In a new post, mystery writer Zara Altair asks what drives your mystery novel: Conflict or Menace?
The nature of most mystery novels is conflict. “Conflict is obstruction,” Altair writes. “Throughout most of your mystery novel, your character cannot reach the external goal because people get in the way. She must wait for evidence results. He must find the right suspects to interview. Suspects hold back information. Suspects go missing.”
Menace – someone or something likely to cause harm to your protagonist – usually comes at the end of your mystery, after your villain is revealed and they must make a last ditch effort to escape.
In contrast, a traditional thriller puts menace on the front burner. Yes, there is conflict, but in a thriller, your protagonist may know the identity of the villain. The conflict is also more likely to be direct and physical, as your hero and villain must defeat the other to win the day. “In a thriller, the known antagonist schemes to harm the protagonist, especially in a malignant or hostile manner,” Altair says. “Stories based on menace, like thrillers, use it repeatedly to threaten the protagonist.”
In a mystery, the villain’s goal is to remain undetected and to escape justice. Conflict is created by obstruction, anything that prevents your detective from solving the mystery. Your detective is also likely to face internal or interpersonal conflicts that make solving the mystery more difficult.
“Conflict makes your mystery mysterious,” Altair says. “If you want to include menace, save the menace until the climax.”
