Tess Barron
- Oct 19, 2023
- 8 min read

Are These Mystery Writing Mistakes Sabotaging Your Success?

Most Common Mystery Writing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Writing a successful mystery requires a delicate balance of suspense, intrigue, and well-written characters. And although I made that sound like a simple formula, you may still find yourself struggling.

There are a number of common mistakes that mystery writers can make, and I see them come across my editing desk regularly.

But by acknowledging these common pitfalls and implementing strategies to avoid them, you can significantly improve the quality of your writing and hopefully create an engaging mystery that is so good you make it look as easy as I described above.

I'm going to get into this list in a second, but first, I want to discuss the two biggest issues with most mystery novels that get rejected by publishers and annihilated by editors. These are the large things that can't usually be fixed without some major rewriting.

One of the most prevalent mistakes in mystery writing (but really all writing) is inadequate character development. Your protagonists and antagonists need to be captivating and possess realistic motives that drive their actions throughout the story.

It's imperative that you invest the time into creating multi-dimensional characters with relatable backstories who are uniquely appealing and who can connect with the audience on a deep emotional level.

Well-developed characters are the backbone of any good novel, regardless of genre.

The other biggest mistake is failing to maintain (or even achieve at all) suspense and tension throughout your story. As a mystery writer, your aim is to keep your readers guessing. They should always be curious about what is going to happen next.

Not indifferent.

To get them there, you need to provide subtle clues, master misdirection, and build tension around the mystery without giving away the plot twist.

Strive for a steady pace to maintain your tension and a feeling of suspense. Plan your whole story out ahead of time to strategically place each reveal and plot twist at the exact right moment.

There is a lot to character development and building tension, so I am not going to discuss them fully in this post, but the links in the text above will help direct you to the solutions if you need them.

Contents:

Common Writing Mistakes in the Mystery Genre
Final Words

Victorian era in the parlour - Image made with Leonardo.ai — Image made with Leonardo.ai

Common Writing Mistakes in the Mystery Genre

The following list of mistakes includes some of the most common issues I see in mystery manuscripts as a fiction editor.

Some of these are easily rectifiable, while others might require a decent amount of rewriting. But none can be left unremedied if you want to write a great mystery novel that readers will love and pass on to their friends.

Revealing the Culprit Too Early

I just mentioned above that it is essential in this genre to maintain suspense and tension throughout the novel. Revealing the culprit too early can ruin the entire mystery all at once because it hinders just that.

Is it possible to keep the tension going if you do? Well, sure, anything is possible. But 9 times out of 10, revealing the bad guy's identity too early will put the kibosh on suspense.

And you run the risk of your reader getting bored after the reveal.

Save the culprit's unveiling for the climax of the story. Build anticipation by dropping subtle hints and clues without giving away the identity of the villain.

Neglecting Red Herrings

Red herrings are false clues that can lead readers astray and add a layer or two of depth and intrigue to your mystery.

Neglecting these misdirection elements can make your plot predictable and less engaging.

To create an effective red herring, include situations and characters that seem suspicious but aren't actually related to the crime. This way, you can keep your reader guessing, and you'll be able to sow doubt as to the conclusion, even if they do figure it out.

Dark and scary Victorian England street - Image made with Leonardo.ai — Image made with Leonardo.ai

Lack of Foreshadowing

Foreshadowing is an essential technique in mystery writing. It provides hints and clues and keeps your readers engaged. Foreshadowing also helps make the resolution more satisfying when it's all revealed and keeps the story cohesive.

A lack of foreshadowing can result in a confusing or unbelievable resolution.

This technique will help provide a balance between not giving away too much and leaving your readers completely in the dark. It is crucial for setting up the twists and turns as well.

Foreshadowing works hand in hand with misdirection. As you drop hints that point to the truth, you simultaneously distract the reader so as to keep them doubting.

Overlooking Motive

Your character's motives are central to understanding the crime but also imperative for making your characters believable and appealing. So, your narrative should be focused on developing these motivations.

Ensure that your characters have proper motives for their actions and spend time developing their personalities and backgrounds to make these motives realistic.

Well-rounded characters make for a more immersive and enjoyable reading experience.

This common mistake most often rears its ugly head in the author's treatment of the villain character. In mysteries, these characters can easily become one-dimensional or clichéd.

So, pay special attention to your villain, as these characters can often make or break a novel if not developed with care.

Info-Dumping

Mystery writers are only matched by fantasy writers in their ability to overwhelm readers with way too much information or backstory all at once.

Instead, distribute essential information organically throughout the story. We get that a lot happened to your characters before we joined them in the first chapter, but we don't need to hear about it all at once.

