In a new blog post, Zara Altair suggests ways to make your mystery sleuth suffer. “The art of writing a suspenseful mystery is as much about the main character’s problems as it is about the clever bad guy and hard-to-find clues,” she says. “A clever detective is the heart of any mystery, but to really hook your audience, you have to push your detective to their limits, making the story a thrilling roller coaster of emotions and reveals.”
Pushing your character can help you create emotional engagement, relatability, conflict, and suspense. It can also help you develop your sleuth’s character and deepen their relationships. But how can you do that? Altair suggests some methods:
- Put your hero in physical danger
- Consider the impact of a betrayal
- Create a personal connection between the crime and your sleuth
- Have your antagonist wage psychological warfare
- Test your hero’s moral boundaries
Read the rest of Altair’s suggestions at the link below.
