(5 Strategies for Writers to Keep Writing.)

However, if you want the thrill of engaging your mind in solving a puzzle without blood, gore, and reality seeping in, check out a cozy mystery. Cozies provide an escape from a world where crimes go unsolved, bad guys get away on technicalities, and society is numbed into inaction. But lighthearted doesn’t equate to lightweight, and fun doesn’t mean wimpy. Cozies prove that mysteries can be fun as well as suspenseful. Here are some tips for ways to write high stakes crime fiction which is still lighthearted and fun.

Basic elements needed for crime fiction include, setting, characters, a compelling plot, a crime, and a sleuth. Cozies are mysteries that feature an amateur solving a crime. There isn’t a lot of graphic violence. No sex on the page, and no bad language (well, not much). The use of the amateur sleuth is one element that opens the door for fun. A police officer, FBI, or other law enforcement professional is highly trained. They know the law and are sworn to uphold it. Chances are good that your average baker, librarian, or bookstore owner has no clue about forensics, chain of evidence, or search and seizure practices.

A trained professional would never break into a suspect’s house to look for and seize evidence. An amateur sleuth isn’t bound by those same restrictions and will boldly go where no law enforcement dares to tread. That boldness will often create suspenseful scenes for an amateur sleuth. Will the killer come back unexpectedly? Will they get caught? Readers will need to keep reading to find out.

So, one of the first things that will help with making sure your mystery is humorous involves your characters. Your sleuth or their side kick could have a quirky sense of humor or an affinity for getting into trouble. A sleuth who inherits a bakery, but can’t cook, can provide a host of opportunities for fun.

One of the few things I remember from high school geometry is “The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.” Euclidean geometry is great if you’re driving from New York to Chicago. However, if you’re writing crime fiction, following a straight line can make for a very boring tale. If your sleuth follows all the clues correctly and never veers down the wrong path, it will create a predictable and boring experience for your readers. One of the rules that mystery authors adhere to (or should) is to play fair with the reader.

Click to continue.

This means readers should get all the clues needed to solve a mystery at the same time that the detective or sleuth gets the clues. However, just because the reader has a clue doesn’t mean that the detective needs to or that they follow it. Don’t be afraid to let your detective make mistakes. No one is perfect. Let your sleuth misinterpret a clue because following that clue down the wrong path can increase the suspense: Will the sleuth get back on track in time? It can also lead the sleuth into a potentially humorous situation.

Readers of crime fiction know that there are two types of clues. There are clues that the author leaves for the reader to help figure out Whodunit. There are also false clues or Red Herrings that provide another way to send the sleuth down the wrong path. In Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe series, Wolfe says one of my favorite quotes. “Any fool could solve the most difficult of cases if everyone told the truth.” (Rex Stout, Three Doors to Death).

The shortest crime fiction book would be if a detective questions a suspect and asks, “Did you kill Mr. Body in the library with a pipe?” And Professor Plum confesses. Worse book EVER! Readers expect characters to lie. They expect that false clues will try to send them off the trail. “Is the mud on the butler’s pants important?” False clues can help keep the tension high by adding another level of complexity and intrigue to the plot.

My tips for high stakes crimes that are lighthearted and fun involve creating quirky, interesting, imperfect characters who are bold and intelligent and aren’t afraid to make mistakes. Lies and false clues can divert the reader while still providing tension and a dash of humor.

Cozy mystery plots are often just as tightly wound as those found in other forms of crime fiction. It requires a great deal of thought, creativity, and ingenuity to have an amateur with no formal training separate the clues from the red herrings, track down a killer, avoid getting killed, and bake cookies (knit, quilt, garden), all without swearing. I’d like to see Sherlock Holmes, Jack Reacher, or James Bond track down a cold-blooded killer and bake a pie with a flaky crust that melts-in-your-mouth that will keep readers chuckling as they ponder Whodunit.

Check out Valerie Burns’ Icing on the Murder here:

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Cozy mystery covers make it clear what type of story readers can expect. The punny titles, the lovely scenes you wish you could step into and, in most cases, an adorable pet of some sort, head often cocked in question. While it might be easy to write off the pets as mere fluff, animal characters play a variety of critical roles in these stories. 

Clue Finders

The natural curiosity of cats makes them both a metaphor for inquisitiveness and the perfect companion for their nosy human counterparts in cozy mysteries. Being close to the ground and infinitely flexible, cats can shimmy under furniture, bushes, or buildings. Strong legs and sharp claws enable them to climb bookcases, trees, or roofs. Endowed with these feline superpowers, cats are skilled investigators who see the world from a variety of perspectives. They’re likely to spot something their caregiver would not, and bring the potential clue to the human’s attention. Sawdust, the sweet kitty in my House-Flipper series, brings many clues to the attention of carpenter Whitney Whitaker, including a tiny bead of mercury on the floor of a fire station in Four-Alarm Homicide. 

While cats are certainly clever and craftly, canines make excellent cozy companions, too. Dogs’ superb olfactory capabilities make them scentsational sleuths, sniffing out clues investigators might miss. Dogs can lead their people partners on scent trails, giving a hint in which direction the investigation should go next. In my Paw Enforcement series, K9 Brigit’s job is to assist Officer Megan Luz in tracking suspects and searching for illegal drugs. But the shrewd rescue dog-turned-K9 is willing to go above and beyond for her partner and packmate. When the K9 team comes upon a crime scene in Bending the Paw, Brigit sniffs more doggedly at one particular puddle of blood, alerting Megan to the fact that there’s something different about this pool that could be critical to the case. 

When a baby goes missing in Deadly Patterns, book three of Melissa Bourbon’s Magical Dressmaking Mystery series, a goat leads the amateur sleuth away to a manger, where the infant is hidden in the hay. 

… Thelma Louise bleated. She made it sound urgent. Three short, three long, three short. Like the Morse code distress signal, which made the hairs on the back of my neck rise … She turned her glassy eyes to me before taking off across my grandparents’ side of the yard. Will and I ran after her, sloshing through puddles, the heels of my boots sinking into patches of mud. 

In The Real Macaw by Donna Andrews, a bird is itself a piece of evidence. Meg’s home is currently serving as a shelter for animals who would normally be at an official facility when an important clue comes to light.

“I have to say,” she said finally. “I like this macaw much better.” … 

“We’ve only ever had the one macaw,” I said. …

“… What makes you think this isn’t the same one?” I asked aloud.

“The color, dear. The macaw you had yesterday was mostly a very harsh Prussian blue. It didn’t fit your living room décor at all. This new macaw is a very lovely shade of turquoise instead. Very nice. Matches the upholstery.”

Creating Empathy for the Main Character

People with pets are typically nurturing types, who selflessly share their home, food, and bed with their four-legged friends. Giving a character a pet makes them more likeable, especially if the pet is stubborn or high-maintenance, less readily lovable. Readers will have an immediate affinity for the sleuth and will relate to the humor and headaches the pet brings to the character’s life. 

In Murder by Page One: A Peach Coast Library Mystery by Olivia Matthews, librarian Marvey has moved from Brooklyn to a tiny Georgia town. Things go south with her cat, too.

I’d stepped out of the living room for ten minutes, fifteen tops, to get my pendant-making materials. I wanted to work on Jo’s gift. When I returned, I almost dropped my plastic tub of supplies. Phoenix had once again stacked all his worldly possessions against my front door—his food bowl, bed, toys, and blankets. He stood beside his belongings, returning my gaze in defiance …

Swallowing a sigh, I set the tub with my supplies on the coffee table and faced him. “Phoenix, I sense your frustration. I’m frustrated too.”

I scooped him up from the entranceway and carried him to my oversized, overstuffed, faux brown leather armchair. Phoenix turned his back to me in a feline snub. I wasn’t going to win him over so easily.

I petted him with long, slow strokes from the crown of his head to his tail. “I’m very concerned that you’re unhappy. I don’t like seeing you this way. You haven’t been yourself since our move.”

He deigned to send me a look over his shoulder before turning away from me again. “Hopefully, our visit to the vet tomorrow will help me to understand what’s causing your unhappiness.”

Phoenix shifted to lay across my lap. A good sign. Perhaps he was forgiving me in stages.

The attention Marvey pays to Phoenix shows what a kindhearted woman she is, making her an appealing character. 