Avoiding info-dumping helps keep readers interested and avoids confusion. It also avoids boring your reader to death before the story even gets going. It's vital that the reader is able to unravel the mystery along with your protagonist characters.

Dumping a lot of information on them at once can make them feel like there's a lot happening off-stage that they don't get to see. Try to keep all your information coming naturally in the immediate scene.

Related Posts

Victorian detective searching for clues - Image made with Leonardo.ai — Image made with Leonardo.ai

Neglecting Setting

Setting plays a crucial role in any story, but it's especially important in mysteries. A well-crafted setting can add atmosphere, tension, and a sense of intrigue.

Be sure to include rich descriptions of your settings, and consider how they influence characters and their actions. Use the environment to set the tone of every scene and make the reader feel like they are actually there with the characters.

This will help maintain tension and suspense and help evoke emotion when needed.

Ignoring Police Procedures

If your mystery involves law enforcement, please do your research and accurately represent police procedures.

The internet is full of resources to help you explore this topic. Failing to do so will ruin your story's credibility and disappoint knowledgeable readers.

I say this a lot, but I will say it again because I think it's important: you do not want your reader to know more about your topic than you do.

That is a surefire way to lose all authority as an author.

victorian ear secret meeting at night - Image made with Leonardo.ai — Image made with Leonardo.ai

Overly Complex Plotting

I love a complex plot. And a well-constructed plot, no matter how complex it is, is crucial, but please avoid making the story too convoluted.

An overly complicated plot can be hard to follow and may cause your readers to lose interest. Strive for clarity and balance when developing your story's structure.

Now, there is a difference between complex and complicated. And that difference is basically how well you understand your own plot and are able to clearly and effectively communicate it to the reader.

If you find your skills lacking in this area, consider simplifying the plot until you are a little more experienced.

Underestimating Reader Intelligence

But, in rebuttal to the last point, there is such a thing as too simple.

Respect your reader's intelligence and avoid spoon-feeding them information or making your story too straightforward or too linear. Allow your reader to piece together clues and arrive at conclusions independently.

Trust in their ability to understand and appreciate the depth and intricacies of your story.

If there's one thing that I have learned in my time publishing and editing mystery, it's that there will always be some reader in the review section who just plain didn't understand your book. It doesn't seem to matter how simple or how complex the story is, it's going to be too much for someone.

My best advice is to practice as much self-awareness as you can when it comes to your own writing. Probably not what you wanted to hear, but it's one of the best skills to develop.

Relying on Stereotypes and Cliches

I mentioned clichés when discussing villains, but they happen everywhere in the genre. Whether with characters, places, twists, or other plot points, mystery writers can easily find themselves writing things that have been seen time and time and time again.

Avoid relying on clichés and stereotypes when crafting your novels. They can lead to predictable and unoriginal stories.

Instead, strive for unique, well-developed characters and fresh, engaging plotlines.

Inadequate Resolution

An unsatisfactory resolution can leave your reader disappointed or frustrated.

Make sure that your story's conclusion provides a clear, logical explanation for the events that transpired. Tie up loose ends and answer any lingering questions. Do all things while maintaining the element of surprise.

And never let the ending be less interesting or exciting than all the foreshadowing and clues created an expectation for. In other words, if you hinted at 9 inches all through dinner, don't show up with 4 at the end of the night.

Sorry. That was uncalled for…

Not Reading Widely Enough in the Genre

Understanding the conventions and expectations of the mystery genre is key to writing a successful story of your own. Read widely in the genre so that you know what has been done, you are familiar with tropes and techniques used by other authors, and you know what works and what doesn't.

Knowing your literary ancestors can only help you create an engaging and authentic mystery story that your readers will love.

Victorian man walking down foggy street - Image made with Leonardo.ai — Image made with Leonardo.ai

Final Words

If you are an aspiring mystery writer, you must avoid common pitfalls that can hinder your story's effectiveness and readability. Many writers are sending in manuscripts for potential publication that are filled with these errors.

Whether overloading their stories with too much information in the form of info-dumps or writing clichéd and predictable plotlines, there seems to be a never-ending supply of authors still making easily avoidable mistakes.

But after reading this article, hopefully, you will not be one of them.

By keeping everything we talked about today in mind and striving to create an original, rational, and engaging mystery, your writing will keep readers on the edge of their seats and your manuscript out of the trash (either digitally or physically).

Enough for today. Until next time, keep writing.

How do you write an awesome ending for your mystery novel?

The ending of your mystery novel is by far the most important part. It is the culmination of every clue and puzzle and provides readers with the big reveal. But it is also the most difficult part to write.

A great mystery ending requires good planning, maintaining tension throughout, and delivering a knock-out final twist. But there is also a lot more to think about. Discover the formula for crafting a jaw-dropping mystery ending here.

Next: Great Mystery Endings