– About –
Storytelling is the second oldest profession known to mankind. Cavemen first shared their stories when they returned from the hunt. Etchings on a cave wall eventually become printed words and evolved into electronic media. Telling a story involves setting a scene, developing an idea, exploring human behavior, and describing events.
All stories are mysteries. Will star-crossed lovers live happily ever after? Will the Empire survive? Will the hero hit the game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth? All are mysteries to the reader.
When Edgar Allen Poe wrote Murders in The Rue Morgue in 1841, the murder mystery was born. Since then mysteries have been providing readers a wide range of storytelling. Mystery writers use location, ideas, characters, and action to enthrall the reader attempting to solve the mystery.
A murder mystery provides the reader a look into the full range of human behavior. The investigator attempts to solve the crime because it is the right thing to do. While investigating, he must deal with lying witnesses, hidden agendas, deep emotional conflicts, and the murderer.
The most important character in a murder mystery is the victim. Exploring the behavior of the victim provides the reader a motive for the killing. In order to solve the murder, the investigator must confront his inner conflicts. The epiphany leads to the character flaw that drives the murderer.
This website is dedicated to the many facets of writing, especially the greatest of human drama, murder mysteries.