How to Write Crime Fiction: How a Mystery Works

In this video, we cover the writing mechanic that lies at the heart of all good mysteries: the GAME. A mystery novel is a game between the reader and the writer, who use the detective and villain characters as game pieces.
THIS is the secret to writing an engaging mystery!
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Thanks for watching!

[@nofontdev4789]

Some of you might not like anime, but Death Note... Man. It flips the whole idea of reader:detective :: writer:villain on it's head. You root for the villain, or at least, if you want to be morally correct.

[@smallbeanmusic2187]

NoFontDev I was rooting for L

[@joseluispcr]

That anime is not a mystery though.

[@jaedenk999]

@@joseluispcr it kinda is

[@rubabsikander987]

That's Si-fi

[@kaisonzeke6757]

Dunno if anyone gives a shit but if you are bored like me atm you can watch pretty much all the new movies and series on KaldroStream. I've been watching with my brother these days =)

[@Oxford322]

I am a wannabe writer . I’ve watched so many videos to help me . Yours are the ONLY one that has helped me .Others we’re inspiring but not helpful to me . You teach in a very easy way for me to grasp quickly ! Thank you so much 😊

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Glad I could help! Good luck with your writing

[@nofontdev4789]

This man is still replying to his comments after two years. This was a great video! As a complete beginner you unquestionably deliver solid information to help us get started. I am surprised that you have this few subscribers. Maybe because writing stories is a niche hobby? I hope you continue with this kind of stuff, because you inspired me. I wanted to create a detective story and you motivated me to continue on doing so. The main thing that deters me is the lack of information and you help me and others out. Thanks again!

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Thank you! Glad my videos could help you out. Keep on writing that story

[@craigcopland6941]

Just found this set of videos. Highly recommended. Very useful to a new writer. Thank you.

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Glad they're helpful. Thanks for watching!

[@husainalmoalem6738]

@@michaelsantosauthor1211 وحوحووحوحووووووووو

[@bricktaco67]

As someone who has just started to try out writing in the detective mystery genre, this made me realise I was looking at it all wrong, and that I shouldn’t craft my chrime around the story, but the story around the chrime.

[@calderlevine7489]

Good intro. A bit long and repetitive. I would've liked to seen some specific examples ranging from easy to hard "games" the writer can play.

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

I'll see about doing a follow-up video on the subject. Thanks for watching!

[@phwlc]

People pay money for that 😉

[@Eternal-Student]

Then go and pay someone. How rude.

[@littlebirdy2265]

That’s it! The missing piece! I’ve been trying to plan a mystery. I understood you sort of work backwards from the big picture, splitting it up into clues. But my planning quickly got muddled, I was missing something. It was the association. I only had the first part, the reader is the detective…but the writer is the villain! I feel like my understanding is finally starting to crystallize. Thank you for sharing this knowledge!❤

[@cjgrinchy1698]

I been planning writing on crime mystery story for years now and I recently have been fully planning it out and this is helping right now i haven't started but im working on getting all my details. Thank you for your help sir.

[@crustenbraten4113]

This is exactly what the TV show 'Castle' did wrong from about the 5th season on. The killer always was someone from the first five minutes of the episode, who said two lines of dialogue and was never mentioned again, until the end, where he/she is revealed to be the killer and the viewer get's all the clues at once.

[@XXROCKANDROLLPOWERXX]

I legit came to this video after rewatching the show again. Currently on season 3. Amazing show. My inspiration to write my own mystery thriller

[@JesrelBasa]

When i watched death note anime, it gives me motivation to write a story again, but as a teenager i know that to make a mystery novel is very hard, but here i am starting and searching for videos who will help me to create this story. I will never give up this time..

[@floralkami2860]

Please let me know when your novel is finished. I would love to read it.

[@rimsha691]

i just love the video writer=villein and reader=detective

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Thank you! I've always thought it's a cool analogy.

[@buira9482]

Idk if you're still active on youtube, but I'm planning a detective story and this video was really good! Fully agree with the concept of playing fair and not revealing all of the evidence last minute without giving the reader a chance.

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Hard to find the time to be as active on here as I'd like, but I'm glad the video helped you!

[@ojodealfred]

Why is this channel so underrated

[@plbeckman]

Very good tips. The reader wants to solve the puzzle. It's a game. I like the Sherlock Holmes analogy.

