this thread are a wonderful resource. Thanks everyone!


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## Decon (Feb 16, 2011)

JB Rowley said:


> You might find Karen Woodward's blog useful: http://blog.karenwoodward.org/2014/03/how-to-write-murderously-good-mystery.html


That's as good as an explanation of a mystery as I've seen, It doesn't have to apply to just cozy mysteries. Any mystery fits the profile put forward.


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## Heather Hamilton-Senter (May 25, 2013)

I'm working on a cozy too with a witch protagonist. What are they actually called, does anyone know? A supernatural cozy?


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## Fishbowl Helmet (Jan 12, 2014)

Great thread.



sugarhit said:


> I like this approach. How is opportunity different from means?


Means is access to either something that could kill, or access to something similar to the thing that actually killed the person. If your corpse was shot by a .45 and two suspects had access to .45s, they both had means.

Opportunity is freedom of movement to have actually caused the death. Did Suspect 1 have access to a .45 but was at a dinner party on another continent? Then they had the means (access to murder weapon), but not the opportunity (freedom to actually do the killing).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Means,_motive,_and_opportunity


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## KGGiarratano (Aug 14, 2013)

I always think of it as ...

Means (how)
Opportunity (when)
Motive (why)

Fishbowl's explanation is on point.


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## A Woman&#039;s Place Is In The Rebellion (Apr 28, 2011)

valeriec80 said:


> This is the best article I've ever read on mystery writing:
> 
> http://terribleminds.com/ramble/2013/10/15/25-things-you-need-to-know-about-writing-mysteries-by-susan-spann/


I second this one. There's also a book by PD James - Talking About Detective Fiction. It isn't specific to cozies but you might find it useful.


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## KL_Phelps (Nov 7, 2013)

Heather Hamilton-Senter said:


> I'm working on a cozy too with a witch protagonist. What are they actually called, does anyone know? A supernatural cozy?


I refer to mine as paranormal cozy mysteries


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## vlmain (Aug 10, 2011)

valeriec80 said:


> All suspects are liars. Let me repeat for emphasis: Every one of your suspects is a liar. The issue is that only one is lying about this murder. The rest don't want the sleuth finding out they were dressing in drag, having sex with a prostitute dressed as a purple dinosaur, or fertilizing the marijuana grove at the time of the killing. Figuring out what your suspects are hiding is just as important as figuring out "who-done-it" ... and sometimes, a lot more fun.


Love this! Excellent tip.


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## Kirk Hanley (Dec 16, 2014)

Elizabeth Spann Craig, a cozy mystery writer and master blogger, has been writing about this very subject this week:

http://elizabethspanncraig.com/3334/writing-the-cozy-mystery-the-sleuth/
http://elizabethspanncraig.com/3345/writing-the-cozy-mystery-the-suspects/

The comments are great as well.

Kirk


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## Decon (Feb 16, 2011)

I think it helps to have your cast of characters (suspects) and to know their possible motives and opportunity beforehand.

I don't write cozy mysteries, preferring mine to have a gritty edge. I usually write the twist ending chapter before I start with an outline.


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## Carolyn J. Rose Mystery Writer (Aug 10, 2010)

I've never read a how-to book or article on cozies, but my No Substitute series has been successful with a mix of semi-quirky sidekicks, small-city setting, cute dog, a little romance (no sex on the pages - it all happens between chapters) and the main character a woman in transition from divorce to whatever comes next. I've also been concentrating on one particular main issue in each book that concerns most of the characters - Murder, Money, Maturity, and the myths of daily living. The 5th book will be out in November and deal with mistakes.


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## MariaESchneider (Aug 1, 2009)

Heather Hamilton-Senter said:


> I'm working on a cozy too with a witch protagonist. What are they actually called, does anyone know? A supernatural cozy?


I market mine as "paranormal cozy mystery" -- or paranormal mystery (This is more for Under Witch Moon, which is not all that cozy), depending. I market Dragons of Wendal as cozy fantasy. Cozy readers know what it means. Most fantasy readers don't, so it can depend on where you are marketing at a given time.


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## Lucey Phillips (Aug 31, 2015)

Thanks everyone for all of the great resources!


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## Evenstar (Jan 26, 2013)

Excellent thread! Bookmarking


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## DebWrites (Dec 26, 2014)

Love this thread. Thanks for all of the links. I have Nancy Cohen's book and I found it to be a great resource.


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## Victoria LK (Jan 31, 2014)

MariaESchneider said:


> Great to see a bunch of other cozy authors out there! I don't see too many on this board!


Ditto!


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## Chinese Writer (Mar 25, 2014)

I learned to write my cozy mysteries by reading "The Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery." I'm already an avid reader at the genre before attempting to write, so I followed the book chapter by chapter until I got a ms by the end of the first year. Even now I still use some of his plotting sheets whenever I start a new book in my series.


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## sugarhit (Feb 9, 2015)

artan said:


> I learned to write my cozy mysteries by reading "The Weekend Novelist Writes a Mystery." I'm already an avid reader at the genre before attempting to write, so I followed the book chapter by chapter until I got a ms by the end of the first year. Even now I still use some of his plotting sheets whenever I start a new book in my series.


I might check this out. I couldn't stand the Weekend Novelist but maybe the practicality of this might help.

Thanks for clarifying the MOMS. I like that a lot

I also like that 'every suspect is lying'. Even if what they're lying about isn't revealed, I love that thought


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## 10105 (Feb 16, 2010)

Oh, great! All these links. I'm in the middle of Patterson's master class, and now I have all this other stuff to read. When am I going to mow the lawn, fix the toilet, wash my car? And start #10 in the series?

I'll add my support for Nancy Cohen's little book. Concise, to the point, and comprehensive. The best $.99 I ever spent this month.


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