Raising the Stakes

It’s supremely suspenseful when a sleuth’s safety hangs in the balance, and when a pet’s future is uncertain the stakes rise exponentially. A pet parent has a lot to lose if their beloved cat or dog escapes during a break-in. And if the killer turns his sights on the main character, what will happen to poor, orphaned Mittens or Max? Moreover, a character might take serious risks to ensure their pet is safe, such as entering their home despite discovering their front door kicked in or a window broken. When readers are concerned not only for the amateur sleuth’s well-being, but also for the well-being of the character’s pet, the stakes increase. 

In my book The Moonshine Shack Murder, a killer follows modern-day moonshiner Hattie Hayes up a dark, dangerous, and deserted mountain road. When the criminal forces her van to veer and roll over, Hattie’s cherished gray cat, named Smoky after the Smoky Mountains, escapes his carrier and flees into the woods. Smoky’s getaway adds drama to the scene.

Pets as Protectors

Pets can meow or bark to warn of approaching danger. A pet might even directly defend the sleuth. In Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder by Valerie Burns, Maddy Montgomery inherits not only her great aunt’s bakery, but also an enormous English Mastiff named Baby.

I opened the front passenger door and commanded Baby to get in.

He put his front paws on the seat and then hoisted himself up and in. Once he was inside, I slammed the door. I hopped into the driver’s seat and looked across at my passenger. Baby was huge, but there was something very appealing about his eyes as he perched next to me in the car …

“Well, Baby, I guess it’s you and me.” I looked into his eyes. He looked sad, and I wondered if he understood Aunt Octavia was gone. I stared at his giant muzzle. I certainly didn’t want to say anything to offend him. I’d google later to find out how much dogs understood, just to be on the safe side. As I pulled away from the curb, something banged the hood of the car. I slammed on the brakes, and that’s when I heard a string of expletives. I looked up and saw a man banging his fist on the car’s hood.

A red-faced man with wisps of blond hair on either side of his head, but none on the top, glared at me. “Watch where you’re going.”

I rolled down the window. “I’m sorry. I didn’t see you.” 

“Why not? Are you blind? I could have—”

I was so distracted by apologizing that I wasn’t paying attention to anything else. However, the abrupt end to the man’s tirade should have been my warning that trouble was lurking. It wasn’t until I heard a low rumble that I remembered Baby. A split second later, two hundred and fifty pounds of canine flesh landed in my lap, nearly knocking the air from my lungs …

The man backed away from the window. His red face turned white, as all the color drained away.

Sounding Boards

While spending time in a character’s mind can be insightful, prolonged contemplation of a case can slow a story down. But when an amateur sleuth discusses their theories about a crime with their pet, it keeps things moving along, even if the conversation is one-sided. 

Pets can consult on other matters as well. Willa, the protagonist in Korina Moss’s Cheese Shop Mystery series, has an opinionated betta fish with a crush on Ted Allen, host of the TV show “Chopped.” In Curds of Prey, Willa seeks an opinion on her outfit.

“How do I look, Loretta? Be nice.”

My fish tended to judge me a little for never looking as fabulous as she did, often swishing her red crown tail like a flamenco dancer’s dress. This time she didn’t try to show off. She wiggled her iridescent blue body in approval.

“Thank you. I’ll leave Chopped on TV until I get home.” I put on a thin white cropped cardigan with three-quarter length sleeves before slipping the strap of a small black purse across myself. “See you later. Have fun with Ted,” I told her …

Comic Relief

Animal antics add fun touches of humor and expand the emotional breadth of a mystery. A sharp-clawed cat who swipes the killer’s ankles as he runs from police will earn her weight in catnip. Giving pets a funny trait, such as a habit of snoring, getting the zoomies, or rolling in mud, will further endear them to readers. What’s more, pets encourage people to do silly things, such as making sweet talk in a high-pitched voice, sitting stock still so as not to disturb the kitten catnapping on their lap, or driving all over town in search of the overpriced treats their persnickety puppy prefers. 

In Rhythm and Clues, the third book of Olivia Blacke’s Record Shop Mysteries set in Texas, an amusing scare scene ensues when the killer who seemed intent on forcing his way into the sleuth’s house turns out to be nothing more than an armadillo on the prowl for dinner. 

Meri Allen’s Ice Cream Shop cozies feature a former cat-show diva named Sprinkles, who delights in trying to trip shop owner Riley on the stairs. Meri says it took her two books to realize that Sprinkles, like the killers, has murderous intentions. 

In Carola Dunn’s Valley of the Shadow, an interaction between a cat and dog provides a bit of humor while also setting the scene.

The Tregeddles’ cottage opened directly onto the narrow street. A large grey cat was asleep in the sun on the slate windowsill, its tail hanging down. The tip twitched. Teazle was usually very good with cats, but this was too much for her.

Barking, she reared up against the wall, dancing on her back legs. The cat whisked its tail away just in time and stood up, back arched, hissing and spitting. Naturally this incited Teazle to further frenzy.

As Eleanor pulled her away, the front door swung open.

“What the …!?” The small, wiry, weatherbeaten man recognised Eleanor. “Oh, it’s you, Mrs. Trewynn. … Quite a voice your little un’s got, hasn’t she?” He bent down and scratched under Teazle’s chin. By now the Westie’s rear end was wagging madly, while the cat was already apparently asleep, his tail carefully tucked up under his chin.

…..

As you plot your next cozy mystery, make room in your cast for an animal character, and give the animal integral roles in your scenes. Whether it’s a calculating canine, a cunning kitty cat, or another type of animal entirely, your story will be better for it.

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Some cozy mysteries are playful and humorous (despite a corpse or two). Others are erudite and resolute. Wherever your cozy falls on the spectrum of light-hearted to serious, all successful cozies are laden with charm. While the concept of charm is intangible, and thus hard to define, we know it when we see it because of how it makes us feel. Charm is soothing and homey. Reading a cozy mystery is as comforting as wearing a favorite old sweater on a cold winter day. 

Of the five factors that successful cozy mysteries share, three are clear-cut. While not necessarily easy to execute, the parameters are unambiguous. The other two, though, require deft handling. Here are the three that are straightforward: 

• A wholesome tone with no graphic anything—no on-stage violence, no gory descriptions, no explicit sex, and no cussin’. 
• A killer and victim who know one another, leading to a motive that’s personal, not random. Motives can run the gamut from greed and fear to revenge and hate, among others. 
• A solution that depends on the sleuth’s deductive abilities, not forensics. 

The two remaining factors are: 

• An amateur or semi-amateur sleuth who has a viable reason to poke her nose in other people’s business. 
• A setting filled with quaint and unique elements. 

To add that elusive quality of charm to your cozy mystery, focus on your sleuth and your setting.

The Charming Sleuth

Think of the most charming person you know, then ask yourself why that person came to mind. What is it they do or say that makes you think of them as charming? Here’s what I bet you came up with: They care about people in general and you in particular. They treat everyone with dignity and respect, including themselves. They’re strong, but not domineering. They’re generous, but not a pushover. Imbue your sleuth with these qualities, and you’ll have created a character readers adore. The trick is translating these abstract concepts into concrete behaviors and attributes—to show, not tell. 

First, consider why your sleuth is good at detective work. Is it their observation skills, their specialized expertise, or their understanding of human nature—or some combination of the three? As you review the following examples, think about how these jobs and leisure activities might facilitate a sleuth ferreting out secrets, the heart of detective work, all while showcasing their charm. 

• A local reporter, like Jaye Jordan in Nikki Knight’s Live, Local, and Dead mystery series 
• The owner of a small business, like Addie Greyborne, who owns a bookshop, in Lauren Elliott’s Beyond the Page Bookstore Mystery series, or Izzy Chambers Perry, who owns the Sea Harbor Yarn Studio in Sally Goldenbaum’s Seaside Knitters Society Mystery series 
• A chef, like Henry Ross in Peter King’s Gourmet Detective mystery series1 
• A restaurant manager, like Lana Lee in Vivien Chien’s Noodle Shop mysteries 

Whatever their occupation or avocation, charming amateur sleuths show genuine interest in the people and situations around them. When chatting, your sleuth maintains eye contact. She doesn’t scan the room looking for someone more interesting to talk to. He doesn’t check his phone while having lunch with a pal. On a video call, she wouldn’t look down, surreptitiously reading an email while her friend is describing a fight with her husband. 

To understand how to translate this imperative—focus on the here and now—into concrete actions, adapt the protocol known as active listening. While this four-step process is designed to increase communication efficacy, sleuths who use this approach don’t merely get people talking and keep them talking, both of which crucial, they themselves are valued as caring, concerned citizens.

