Planting clues in a mystery

Planting clues in a mystery

You know how to plant a flower right? You dig a hole, put the plant in, cover it up, water it just enough, and let ‘er rip. No? You have a brown thumb, you say? Well, that’s okay because I do, too.

So, if planting a flower is so difficult, (and it is, or we could grow stuff) then planting a clue must be equally as hard, right? Wrong! The beauty of writing is you can make it very simple. Kiss. Keep it simple stupid!

There are a couple of ways to plant clues in a mystery. One is designed with the plotter writer in mind, the other with the non-plot writer in mind.

1. The I’ve-Got-A-Plan Method. (plotter)

1. You know who killed the victim from the start.
2. You know how they were killed.
3. You can easily write from an outline devised from this knowledge.

2. The I-Don’t-Have-Any-Idea Method.(non-plot)

1. You write the entire book from your hip, maybe not knowing the guilty party or parties until the last chapter.
2. Then you go back and plant clues to point the direction you need.
3. No plotting beforehand.

The beauty of this is, there is no right or wrong way. Some people write with an outline and some do not. The most important thing to remember about planting clues is, make it something that will give the reader a “slap their forehead” moment. It should be something they know about, but don’t put into the equation until it is pointed out.

An example:

The dishes piled dangerously high in the sink and I dug in to clear them away. Hoping to preserve my latest manicure, I dragged on a pair of household gloves. These were the ugliest color of aqua ever created but at the moment I didn’t care. As I thrust my gloved hands into the soapy water to swipe at a plate, the pattern on the glove fingertip came into view. I had to wonder what idiot created a swirl pattern on rubber gloves.

Now, why is this considered a clue? Well, later on down the road when there is a murder to solve, there is a pattern in a bloody print that drives them batty trying to unravel. Of course, the reader will remember this glove scene and may actually put two and two together before the sleuth does. That’s okay. Some readers won’t.

See, it’s important to keep information from our amateur sleuth, or detective, but it is suicide to keep this info from the reader. Keep the reader involved and you will have them from first page to last.

This clue will be something that the writer can hang his plot on throughout the book. I can see the headlines now. Bloody Print Saves Book. Think of clues as the salt and pepper of writing. Sprinkle well, stir and taste.