✍️ Desk of Amy Suto: 3 Lessons in Making Mysteries from the Detective Genre

The art of writing a great mystery.

Happy Wednesday! Today, ✍️ From the Desk of Amy Suto paid subscribers will get an exclusive issue about…

✨ How to write a mystery series

🧪 What detective series can teach us about human nature

📚 The 3 lessons for setting up a good mystery

🔎 3 Lessons in Making Mysteries from the Detective Genre

I love the detective genre because I’m a sucker for stories where the protagonist is highly competent, and up against insurmountable evil.

Crime fiction is a great place for this type of hero to flourish, and readers have always been fascinated by the shadowy corners of the detective’s mind, where logic intertwines with the truth of human nature.

Detective fiction — often lumped together with the mystery genre — doesn’t rely just on mystery to be effective. Instead, I’d argue that good detective fiction is all about good surprises.

When crafting mysteries, the goal of a storyteller is not only to challenge the intellect but also to captivate the heart. The realm of mystery writing is a dance of shadows and light, a delicate balance between revealing and concealing.

As a fan of this genre's timeless allure — and as research for a detective series I’ve been working on! — I've delved into the intricate labyrinths created by masters like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Agatha Christie, alongside modern sleuths in literature and film.

Here, I’ll share with you three invaluable lessons gleaned from the detective genre. These insights are not just tools for fiction writers but also lanterns illuminating the path for anyone seeking to understand the human condition through the lens of mystery.

📚 The Essence of Mysteries: 3 Lessons Learned