The Active Listening Process

“Active listening” refers to a communication technique developed by Dr. Thomas Gordon in the 1950s. He coined the term in his book, Leader Effectiveness Training. When a sleuth uses words and phrases such as these at each of the four steps of the active listening process, readers perceive him or her as charming. 

• Encourage
  • Tell me more about … ?
  • I’d love to hear your thoughts about … ?
• Get the facts
  • What do you think happened?
  • Why did you decide against … ?”
• Paraphrase
  • So, you’re saying Mary plans on signing the lease on Thursday, is that right?
  • You seem confident that George will be happy in the new condo.
• Summarize
  • Then the next step is …
  • Your recommendation is …

…..

Your sleuth should also employ “minimal encouragers,” short phrases that motivate people to confide in him. Minimal encouragers subliminally signal your sleuth’s interest in what people have to say, which is, of course, a primary component of charm. Minimal encouragers include actions like smiling, nodding, and employing verbal reactions, such as: 

• “You’re kidding!”
• “Mmhmm.”
• “Really?”
• “I see.”
• “Then what?”

Another reliable way of adding charm is to capitalize on your sleuth’s ability to intuit what people are truly thinking or feeling. By mirroring the observed or unspoken thought or emotion in dialogue, the person your sleuth is talking to will feel respected and valued, core ingredients of charm. For instance, let’s say a character named Sally confides to your sleuth, Carole, that a date stood her up. Carole might reflect the unspoken emotion with an empathetic reaction. An important note: It’s not enough for Carole to know Sally got stood up—she needs to know how Sally feels about it. Is Sally furious, embarrassed, sad? Carole, reading between the lines, registering Sally’s tone of voice, listening for what isn’t said, might respond to Sally’s confidence by saying: 

• “Have you killed him yet?” (emotion reflected = rage)
• “Ouch. That’ll put you on track to polish off a quart of double-chocolate Ben and Jerry’s.” (emotion reflected = embarrassment, shame, or self-loathing)
• “When I need a good cry, I watch An Affair to Remember. How about you?” (emotion reflected = sadness)

Charm Killers

A charming sleuth would never: 

• Use the word should
• Criticize (“That was dumb.”)
• Speak in an aggressive or skeptical tone
• Dismiss someone’s worries
• Offer platitudes

…..

Among the most effective ways to add charm is to give your amateur sleuth a beloved pet. In Paula Munier’s Mercy Carr series, Mercy adopts Elvis, a Belgian shepherd with canine PTSD. Morgan Carter, a bookstore owner and cryptozoologist, in Annelise Ryan’s Monster Hunter mystery series, adores Newt, a rescue dog of uncertain lineage. Cats are even more popular in cozies than dogs, including Moishe in Joanne Fluke’s Hannah Swenson’s mystery series and Sneaky Pie Brown, the co-author, with Rita Mae Brown, of the Mrs. Murphy mysteries. Anything that humanizes your sleuth and shows their caring nature will work to add charm. Give them a volunteer job at a local nonprofit. Have them work at a community garden. 

Weaving these qualities and behaviors together creates a full-bodied, believable, and charming character, and those are the sleuths readers adore.

Choose a Charming Location

Most cozy mysteries take place in self-contained communities. This guideline serves several charm-inducing purposes, both logistical and thematic. 

From a logistical perspective, charm derives from contented familiarity. Knowing that character A takes a walk along the river at 8 o’clock sharp every morning or that character B, locally renowned for his moody paintings of meadows, sets up his easel on the village green on foggy days, provides welcome predictability, a comforting rhythm to daily life. In addition, this kind of consistency ensures your sleuth will have plenty of suspects that she knows well to consider—and she’ll know where to find them. Your sleuth also knows the lay of the land, the secret spots where people go to hide or brood. 

Thematically, cozies are, at their essence, stories about finding community. A place where people value you for who you truly are, where you don’t need to pretzel yourself to fit in. Dr. Brené Brown2, a research professor at the University of Houston and one of the world’s leading experts in making meaningful connections, puts it this way: “Fitting in and belonging are not the same thing. In fact, fitting in is one of the greatest barriers to belonging. Fitting in is about assessing a situation and becoming who you need to be in order to be accepted. Belonging, on the other hand, doesn’t require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are.” When we feel valued for who we truly are, we’re charmed.

Insular Settings Enhance Charm

A bucolic hamlet. An English country house. An island resort. When it comes to choosing an insular location, the possibilities are endless. As you review the following locations (with corresponding examples), consider how each lends itself to the requisite logistics and supports the theme of belonging. 

• A small town or village
  • Alexia Gordon’s Murder in G Major: A Gethsemane Brown Mystery
• A train traveling along an isolated route
  • Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express: A Hercule Poirot Mystery
• A cruise ship
  • Elaine Viet’s Final Sail: A Dead-End Job Mystery
• A coffee shop in a big city
  • Cleo Coyle’s Bulletproof Barista: A Coffeehouse Mystery (Note that neighborhoods within a large city can offer the same kind of self-contained environment as a small town.)
• A mountain lodge
  • Diane Kelly’s Snow Place for Murder: A Mountain Lodge Mystery
• An assisted living facility
  • Richard Osman’s The Bullet That Missed: A Thursday Murder Club Mystery

…..

You create this welcoming environment by adding elements to the setting that evoke comfort, delight, and serenity: the aroma of fresh-baked bread, a lake dotted with sun-sparks dancing on the surface, the soft feel of a cotton quilt, the taste of cinnamon in the homemade applesauce, a kitten’s purr. Notice that all five examples include sensory references. Writing these charming elements using sensory cues brings everyday items and events to life.

Where in the World Are You?

As you think about where to set your cozy mystery, start with determining your era and location. Do you want to set your mysteries in Rome at the turn of the century? Victorian England? The near future? 

Cozy mysteries don’t need to be set in the present. Historical cozies abound. Consider, for example, Margaret Frazer’s Sister Frevisse Medieval Mystery series, where the sleuth is a nun during the reign of Henry VI (Medieval England). In Sujata Massey’s Perveen Mistry mystery series Perveen Mistry is a young lawyer in 1920s Bombay, one of the first women admitted to the bar. 

You don’t even need to feature humans in your mystery for it to work as an über-charming cozy. In Juneau Black’s Shady Hollow mysteries, the sleuth is a newspaper reporter named Vera Vixen, a fox. The woodland setting, in an unnamed boreal forest, is home to a delightful array of quirky characters, from Gladys Honeysuckle, a gossipy hummingbird, to Joe, a moose with “quite a mug,” who runs the local coffee shop named Joe’s Mug, to a brown bear named Orville Braun, the deputy chief of police, and a parade of other critters each with a distinctive personality. Interestingly, Shady Hollow’s era is unclear, but we know it’s not contemporary, since Vera develops film in a darkroom, and no one uses a cellphone or computer. 

Whatever era and location you choose, identify familiar elements that enable readers to immerse themselves in your world.

…..

To bring a setting to life, add in information that goes beyond the physicality of a place. Yes, readers want to know the geography of the location, to smell the briny air at a seaside enclave, hear the rain pattering the metal roof at a mountain resort, feel the searing summer sun in a sleepy desert outpost, taste blackberries plucked from bushes in a California commune, and see palm fronds waving in a tropical oasis, but infusing your story with charm requires that you take a holistic view of the setting. Use the following four questions (and examples) to fire up your imagination.

1. What languages and dialects are spoken? Are there idioms, terminology, slang, or abbreviations specific to the region? Does everyone in the location know and use the local vernacular?

• South Carolina’s Gullah Geechee
• Hawai’i’s Pidgin
• New England’s frappe (milkshakes elsewhere). In your location, would they order a sub, a hero, a hoagie, or a grinder?
• Louisiana’s Cajun

2. What are regional or local food favorites? Is there one resident’s specialty that’s renowned? Are there contests or competitions?

• Colorado’s mountain trout
• South Dakota’s kuchen
• Caribbean jerk
• Chili cook-offs

3. Is there a musical style or instrument common to the region? Are there regularly scheduled musical events?

• Kentucky’s bluegrass
• Louisiana’s zydeco
• Police and fire departments’ bagpipe bands
• Karaoke at a local tavern

4. What cultural or community events occur periodically or annually?

• Dushore (Pennsylvania) Founder’s Day celebration
• Cannon Beach (Oregon) Sandcastle Contest
• Mansfield (Texas) Pickle Parade
• Hermann (Missouri) Wurstfest

Bringing together seemingly disparate factors such as culture, language, habits, standards, values, customs, food, mores, pace of life, and so on, creates a delightful world readers can envision, a place they want to visit and where they’re glad to stay a while.

