Welcome to my April A-Z Challenge! This year I am dealing
with terms mystery and crime fiction writers know and use. Consider this month
as a sort of Mystery Writing 101.
By the same token, I hope that even
experienced writers will garner some new information or insights. Some days I
will only present one term, but a goodly number of my 26 posts have two or
three terms.
With my challenge, you get a two-fer. Not only will the letter of
the day be featured in mystery/crime fiction terms, but I have written a short
story for you in 26 parts. Each day’s paragraph begins with the letter of the
day. Let’s get to it!
A is for Alias,
Alibi, and Arrest
Alias can be an
adverb, noun, or verb, but in this context, I am sticking with noun. In
mysteries, someone typically assumes an alias
for a nefarious purpose. In Mission
Impastable, my first culinary mystery, a main character’s alias is a big plot point.
However, an alias
can also be used as protective cover for someone hiding in plain sight for
non-nefarious purposes. In this case, often the intent is to remain camouflaged
while gathering data or searching for something. The much-overused, and generally ineffective “missing
twin” trope often relies on aliases.
Alibi is a
standard component in crime fiction. The mystery writer prepares real and false
alibis (that can be revealed as
false when new evidence emerges) for each suspect. This is tricky. The author
has to use a timeline to
make sure where everyone is at the time of the crime.
After knowing where everyone is, a trail of clues to
support/dispute each alibi is
created. The author sprinkles in clues to dismantle the alibi of the perpetrator. This aspect is one of the reasons I think writing mysteries is harder
than other genres I write.
Arrest (a noun
and a verb) is the finale in mystery and crime fiction. Readers of all but
literary mysteries will not be satisfied if there is no justice, no arrest and prosecution, at the end. An arrest can happen on-stage or off-stage
depending on the sub-genre. Often cozies leave off the details of arresting the perpetrator. But if you
are writing police procedurals or a cozy where the arrest happens, do your research so you write it accurately. Do not
rely on TV or movies for what actually occurs.
For example, a street arrest requires a full-search before
handing off to a transport officer. The transport officer also does a full-search
before handing off the prisoner off to the booking officer, who, you guessed
it, also does a full-search. Arrest
details, like handcuffing or not, and how to handcuff are very important to
give your mystery credibility.
The List: A Story in 26 Parts
Aunt
Fran, “Palpably Pink” acrylic fingernails stuck on the ends of bony fingers,
grasped the orb and shook the Magic 8 Ball once more, willing the ball to give
the right answer to her question this time. The “right answer”, of course,
being one she agreed with. “Is the dolt’s wife cheating on him?”
“Without
a doubt” floated into view.
That will do, she decided and began
typing the answer to the man’s question on the antique gray IBM Selectric she
hauled all over the country with her. It was one of her “charming
eccentricities” the interviewers referred to when writing about the advice
column maven. That and her penchant for trying every shade of red hair dye the
manufacturers produced. Nobody knew
that she relied on the Magic 8 Ball for crafting her answers. But she had long
ago learned that life’s exigencies could be boiled down to the orb’s few
essential phrases.