[@JenMaxon]

Nice simple perspective - I mean it's not simple but your point is clearly made

[@tofficub]

This is a bit of an older video but this is super helpful, thank you! I really needed this for a school assignment :)

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Glad it was helpful! Thanks for watching

[@raki2963]

Tysm, I'm trying to write a mystery psychological thriller manga, it definitely helps!

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Glad I could help! Good luck with your thriller

[@Sfox07]

this was very educational for my school work

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Glad I could help!

[@XxSEETH3RxX]

I know this is 6 years old, but I write screenplays and this was helpful. Also when you think about the movie the Fugitive. Harrison Ford's character=the Detective and the one armed man which is the villain has the answers..

[@youtubewatcher4955]

Idk if you’ll get the reference, but you sound like, Kirito from the SAO parody on YT. Either way, very informative video.

[@-_someone_-]

He actually does-

[@beneaththefloorboards]

I'd never thought of mysteries as a game of proxies, but I'll never be able to not see it that way again!

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

It blew my mind the first time I saw them that way.

[@Philsosopher]

I hate it so much when some movies or stories just randomly add a character or reveal a clue right before the end which the protagonist just randomly remembers out of nowhere like oh I totally forgot to interview the neighbour who lives right beside the killer maybe he knows something 🙄

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

It feels like such a cheap move. An author can win or lose my loyalty as a reader depending on how they handle their big reveals.

[@vishrutipandey1746]

I want to ask that is it necessary for the detective (reader) to win if no then I want to write something in which the detective feels like he is winning but at the end he finds out he's not. like the killer would turn out to be someone who has been helping him (more like miss guiding) the whole time and at the end everything seems to make sense that the partner fits perfectly with every crime I would appreciate your help

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

That would work. A classic way to handle the ending of mystery/thriller is to have the case appear closed and a suspect appear caught, only to have a final revelation that points to another character as the perpetrator. Check out Michael Connelly's novel, The Poet, for a good example. The big thing is to make sure that that final revelation was hinted at by the clues earlier in the story. It can't come out of nowhere, because a good mystery gives the reader a fair chance to figure it out without concealing any necessary info.

[@vishrutipandey1746]

@@michaelsantosauthor1211 well, sir, I've got an idea of a story that I wanted to discuss with you because I am having a hard time figuring out how to bring the mastermind up in front of everyone when he didn't commit any crime or any murder himself. Also I want to gain some sympathy from the readers for the killer for how was he framed and forced to do all the crimes and i also want him to get the affection of the female lead. Please tell me how can I reach you sir. That would be really helpful

[@patricialehman4428]

Great first lesson in mystery writing. Thanks.

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Thanks for watching!

[@Brod_-mn5vr]

Your voice is very calming.

[@markoristo]

Very insightful, thank you!

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Glad it was helpful!

[@dinoadlesic6713]

Awesome lesson, very powerful concept! Thank you!

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Thank you for watching!

[@hayzelmeyer7070]

Thank you so much, i left this video with enough knowledge to make the best murder mystery ever!

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Thanks for watching!

[@JEYAPebbles]

MicheL Santos is a great teacher ur books are going to be in movies! Like skerlock Holmes...

[@trickyplays240]

Are you able to make an updated video or continue? These videos are greats and very helpful

[@user-mega1997]

I like the method you talked about. Pretty good 👍

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Glad it was helpful!

[@abhishek11910]

Hello Michael, I really like your videos as they are very interesting. Can you tell me how to use red herrings or other ways in which the villain can use plant false clues to distract the detective and the reader so that it does not seem forced in any way and make sense when the revelation happen during the climax?

[@bfielding91]

The first half of this is the same information over and over again. Found the second half much more interesting and to the point.

[@ThienTaiGiaHy]

Thank you!

[@BodyTrust]

Good useful info. 🙂

[@skydiver91]

If I sent you my plot and thought processes, would you mind telling me what makes sense and what doesn't? What's a cliche/rookie mistake and what is original enough to be engaging?

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Honestly, I'd say don't worry too much about finding an original plot or being original in general. Focus on creating engaging characters who are fleshed out individuals. Knowing your characters at a deep level will help you create a plot that feels fresh and original. The story will develop out of what these unique people want and what they'll do to get it.