Three More Ways to Add Charm to Your Cozy Mystery

Recipes

Many cozies include references to food and drink, a crowd pleaser certain to engender kinship. Several actually include recipes. In Diane Mott Davidson’s Goldy Schulz mystery, Catering to Nobody, you’ll find recipes for “Goldy’s Marvelous Mayonnaise” and “Wild Man’s Wild Rice Salad,” among others. Laura Childs’s Lemon Curd Killer: A Tea Shop Mystery includes both recipes and “tea time tips.” Mia P. Manansala’s Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mysteries feature Filipino American cuisine that the Washington Post described as “mouth-watering.” 

Quirky Characters 

Cozies usually include an ensemble cast comprised of quirky characters. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, quirky refers to a personality attribute, behavior, or mannerism that’s “unusual in [an] interesting or appealing way.” Consider how characters like these would spice up your cozy mystery: 

• Celeste, a home health care aide has sky blue hair and a cluster of stars tattooed on her neck
• Kyle, owner of a small-town hardware store, proudly touts his “causes” with bumper stickers and shop window signage espousing: “Save Our Coral Reefs” and “Clean Up the Beach”
• Lizbeth, a retiree, wheels her miniature poodle around town in a pet carriage. The poodle, Trixie, wears stylish girlie outfits and pink bows in her fur.

Puns

Many cozy mystery titles include puns. These titles don’t simply identify the book’s theme or focus, it also alerts readers that a humorous and light-hearted tone will balance the sadness of the murder. Consider these examples as you work on your own thematic puns. 

• Donna Andrews’s Meg Langslow mystery series’ titles include puns related to birds: Round Up the Usual Peacocks, Between a Flock and a Hard Place, and Cockatiels at Seven.
• The titles in the David Rosenfelt’s Andy Carpenter Mystery series’ use puns that reference dogs, such as Dachshund Through the Snow, Bark of Night, and Dog Day Afternoon.
• The puns in Nora Page’s Bookmobile Mystery series’ titles allude to reading: Better Off Read, Read on Arrival, and Read or Alive.

…..

Cozy mystery readers want to feel part of a caring community. You create this allure by building a delightful, self-contained world populated by an engaging sleuth to create the kind of charm that knocks readers socks off.

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(How to Write a Cunning but Cozy Novel.)

So, how to keep a book cozy with all the traditional elements of a mystery but also to bring in the added interest and excitement of a wartime period. Here are some of the top tips I gathered while writing my new World War 2 cozy crime series, The Secret Detective Agency.

Research is king.

Make sure you know your setting and time period really well. Conditions at the start, middle and end of the war differed. Rules on rationing, and all kinds of other matters which affected daily life changed over time. Life in a city or large town could be a different experience to life in the countryside. Remember too that many readers have their own experiences of this time, either their own childhood memories or those passed on in family stories.

You are not writing a textbook.

If something was possible then you can use it so long as it is plausible within that world. If it definitely could not have happened then you can’t. Well, not without receiving a shedload of angry emails from knowledgeable readers. A few details go a long way to painting a picture without leaving a reader bogged down in minutia instead of getting caught up in the mystery. Research should only show like the very tip of a concealed iceberg. You may need to know all the components of a particular tank or how to assemble an anti-aircraft gun, but your reader doesn’t.

Create your cozy world.

Yes, there is a war and yes it affects your character’s lives but you still need a good setting. A small village, a country house, even a munitions factory perhaps with recognizable characters. You still need that feeling of community, something that was very much around during wartime.

Click to continue.

Create realistic cozy characters.

You still need amateur sleuths that your reader can relate to. A policeman, someone who people automatically might defer to, this could be the local doctor or vicar or an ARP warden. Writing a wartime set cozy means you can play around a little with your cast. In this setting there are more rules, observing black outs, rationing etc. Are all your characters law abiding citizens full of the blitz spirit? Or will you have a few shady ones, black marketers, evacuated children, illicit romance? People are still people albeit living in extraordinary circumstances. Your reader needs to be able to empathise with their plights to understand their motives.

The crime is still the same.

Murder is still murder, a burglary or theft is still going to be investigated and although the period has drama on the fighting fronts, a murder at home is still shocking. The motive for the crime may be connected to the war or it may simply have provided an opportunity to commit the deed.

Travel is not straightforward in wartime.

Petrol is rationed, trains were steam locomotives and crowded with troops. The blackout affected how people moved around at night and where they might go. Bicycles were highly prized but were not the lightweight speed machines of today. Think about how your characters travel from place to place and how long it may take them to do so. A similar consideration should be given to the use of technology. Telephone calls could be overheard, and not everywhere had them. Not every home had electric lighting or indoor plumbing. Many did, but not all, depending where in the country you lived.

I enjoy the challenges of writing the Secret Detective Agency books and hope the cozy crimes are enhanced by the setting.

Check out Helena Dixon’s The Secret Detective Agency here:

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The post 6 Tips for Writing Wartime Cozy Crime Novels appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In this interview, Bellamy discusses how a reader-favorite character from a different book helped inspire her new cozy mystery, Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder, her advice for other writers, and more.

Name: Bellamy Rose
Literary agent: Merrilee Heifetz (Writers House)
Book title: Pomona Afton Can So Solve a Murder
Publisher: Emily Bestler Books/Atria
Release date: March 18, 2025
Genre/category: Cozy mystery/rom-com
Elevator pitch: A spoiled heiress must investigate her grandmother’s death in order to gain back her trust fund, all while discovering how to be her own person and maybe even in falling in love in this rom-com meets murder mystery.

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What prompted you to write this book?

I write rom-coms as well under the name Amanda Elliot (most recently Love You a Latke) and one of readers’ (and my) favorite parts of my second rom-com, Best Served Hot, was a side character: the spoiled heiress with a heart of gold. I was intrigued by the idea of taking a character like her and making her into the main character of a book, and then it popped into my head: What if she had to solve a murder?

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

Well, if you consider the idea sparked when I wrote Best Served Hot, it’s been years! But, honestly, the process went pretty smoothly from there. I wrote a proposal, sent it to my agent, wrote the full draft with her feedback, revised once or twice, and then we sent it on submission. A couple months later, the offer came in from my dream editor.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

This is my debut under this name and in this genre, but my 10th published book overall, so there isn’t much that can surprise me at this point. This will be my first adult hardcover, so it will be interesting learning about that process!

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

When I started writing it, I didn’t know who the killer would be—I decided after I finished the first few chapters (the proposal). So, it was fun writing introductions to all the characters and figuring out who would make the best culprit (and why).

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

I hope it makes them smile.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

Don’t be afraid to try new things. I’ve reinvented my career multiple times now and I’m convinced it’s what keeps me in the industry.

The post Bellamy Rose: Don’t Be Afraid To Try New Things appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In this interview, C.M. discusses how marathoning “Murder She Wrote” helped inspire her new cozy supernatural mystery, The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society, her hope for readers, and more!

Name: C.M. Waggoner
Literary agent: Bridget Smith
Book title: The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society
Publisher: Ace Supernatural cozy mystery
Release date: September 24, 2024
Genre/category: Supernatural cozy mystery
Previous titles: Unnatural Magic, The Ruthless Lady’s Guide to Wizardry
Elevator pitch: It’s “Murder She Wrote” meets “Buffy the Vampire Slayer!”

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What prompted you to write this book?

I’d been streaming episodes of “Murder she Wrote” in 2020 (along with a lot of other people looking for something cozy and comforting to binge-watch while sheltering in place, I’m guessing!) and after idly Googling the show found some articles from the late-90s talking about how someone had crunched the numbers and concluded that Cabot Cove had a higher murder rate than Caracas. I thought it was very fun to contemplate why exactly everyone in this charming little seaside town seemed so completely unruffled by their shocking murder rate. The best explanation I could come up with was supernatural!

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

It took about four years in total from the first germ of an idea to publication, and mostly just changed by slowly expanding from a funny idea I had to a whole book. Some of my favorite parts of the book, like Lord Thomas Cromwell the cat, ended up being much bigger players in the final version than they were in the first draft.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

I was honestly surprised that my publisher jumped on the idea in the way they did—I guess I wasn’t the only one who thought it was funny!

