The PERFECT ALIBI: How to Write One for Your Villain in a Mystery Novel

[@janekalmes]

Why should you write a HOWDUNIT? Watch this! kzbin.info/www/bejne/f3nRY2mkq857oq8

[@plutoisthebestplanet13]

This is so helpful honestly. I love creative writing so much, and I was trying to write a murder mystery play and I was kind of stuck. I didn't understand how to make alibis seem obviously true even though they aren't, and I struggled to place clues in the story that added up in the end, especially placing varying clues that aren't all repetitive. I watched three, ONLY THREE, of your videos and they were incredibly helpful and my understanding of this kind of writing has already skyrocketing so thank you so much for this, really, it's so helpful. Keep doing this because even if they don't comment, thumbs up, or subscribe, this literally has made my writing experience so much more enjoyable and I'm much happier with the way my work has turned out.

[@janekalmes]

Thank you so much; this is so lovely to hear! It really lights up my day. I do hope to be putting up some more videos soon; sorry for the delay, but my book needed some attention!

[@snufkin-w7n]

Using this to plan my... novel

[@brrryan2908]

Love Monk and Columbo! The quirky characters are well defined and humorous, which takes the pressure off of the story's plausibility. ;)

[@frenchdruid4581]

So great! Thank you for doing these videos!! Another show you may want to try breaking down is Murdoch Mysteries. Set in the early 1900s, Toronto!

[@janekalmes]

Great suggestion! I have seen a couple episodes but should definitely dig in deeper.

[@fairycat23]

(For context, my mom, who is a Sherlock Holmes fan and has OCD like Adrian Monk, LOVES the show Monk. She frequently rewatches a solid handful of episodes.) Another place-shifted murder from Monk was the one where he had to stay in the FBI cabin. The lady across the lake murdered her husband in the bathtub with a radio, but froze his body and then sent him out on the lake during a storm so it look like he got struck by lightning.

[@judyshinohara]

This channel is so informative. I'm an aspiring author and your videos are gold.

[@janekalmes]

Judith, thank you so much! I’m so glad you’ve found them helpful.

[@kathrynnielson5689]

Same here. I just came across her channel today, and I've been binge-watching all of her videos. Such great content.

[@julialednicky7542]

Another winner. Keep knocking them out of the park, Jane!👍

[@janekalmes]

Thank you! Will do!

[@rachelthome165]

Wow, I am so so happy I found your channel. Your videos are an absolute treasure trove of useful information. They make me very excited to get planning!

[@janekalmes]

That’s awesome to hear, Rachel, thank you!

[@farahamri2658]

I took so many notes on this, thanks!

[@janekalmes]

Great! I’m so glad it was helpful!

[@farahamri2658]

@@janekalmes now I'm heading over to your cozy mystery series! :D

[@hibabenhaida2323]

Love this series! You are so underrated ❤️❤️🙌🏽🙌🏽

[@janekalmes]

Hiba, thank you so much!! I’m working on a video on motive right now: I hope you’ll enjoy that one.

[@alisonjacobs8469]

Your channel is very informative! So glad I stumbled upon your videos today. I'll share them with others and I'll be back.

[@janekalmes]

Thanks so much for sharing them, Alison! I’m glad you found them helpful!

[@JonTanOsb]

The TV series, Death in Paradise, is almost exclusively locked room mysteries. Jon in rural BC, Canada

[@janekalmes]

Excellent! Thank you, Jon!

[@cloudwalker4735]

Thank you for all your great information. Love your videos.

[@janekalmes]

You are so welcome!

[@ta9ta937]

omg this video is so inspiring and informative. Like wow, thank you so much!

[@janekalmes]

I’m so glad you found it helpful!

[@jesbrimer3096]

This is good good and informative! Now my new question is, which one should I used for my story?? 😄

[@janekalmes]

Hahaha, that one’s all on you! But personally, I LOVE the time-shifted murders, they always manage to surprise me!

[@ScullyPop]

Your channel looks great.

[@janekalmes]

Hey, Scully, thank you so much!

[@jacendress7190]

How gorgeous are you. Thank you for all your knowledge and experience. You are so appreciated.

[@janekalmes]

Thank you so much! ❤️

[@BethKubala]

I'm making my way through old Jonathan Creek episodes. Have you seen any of these primarily locked room mysteries?

[@janekalmes]

No, but I think I better check them out.

[@fiona6251]

This is great. My issue at the moment is my murder happens overnight when the sleuth was asleep. Do I need to establish alibis for the suspects in this situation as she won't have any way of finding out who is telling the truth and how would you go about that? Thanks!

[@janekalmes]

Alibis aren't strictly needed for every story; sometimes no one has a clear alibi, and solving the mystery is less about breaking the alibi then about tying someone to the crime scene or the victim's presence. If I wanted to establish alibis that happened while my character was sleeping, I might start by asking what the witnesses would say to her after the murder. If four people say they were playing cards in the salon, that's a pretty decent alibi--unless they're all lying, they're probably all in the clear. However, stories about just one or two people together may easily be false.

[@carolinedasilva5402]

@@janekalmes Sorry, I know some time has passed now since these comments! I was wondering, aren't all alibis done away from the sleuth regardless? Why would the sleuth being asleep change things in terms of alibis? I have a similar story where the sleuth was no where near the murder or aware it was happening until days later when a body is found. How does that impact the alibi-making process? Thank you so much for your videos, they're incredibly helpful!! You're a legend! 😄

[@tennyim]

thank you! ཐུགས་རྗེ་ཆེ།

[@janekalmes]

You're welcome!