The (Classic Doyle) Howdunnit Formula
Solving “impossible crimes” was one of the things Holmes was most famous for, and Doyle was fond of coming up with puzzles to challenge his great creation....
The (Classic Doyle) Whodunnit Formula
Without a doubt, the whodunnit is the most popular type of mystery there is in modern culture, and if you read or watch a mystery story today,...
The Three Mysteries of Arthur Conan Doyle
While making my way through Stephen Fry’s astoundingly good Sherlock Holmes: The Definitive Collection on Audible, I began to notice a pattern in Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories....
The Psychology, Geography, and Architecture of Horror: How Places Creep Us Out
I found a fascinating paper on why certain things creep people out, which is invaluable information for writers of horror, suspense, and anyone else who wants to...
Detective Conan Mystery Formula
The following formula, found on Reddit and submitted by user TeraVonen, is a near perfect summary of the typical 2-part story pattern you find in the mystery...
Classic 12-Chapter Murder Mystery Formula
(Note: This has been floating around the internet for years, and I don’t know who first wrote it (if anyone does, let me know!) but it’s worth...
How to Write a Murderously Good Mystery
On her excellent writer’s blog, writer Karen Woodward has written and put together a fantastic collection of articles on writing mysteries that anyone wanting to move into...
The Technique of Mystery
In my travels across the net, I recently came across a book from 1914 by Carolyn Wells called The Technique of Mystery. This book is her thoughts...