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

I expected writing a real whodunit would be hard, but I probably underestimated how much work I (and my poor long-suffering editor and copy editor) would end up having to put in to make sure that the clues, timelines, and possible suspects were lined up just right for the big reveal at the end. It gave me even more respect to mystery writers who successfully pull it off over and over again!

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

A few fun hours of reading with some decent laughs sprinkled in! I’ve been a huge fan of Agatha Christie and other cozy mysteries since I was a kid—I remember tearing through books in the The Cat Who… series in elementary school—and this book is my little love letter to the genre. I hope that readers can feel that affection when they read it.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

I see people online talking about being “plotters” or “pantsers” as if they’re immutable character traits. I’m a pretty chaotic loosey-goosey person by nature and pantsed my first book, but my first contract required me to submit an outline for my works in progress. Having that outline to refer to when I’m really in the weeds while working on subsequent books has made my writing life 100 percent easier, even if I often still go way off-script and change things as I go.

Because of that, one piece of advice that I have is to try not to wed yourself too completely to an idea of yourself as a specific “kind” of writer. I think it’s a better idea to let yourself experiment with different ways of doing things until you find a method that makes the writing process as joyful and stress-free as possible, and results in completed, readable books. 

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(5 Fast Tips for Writing Authentic Dialogue.)

And then, three things happened. My library co-worker was getting married, so we spent a shift picking out flavors for her wedding cupcake tower, my son’s godmother messaged me that Sprinkles had opened up down the street from my house and they sold shots of frosting, and my agent at the time tweeted that she always checked out the local cupcake bakery when she traveled. 

All of a sudden, I knew I had found what I was looking for. Cupcakes and death! What’s not to love?

The research was a true hardship, as you can imagine. Cupcake bakeries were everywhere, much like weed dispensaries are now, and I ate my bodyweight in buttercream and all flavors of cake. It took me a week to tour several bakeries and craft my proposal for a cozy mystery set against the backdrop of a cupcake bakery. An offer for publication was made within days and I gleefully accepted.

Why did this idea work? What was it about cupcakes and murder that appealed? Let’s start with the hook. Cupcakes were immensely popular (still are), which made the publisher eager to follow that trend as no one else was writing a cupcake-based series at the time. My idea was the same as many other foodie mysteries set in their own particular culinary worlds but it was also different because…cupcakes! I decided to name the bakery Fairy Tale Cupcakes, giving it a sense of lighthearted whimsy to offset the looming darkness of the impending crimes.

A cupcake bakery offers readers several things. It’s a sensory loaded environment in that you have the yummy aroma, the pretty eye-catching decorations of the different cupcakes, and the delicious flavors. It also creates a unique setting where the baker and the employees have to be in place every day to create the food for the customers who visit their bakery. The bakers naturally become the amateur sleuths and in this series I chose to make the three primary characters childhood friends who own a business together to lean into the trope of found family but also to raise the stakes on the success of the bakery. No one wants to go bankrupt with their besties. These elements ground the story when the unthinkable happens, which is of course murder.

Cozies are known for their gentle take on crime. The grisly bits are left off the page and the sleuths’ task is to puzzle out the murder, solving the mystery using their smarts and, if it’s an ensemble task, team work. This works well when the world is a cupcake bakery because the recipe is a little bit of cupcake, a splash of murder, and a pinch of red herrings. And because having a diverse bunch of cupcake bakers become investigators is inherently absurd, it invites all sorts of slapstick shenanigans and comedic capers, filling the story with some laughs as well as craftily placed clues, inviting readers to join the fun.

The main protagonist, Melanie Cooper, is also the chief baker. When I started writing the mysteries, I knew I wanted a single point of view so that the reader would always be right there with Mel, baking cupcakes or tracking down suspects. Her knowledge and passion for baking inform her character but also her journey to opening her bakery with her two best friends make it easy for the reader to rally around Mel and the cupcake crew. It’s hard not to like a character who wants to eat a cupcake or two every time the going gets rough.

Check out Jenn McKinlay’s Fondant Fumble here:

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Because Mel is the chief baking officer, it allows the story to flow from her kitchen to a stake out or a high-speed chase or whatever and back. This helps the story build and release tension as the mystery is unraveled and prevents the narrative from getting bogged down in too much detail about either cupcakes or murder. 

For example, a typical chapter would include a brief description about how to roll out a fondant and then it’s off to track down a clue or interview a suspect in the murder investigation. Also, having Mel’s uncle as a homicide detective on the local police force gives her access to the police world and grounds the story with legit investigative procedures.

You would think that mysteries involving cupcakes could get overbaked—see what I did there?—meaning how many times can a baker solve a murder mystery and how different can each mystery really be? Well, the one thing that makes this particular series not only popular with cozy readers but also a joy to write, is that each character in the series has their own unique and distinctive arc. 

Beyond the three main characters, their families, friends, acquaintances, and fellow business owners also contribute to each story, creating a cast that readers know better with each addition to the series. There have been break-ups, make-ups, weddings, and babies born, and there is still so much for each of these characters to experience and the readers along with them.

Now that I’ve written the 16th mystery in the Cupcake Bakery mysteries, I can honestly say I never expected the series to run this long but the most valuable thing I’ve learned while writing these mysteries is that the only limit to a series is the author’s imagination. In other words, go for it!

The post The Art of Baking a Cozy Mystery appeared first on Writer's Digest.

In this interview, Kristen discusses the major and minor changes that were made in the writing process of her new cozy mystery, How to Solve Your Own Murder, her advice for other writers, and more!

Name: Kristen Perrin
Literary agent: Zoë Plant, The Bent Agency
Book title: How to Solve Your Own Murder
Publisher: Dutton
Release date: March 26th, 2024
Genre/category: Cozy mystery
Elevator pitch: In 1965, 16-year-old Frances is told by a fortune teller that one day she’ll be murdered, so she spends the rest of her life trying to figure out who her killer could be before it happens. Her fortune comes true when she’s in her 60s, and it turns out that she set up her will to challenge her skeptical family members to solve her murder in a competition to inherit her millions.

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What prompted you to write this book?

I’ve always loved mysteries and I’d been writing in children’s fantasy for a number of years, and craved something that felt a bit like coming home. I do still love both children’s literature and fantasy as a genre, but during the pandemic I felt drawn to projects that felt comforting to me. (I know it sounds strange that solving murders could be comforting, but the Agatha Christie fans out there probably know just what I mean!) Once I started writing about the fictional village of Castle Knoll with its rolling hills and buried secrets, I knew I wanted to spend as much time as I could there.

How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?

The process from having the idea to producing a clean draft that my agent sent to publishers was probably about a year and a half, and the idea never changed but my execution of it certainly did. During the drafting process, I wrote nearly half the book as a YA novel, where Frances’ niece Annie (one of our main characters) was actually a New Yorker who had to visit her estranged great aunt in England. I scrapped that draft when my agent (quite rightly) advised me that not only would Annie work better as someone in her early 20s, but that she should be from London.

Once I had Annie growing up in Chelsea, so many ideas grew from there, but it still took me another full draft to get the book to resemble the shape it is now. And once it was acquired, there were many rounds of structural edits and copy edits, and all of the essential parts of the publishing process that go on behind the scenes to get a book in the best shape it can be. So, all in all, I think it’s a bit over three years from idea to publication.

Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?

I think the surprises were all very positive ones, in that I just couldn’t believe how lucky I was to be publishing in so many places. The book will be translated into quite a few languages, and every time I see a new cover for it, I feel amazed that it’s going to reach people all over the world. As my children’s career has been entirely in translation (my middle-grade books are currently only available in German, Polish, and Dutch), having my work translated holds a special place in my heart.

As far as learning moments, I think the biggest one has been learning to jump between having my head down writing or editing, to doing more dynamic things like interviews, podcasts, or being out and about talking to booksellers or at festivals. They require a very different part of your brain, and the focus and energy needed is different as well. Ideally a writer can do both in a day, but I’ve had to train my brain to focus in a more organized way. I set timers for my writing, with word count goals, and then switch to more administrative tasks in a different block of time if I can. I think you just have to be regimented about your time management. Thankfully, in the past I’ve balanced writing time with a day job, and also with raising small children, so I was relatively seasoned at this already.

Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?