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

@I'M CIRCLE Here's an exercise I like that might help you find a different motivation besides revenge, money, and jealousy. Come up with a character who has nothing to do with crime. Flesh out their life--childhood, career, family, current wants and needs, etc. Again, their life should not involve crime. After you have that, determine a way they could be caught up in some kind of crime and let that be the situation that launches your story.

[@abdi4574]

L, Sherlock and Batman the greatest detectives ever

[@captainnolan5062]

If you read Sherlock Holmes stories, Doyle often leaves out clues for the reader (i.e. there is no way that the reader can actually figure out the crime). In Sherlock Holmes stories, we are there to marvel at Holmes brilliance...we can not solve the crime with the clues presented (try reading some of the stories and gather the clues you have. Homes always has more clues than the reader will have and you often can not 'solve' the crime before Holmes).

[@Landry-yk6lg]

Hello! I really enjoyed this video and it really helped. One question: Should I let the readers win but make it hard for them? Would it be bad if they didn't solve it? Even if I gave them all the clues and pieces? Thank you!!

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

You can indeed make it hard. Avid mystery readers will be pretty difficult to stump, so don't feel like you have to make it any easier for them. The important thing is that they have all of the info they'd need to solve it. After that, it's up to them. The big reveal will still be satisfying even if they don't guess it ahead of time.

[@justanotherrandomdisneyfan3717]

Omg, I'm doing Wordly Wise right now.

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

I became a writer, so I guess I can't say it doesn't work :)

[@isaacnurcombe2104]

This was good 👍🏻 real good

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Thanks for watching!

[@the7thseven873]

Great lessons✨💯

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Thanks for watching!

[@cristianacevedo178]

Brilliant

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Thank you!

[@Itsjettondon05]

Great video also f*ck wordly wise that was the worst part of English class

[@killerkirarOP]

i am 16 years old how can i learn writing crime thriller stories like the ones in webserieses with high details

[@StephenKurt]

If you still respond to comments, I have a question. How do you start a crime story with a catching first line

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Start in the middle of a situation, from the point of view of the character who has the most to lose from that situation.

[@StephenKurt]

@@michaelsantosauthor1211 Thank you so much

[@najmaf2925]

Good one

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Thank you for watching!

[@rosaela-daughterinchrist]

Wordlywise is still used today

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Haha I'm glad my generation was not the last to experience the joys of those tests.

[@couragedear]

Thanks!

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

You bet, thanks for watching!

[@eeyoreofborg]

I’m not sure I would agree with the analogy. Reader is to detective, but villain implies murderer. But really the writer writes all the suspects too, who the reader is not. It’s more like the writer is the obscure...ator?

[@j.d.t.5761]

I want to write a murder mystery and I have plot points layed out, but i just need to sctucre everything. I'm such a wannabe right now.

[@eliasredux3616]

thx

[@brightshadow9480]

How mystery works:

[@timflatus]

One insight repeated for 8 minutes. Failed to deliver value.

[@wagstaffe7]

GOOD-UN!

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Thank you!

[@start_pause_reset6551]

I am currently the rp master with my friends and they are in a predicament. This current event is a mystery. In simple terms they are trying to find 4 moles in their group. They know Who one of the moles are, and they think that they found another but they are innocent! Kyle is the mole and wyvern (y-vern) was set up by 1 of other moles, roseili (rose-elle). I gave clues that are similar to roseili, and directed the clues to wyvern and know they highly think that wyvern is the mole. They are 3 moles left but I'll only tell them that they are down to 2 ;). The other 2 moles are Coal and Nyvar (nie-var). So far the only hints I gave them was kyles house, a dog wissle, blood drops outside door, dry leaves, broken glasses, a strong sweet smell and that they are three boys and one girl. They are also clues that they came up with to go along with them. I will update this soon and I will probably go into more depth but this is good for now. Tell me what you think, was it good? Leave a comment below of how you think of my story so far or you can write your own and I'll read it! Again sorry for not going into detail that much I wanted the comment to be short.

[@ponchopi]

what about something like se7en? you’re not really supposed to figure out who john doe is before he’s revealed.

[@pigeon300]

I have WW too It’s torture

[@michaelsantosauthor1211]

Hahaha I can say it did help in the long-run, but it was not fun when I was in school.

[@audacity5911]

the game is literally A foot :P

[@danieldionne2037]

This is why I hated death on the Nile or Murder on the orient express. Last minute revelations that make you feel cheated by the story.

[@6Shehbaz]

🤦‍♂️🙆‍♂️🙅