Quite a few, though to go into too much detail would be giving away spoilers! But I will say that I outline my books carefully, and every time I sit down to draft, I always end up drifting away from my plans. In some instances, I get to a planned scene and completely throw my careful notes out the window, but it’s always for a reason that I find energizing. When I’m at a part of the book that needs better pacing or it feels right to have a reveal come up and I’ve thought of a better one than what I planned from the start, I like to roll with the punches and see how new ideas come out on the page. I often hear writers refer to “discovery writing”, and I think this is a great way to picture it—sometimes you just have to get a couple of characters on the page and see where they take you, and some surprising twists can result from that.

What do you hope readers will get out of your book?

First and foremost, I want readers to enjoy their reading experience. I’d love for people to have fun, but also to be surprised in places, and maybe have a few places where they feel clever because they noticed a detail that turned out to be significant later. Getting sucked into the mystery to the point where you can’t help but try to puzzle things out before the end is always my favorite feeling when I read, so I hope to be able to deliver that. And if there are a few emotional beats that resonate with people too, all the better.

If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?

I think the most important thing about the writing process is knowing enough about how you personally work best. This is something I’m always learning more about—what helps me focus? How do I deal with problems in my outlines, or if I’m procrastinating (which I have a huge tendency to do), what’s the reason behind it?

Keeping a writing journal has been essential for learning how I function best as a writer. I’ve got a document on my computer that I open at the start of every writing session (and often add to throughout the day), where I dump all my frustration, questions to myself, excited side-ideas, and generally anything I need to get out of my head before I start writing. It gets my fingers typing and, in many cases, helps me solve problems simply by talking them out with myself in that document.

Another bonus of the writing journal is that I can search back to entries from a year ago, or two years ago, and see what my thoughts were at various times in the process of drafting, editing, or brainstorming other books. If I’m grumbling about hating my work at the 20,000-word mark on a previous book, I can look at my current feelings at that point in a new book and think, “Oh, this is actually quite a normal feeling for me at this point in the process! And I pushed through and felt better about it back then, so I can do that again.” It’s amazing how much you forget about how you feel while drafting or doing major edits, and being able to go back and reflect and apply things I’ve learned has made a huge difference for me.

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(7 Mystery Novels With the Best Twists.)

I was fortunate enough to interview 50 mystery and thriller authors with new releases in 2023. Here I’ve collected one piece of advice for other writers from each of them.

If you’re interested in reading the full interview with each author, just click their names. Enjoy!

“To always dig a bit deeper. The timelessness of the COVID period made me write slower, to stop and write downwards and not just fast ahead. I believe it improved my writing.” –Tove Alsterdal, author of You Will Never Be Found (HarperCollins)

“Edit, rewrite, repeat.” –Lorna Barrett, author of A Questionable Character (Berkley)

“I would say to outline as much as you want, but to always be flexible with it as you write. I don’t think you should hold onto anything too tightly in your first couple of drafts particularly, other than a sense of who your main character is and what they need from the book.” –Ella Berman, author of Before We Were Innocent (Berkley)

“This job is 99% perseverance, and the other 1% is probably self-awareness.” –Eliza Jane Brazier, author of Girls and Their Horses (Berkley)

“Beware of any piece of advice that tells you there is only one way to do anything. At a recent crime festival, the four well-known authors on the panel all had completely different ways they wrote their first draft from starting from a blank page, a handful of notes, right up to a full-blown Excel spreadsheet of all the characters and scenes in the book.” –Verity Bright, author of Murder by Invitation (Bookouture)

“Read widely outside of your preferred genre. Seeing how an author from a different genre weaves character, conflict, setting, theme, and plot can help you to reevaluate your methods, bring something fresh, and elevate your writing. As writers, we tend to stay in our own lane, but stepping outside of the familiar can stoke the flame of inspiration.” –Lindsay Cameron, author of No One Needs to Know (Bantam)

“When asked this question, I always tell other writers and authors that you should always write what you want to write—what moves you and what makes you excited. Not what you think you should write. Stay true to your vision and write, write, and write.” –Jennifer Chase, author of The Rose Girls (Bookouture)

“Figure out what makes writing fun for you and do that. If you know you want to write, but can’t seem to get into a groove, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad writer, or weren’t meant to do it. It just means you haven’t figured out your own process … yet. Be patient with yourself and keep trying different ways to write until you figure out how to have fun. The pleasure you get from writing is the only thing that will keep you doing it through the anxious and stressful bits (which, sorry to say, never go away completely). Easier said than done? Sure. Also, there’s the not-so-small matter of having the time and resources (read: money) to explore your own process. I would not be in the position right now of giving other writers advice if I hadn’t had the privilege of another earner supporting our family while I worked on my novel. There’s no easy one-size-fits-all solution, but I think most writers who keep at it do so because they’re getting a certain baseline pleasure from it. That has to be the reason, because there certainly isn’t enough money and fame in this business to go around!” –Lina Chern, author of Play the Fool (Bantam)

“Taking breaks from work is really important. If you feel like throwing out a project or abandoning it, taking a break of several months can be really useful and productive.” –Eliza Clark, author of Penance (HarperCollins)

“You have to push on through the self-doubt and keep writing. There will be days when you think your book is going well and days when you think it’s terrible and you feel like giving up. First drafts are never going to be perfect. Far from it! But once you have that first draft, you have something to work with. Then you must be prepared to look at the book with a critical eye and make the necessary changes.” –Emily Critchley, author of One Puzzling Afternoon (Sourcebooks)

“Be your own biggest fan! If you aren’t excited about your stories, how is anybody else supposed to be amped for them? Love your work, love the process, love the promotion, love talking about your book. I think it’s fine to have frustrating moments and parts that maybe aren’t your favorite, but on the whole, I highly recommend stanning your stories. And if that feels weird to start, make like Bea in Stone Cold Fox and fake it till you make it. I promise it’s way more fun than that whole tortured artist thing.” –Rachel Koller Croft, author of Stone Cold Fox (Berkley)

“When you tap into that one wild idea that seems too “out there” or strange, lean in. That’s probably the one you’ve been waiting for.” –Ren DeStefano, author of How I’ll Kill You (Berkley Penguin)

“Hopeful career writers can be a lot like people in denial about their mental illness. What I mean by that is, they’re deeply unhappy about the things they haven’t done, and they tell themselves that if they could only accomplish x—sell a short story to a stellar magazine, get a full request, get an agent, get a book offer—they could be happy. And speaking from personal experience—maybe you will be happy, for a moment, but it won’t last. It’s a lot like some addictions: no matter how good this triumph feels, any high you get is likely to be fleeting and plagued with future anxiety afterwards. The truth is that the only part of writing that can ever come close to fixing that big empty space is the writing itself. The only part that is actually real and true and that can sustain or stick with you is those hours you steal for yourself, where it’s just you, stumbling through your best efforts and trying to find your voice.” –Maria Dong, author of Liar, Dreamer, Thief (Grand Central)

“Writing is such an intense business; you are so absorbed with your own story and thoughts as you go along, that it can be so hard to have perspective. That for me is always the battle; to read what I’ve written objectively. Stephen King in On Writing suggests putting it aside for as long as you can after finishing a draft, but it’s hard if you are on a deadline, or, like me, too impatient. I’ve tried printing it out or changing the typeface, but the most effective method in my experience is sending passages as an email and reading it on your phone. Like the best cons, it’s simple, but very effective.” –Sabine Durrant, author of Sun Damage (Harper Perennial)

“Try not to get in your own head to the point where it impedes your writing. I think it can be easy to fall into the trap of worrying so much about whether people are going to like your book that you begin trying to write to please everyone, which is an impossible task. Write the book you need to write and let the results go.” –Amy Engel, author of I Did It for You (Dutton)

“Your reader’s time is likely limited. Attention spans are getting shorter. While you don’t need a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter, or a new revelation on every page, always make sure that at page level, there’s something to keep the reader interested. This may sound really obvious, but it’s quite easy to forget that you as the author know that there’s a great twist coming up in five chapters’ time, but your reader doesn’t know that, and they need to be intrigued the whole way through. Just a new piece of information is fine, maybe a different side to a character, but there needs to be something to keep the reader turning the page.” –Caz Frear, author of Five Bad Deeds (Harper)

“Don’t worry about how good you are. Worry about how much you are producing. If you generate pages, you will get better, and if you generate enough pages, you will get good. Quality will come and nothing else should matter except for the quality of your work, because that’s the only area where you have complete control.” –Mark Greaney, author of Burner (Berkley)

“Publishing is a tough business, and it is only getting harder to break in. But if you really want to be an author then my advice is to write relentlessly, develop a thick skin, and never give up!” –Laura Griffin, author of The Last Close Call (Berkley)

“Aspiring writers—all I can say is keep going. The industry as a whole is rife with rejection, but it will never mean you’re a failure. Publishing is a business first and foremost, and that’s a hard lesson to learn when everything we do is with passion first. There is rejection every step of the way, from agents to editors to film rights to reviews, so my best advice is to develop a thick skin. Hone your craft as best you can and try to surround yourself with uplifting people who are ahead of you in the process and can guide you. It’s invaluable, and I love that every day is still a learning experience. The knowledge and persistence will eventually pay off.” –Jaime Lynn Hendricks, author of I Didn’t Do It (Scarlet Suspense)

“Read widely, in and out of the genre you write. The best way to learn how to write is to read.” –Christina Henry, author of Good Girls Don’t Die (Berkley)

“You’re going to need a community. Start now, search online, maybe your local library or community center. Find other writers and start building. These are the people with whom you’ll exchange critiques, craft talk, cheer and celebrate. They’ll provide the support you’ll need as you embark on your writing journey. I wouldn’t be here without mine.” –Veronica G. Henry, author of The Foreign Exchange (47North)

“Never give up! Whether it’s the lonely journey to getting published, or that mid-first-draft lull where it feels like you need a snow-plough to get through, patience and perseverance will win through in the end.” –Cara Hunter, author of Murder in the Family (William Morrow)

“Read, read, read. Fiction is a conversation; you need to listen at least as much as you talk if you want to be good at it.” –Joshilyn Jackson, author of With My Little Eye (William Morrow)

“Read. Read critically. Deconstruct what you read. Analyze what worked for you and what didn’t. Think about what you might have done differently. The best way to become a good writer is to be a good reader.” –Bonnie Kistler, author of Her, Too (Harper)

“It’s not rejection, but redirection. Said another way: What’s meant for you will never pass you by. Sometimes we need to take a step back in order to go forward in the right way. I’m not saying it’s easy, or that it doesn’t hurt. But this is a lifelong career, and it’s OK to adjust so that you’re on the right path or accept that a path is not for you. Keep writing and growing and you will get there.” –Vanessa Lillie, author of Blood Sisters (Berkley)

“Be persistent! The first three books I wrote didn’t sell but I kept going and I’m so glad I did! Someone once told me ‘don’t quit five minutes before a miracle’ and that is so true. Rejections are hard, but each ‘no’ is bringing you closer to a ‘yes.'” –Margaret Loudon, author of A Deadly Dedication (Berkley)

“Attend conferences for writers. It’s expensive. It’s time consuming. It’s difficult for introverts. But it’s an investment in your future. I’ll provide an alternate piece of advice for those who have no way to travel (this was me when I had a newborn baby): Study the art and craft of writing any way you can, including books, podcasts, YouTube videos, and virtual classes. I spent five years doing exactly that before attempting my first novel. It paid off when I got a three-book deal on my first submission, and I’ve been published ever since. There are a lot of brilliant authors out there sharing their hard-won skills. Take advantage of any opportunity to improve.” –Isabella Maldonado, author of A Killer’s Game (Thomas and Mercer)

“I have to remind myself every time I sit at the desk to trust the process, something will come. For me the process is often fraught and full of anxiety. I worry will I ever be able to have an idea or write anything again, but I arrive at the desk and try and something always comes. It might not be very good, but I am in. And part of this is also to remember that first drafts are a clunky mess.” –Una Mannion, author of Tell Me What I Am (Harper Books)

“When I’m in the right frame of mind, I can write very quickly, and I really think that’s the best way to get things done. So I’d suggest that you set yourself a daily word count and stick to it. Don’t worry about the quality of what you’re writing—you will inevitably focus on that during the subsequent editing process. Instead, focus on getting your story down on paper from beginning to end. You can think about the rest later.” –Tom Mead, author of The Murder Wheel (Mysterious Press)

“Seek and accept feedback. Often, I see writers on social media who are so in love with their own work that they don’t accept constructive criticism. Many of them also complain that no one will publish their stories because they (the publishers) don’t “get” their work. Seeking advice and feedback, however, can help you take your ideas to the next level. It might not feel good to hear that something you wrote doesn’t quite work, but if you embrace what others have to say about it, you just might come up with something much better than what you started with.” –Nick Medina, author of Sisters of the Lost Nation (Berkley)

“Be as consistent as you can in your writing routine. I know it is easier said than done! I wrote this novel while working as a doctor, with three school age children at home, through the pandemic. Some days I could devote hours to writing, on others only a short time. But the more consistent I could be, if I sat down at the same time every day, the better the ideas flowed.” –Ritu Mukerji, author of Murder by Degrees (Simon & Schuster)

“The way you are as a person is the way you are as a writer. Vice versa, too. Your writing practice will be a reflection of the rest of your life. If you are inherently disciplined, that will spill over into your writing. Ditto if you’re an inherent procrastinator. If you are driven by achievement and status, or if you don’t give two shits about what other people think; if you fall down rabbit holes, or if you flit around like a butterfly; if you are cool and analytical, or if you cry all the time; all of this shows up in your writing practice. Get to know yourself as a person. Understand who you are. Understand what makes you tick. Understand what motivates you. This will probably make your writing richer and more interesting, but it will also allow you to shape your writing practice in the way that you need to shape it. There is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution to this conundrum of being a human, nor of being a writer. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.” –Anna Pitoniak, author of The Helsinki Affair (Simon & Schuster)

“The same as the Nike slogan: Just do it. Write more than you talk about it instead of the inverse. I have never seen any other profession so obsessed with talking! You don’t see accountants discuss ad nauseum the accounting process, or lawyers talk about writing briefs—the practice is in just doing it. Once you’ve done it, then you’ll have something to discuss.” –Alice Pung, author of One Hundred Days (HarperCollins)

“Join a writer’s group. It always helps to receive feedback on your work, and providing it for others is just as beneficial. Storytelling and writing are like muscles that get stronger the more we use them, whether by developing our own work or helping someone else develop theirs.” –Ana Reyes, author of The House in the Pines (Dutton)

“The world of publishing is weird—and writing success never follows a straight path. I’ve been writing for 25 years, been a published author for 13, and an “overnight” success for seven. It’s been a long, strange journey with many detours, obstacles, and setbacks. Along the way, I’ve had to make some tough choices, including using a pen name because my sales were so dismal that my real name had become a liability. But each struggle also taught me a valuable lesson in perseverance. So that’s my advice: Persevere. Things might look bleak now, but if you work hard, believe in yourself, and learn along the way, amazing things could be in your future.” –Riley Sager, author of The Only One Left (Dutton)

“Hit the library, read widely, and note what resonates with you. When I see an author who is brilliant at something, I try to identify what they’re doing, even if I’m not yet skilled enough to execute it myself. List the ways they transition seamlessly into backstory. Diagram the pacing of their stellar action scene. Identify the word choice and rhythm that makes their dialogue snap. Sometimes I even write out favorite passages longhand, trying to get a visceral feel for the choices that author made as they wrote.” –Nina Simon, author of Mother-Daughter Murder Night (William Morrow)

“Don’t be afraid to take chances with your writing. Some of the most wonderful ideas come with letting go of what you think you “should” write. Write the wild and the weird and the things you think are unsellable. You might just surprise yourself with the end result.” –Nalini Singh, author of There Should Have Been Eight (Berkley)

“There are no rules. No writer has the same process as the next, and your process is never wrong (unless you are not accomplishing any writing). Get advice from other writers, try out new ways of writing, and tweak the process to make it your own. There are many authors who have had a great deal of success who will be happy to tell you what you must do to be successful. Rule one: Just write. That is really the only thing every author has in common. The mode in which we accomplish that is our own.” –Leanne Kale Sparks, author of Every Missing Girl (Crooked Lane Books)

“Write the book that you want to read, and others will be drawn to how genuine and unique your work is, they’ll naturally want to read it. If you write only what you think other people want to read, it’s guaranteed heartbreak.” –Benjamin Stevenson, author of Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone (Mariner Books)

“Please, please, please write your story to the best of your ability without looking over your shoulder at what the other guy is doing—or getting in return. We are a community of writers—celebrate one another’s success. Tell the green monster to take a hike. So maybe you haven’t been invited to join a writers’ colony. Perhaps, instead of five-hours of uninterrupted peace to write each day, you’ve got a job and a houseful of kids. Yep. Been there. Done that. You can write in 20-minute sessions. Close the door and write in the bathroom. Get up early and write before the house wakes up. Write at your lunch hour. At night after work. In the car while the kids are at the dentist or in sport events. Just get those 1,000 words in a day if you can. You’ll have draft in three months—a crazy, nonsensical, poorly-written draft—but there will be words on the page. And that’s a primed wall. Now, you can start really painting. To quote the beloved Nora Roberts: ‘I can fix a crappy page; I can’t fix a blank one.'” –Sarah Strohmeyer, author of We Love to Entertain (HarperCollins)

“You have to love the process of writing more than the dreams of being published. Don’t get me wrong: Publishing is a wonderful journey, and there’s nothing like holding your own book in your hands. But the piece that lasts longest is the joy you took in writing the thing, and publishing success is more or less out of your hands, anyway. If you don’t love the actual process of writing, how good publishing feels won’t make it worth it.” –Halley Sutton, author of The Hurricane Blonde (Putnam)

“It sounds trite, but honestly, it would be to simply write. Too often I get asked by aspiring writers how to get published and what to do about social media and other platforms when he or she hasn’t yet finished a book. The writing is the key. Everything else is secondary to that.” –Brad Taylor, author of The Devil’s Ransom (William Morrow)

“Writing is part talent—if you aren’t a natural born storyteller, you won’t get ideas for stories—but it is also part skill. That means the more you practice it, the better you will get. Many people who are far more talented than I have never been published because they just didn’t sit down in the chair and write and write. My advice is to write every day and keep writing.” –Victoria Thompson, author of City of Fortune (Berkley)

“Patience. For yourself and for the characters. Let them develop and become as real to you as you hope your readers will too.” –Charles Todd, author of The Cliff’s Edge (Morrow)

“Don’t let self-doubt rob you of your creativity. Write every day, and don’t give up. Persistence and will are what will bring you success.” –Peggy Townsend, author of The Beautiful and the Wild (Berkley)

“Keep going. Rejection is an opportunity to find something better.” –Harriet Tyce, author of It Ends at Midnight (Sourcebooks)

“Just write. There’s so much noise these days about what authors must do to self-promote on social media. So many writers seem to think that they need to be influencers in order to survive. Certainly, there are opportunities to connect with readers that never existed before. And that’s a great thing. But at the end of the day, no one will come to your work and STAY because you created the best video on TikTok. Readers come to your work and stay because you gave them a great story, one that moved and involved them, that lifted them out of their lives and problems for a time. And to give someone that, you need to bring the best of yourself to the page. So just write. Every day.” –Lisa Unger, author of Christmas Presents (Mysterious Press)

“Read widely and critically.” –Charlotte Vassell, author of The Other Half (Anchor)

“Try not to be too precious or make things perfect on the first go. Things will change and you will have to learn to know when to let go of things. That’s why I always start off with something I call a ‘vomit draft,’ whether it’s in screenwriting or writing novels, because I know a lot of things are going to be thrown out later.” –Iris Yamashita, author of City Under One Roof (Berkley Publishing)

“I would tell them what Patricia Highsmith told me in her writing book, Plotting and Writing Suspense Fiction: “The first person you should think of pleasing, in writing a book, is yourself.” It’s impossible to please everyone, and there’s a lot of noise that writers hear, so if you do as Ms. Highsmith suggests and write the book YOU want to read, you’re on the right path.” –Robin Yeatman, author of Bookworm (Harper Perennial)

The post One Piece of Advice From 50 Mystery and Thriller Authors in 2023 appeared first on Writer's Digest.

(5 Tips on Writing a Cozy but Cunning Mystery Novel.)

Amateur sleuths don’t put their lives on the line because they have a death wish or because they’re just plain crazy. The primary reason for an amateur to get involved is because they have reason to believe the police will not find or even look for the guilty party. At first glance, that may not seem important. After all, lots of crimes go unsolved. 

What makes this different is that the police believe the amateur sleuth—librarian, baker, or bookstore owner, is the guilty party. The only way they can clear their name is by finding the guilty party themselves. That is the starting point for most cozy mysteries.

But finding a killer and “clearing your name” is not easy. Here are six rules for writing a Clear Your Own Name cozy mystery.

1. Give your sleuth high stakes

Make the stakes high enough that readers will suspend disbelief and believe a children’s book author would step outside of her comfort zone to “clear her name.” Few readers will follow a story for 300 pages while a person clears her name for speeding, trespassing, tax evasion, petty theft, or a few hundred or even thousand dollars worth of unpaid parking tickets. 

Crimes? Yes. Serious enough to jeopardize your life to clear your name? No. Hire a good lawyer. However, if clearing your name is necessary to save you or someone you love from prison or death row, then a reader will believe that even your most reluctant sleuth will go to any lengths necessary to prove their innocence. 

In Sniffing Out Murder, the first book in the Bailey the Bloodhound Mystery, children’s book author, Priscilla Cummings needs to clear her name of murder. Everything else, including writing her book, takes a backseat while she proves that she isn’t a killer, even though she has a motive, the means, and the opportunity.

Check out Kallie E. Benjamin’s Sniffing Out Murder here:

Bookshop | Amazon

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2. Give your sleuth a sidekick

Everyone needs help, especially when trying to clear their own name. That’s where a sidekick comes into play. Nobody can be everywhere at once. Investigating a serious crime will involve talking to people, looking for clues, and tracking down potential suspects. Dividing the work will help. 

Your sleuth needs someone to help find clues, sort the clues from the red herrings, and get to the truth. They also need someone to bounce ideas off. Sir Arthur Conan Dyle made Sherlock Holmes a genius when it came to scientific facts about the details of crime. Holmes could identify over 140 different types of tobacco based entirely on the ash. However, his people skills were severely lacking. 

That’s where Dr. Watson came into play. Watson softened Holmes’ social skills. People were willing to talk to Holmes, not because he was brilliant, but because of Watson. Plus, it’s Watson who turned Holmes’ cases into interesting stories that the public was willing to read versus scientific treatises about things like tobacco ash.

3. Make friends with law enforcement

This may seem impossible. After all, the police are the ones who believe the amateur is guilty. But, to clear their name, the amateur sleuth is going to need access to information. Forensic data, background reports on potential suspects, and witness statements are all important evidence that the police have, but the amateur sleuth will not. 

Often, in cozy mysteries, the amateur sleuth will develop a relationship with one of the police officers which will give the sleuth a certain amount of access. In the Mystery Bookshop Mystery series that I write as V. M. Burns, amateur sleuth, mystery bookshop owner, and aspiring British historical cozy mystery author, Samantha Washington, develops a mutually beneficial relationship over the course of the series with Detective Bradley Pitt. 

In the first book, The Plot is Murder, Sam had to “clear her name.” However, in subsequent books, Detective Pitt acknowledges that people will talk to Sam and her sidekicks (Nana Jo and ‘The Girls’), regular people. Talking to the police is an entirely different matter.

4. Create curious sleuths

Create a character who isn’t just nosy, although a certain amount of nosiness is useful. But rather the sleuth should have a healthy amount of curiosity. A curious sleuth won’t ignore strange or unusual situations. They question WHY someone lied to the police about where they were, then follow up on the clues which often become red herrings (false clues). 

Curiosity drives them to always dig deeper. Jessica Fletcher’s curiosity in Murder, She Wrote led her to extensive lengths to uncover the truth, even when it wasn’t her own neck on the line, or her name that needed to be cleared.

5. Highlight your sleuth’s unique skills

Like Bryan Mills, Liam Neeson’s character in Taken, your amateur sleuth should have “a particular set of skills” that she can draw on to help clear her name. These don’t have to be unusual or super-specialized skills. 

Readers don’t expect librarians to be martial arts experts. A librarian with a passion for true crime like Aurora Teagarden in The Real Murder Club Mysteries by Charlaine Harris is a perfect example. 

An amateur sleuth could have above-average intelligence, like Nero Wolfe in the mysteries by Rex Stout, be a master gardener (adept at identifying toxic plants), or might be a wiz at solving crossword puzzles. Every sleuth needs a skill that they can tap into which will help them to clear their name.

6. Ignore the rules

Once you know the rules for writing a Clear-Your-Own-Name cozy mystery, ignore them. There is no One Size Fits All for writing. Find what works for your character and go for it. 

The post 6 Rules of Writing a Clearing-Your-Own-Name Cozy Mystery appeared first on Writer's Digest.