A Novel Diary Chapter 4: It's Too Easy

By Elaine Viets

Do you outline your mysteries? readers ask me.

You bet I do.

Sue Grafton herself said that mystery plots were far more intricate than ordinary novels. If I remember right, Sue Grafton wrote eight novels – some even she calls turkeys – before she tackled her first mystery, "A Is for Alibi."

I don’t plot by the seat of my pants. I have a hard enough time planting those pants in my office chair. Some successful novelists can make it up as they write, but not me. I have to know who’s the killer and how it ends, right from the start.

In school, I hated outlines. I’d write the paper first, then carefully construct the outline afterward, with headings and subheadings sprinkled with A, B and C, and topped with Roman numerals.  Those outlines were as impressive as they were pointless.

I write a mystery outline chapter by chapter. Here’s a sample for "Board Stiff": 

Chapter 24

Phil goes off to check dive shops for names of people who rented sea scooters. One man rented a sea scooter the morning of Ceci’s death. Now Phil has to track him down.  

Soon I’m excited about the mystery, throwing in whole scenes and snappy dialogue. My finished outline can run anywhere from 30 to 90 pages, double-spaced. In short – or maybe that’s long – I often write about a quarter of the book in my outline. When I write the actual book, I won’t stick to the outline completely. I’ll realize that some things are impossible or flat-out don’t work. It will be my road map, but I’ll still need to leave the highway occasionally.

Meanwhile, my editor wanted my ideas for the cover of "Board Stiff." I hadn’t a clue. I’m no artist. And what could an artist do with a paddleboard, anyway? It looked like a slightly fatter surfboard.

I e-mailed some ideas, all lamer than a three-legged dog, and went back to wrestling with that outline.

At last, I finished it, all 31 pages. I was two days early. I’d send it to my editor on Monday.

I proudly read through it, congratulating myself on my quick work. I planned to take the weekend off and rest on my laurels.

Except I didn’t. The outline was lousy.  My mystery was too easy to solve.

But a simple mystery is a good thing, right? Soothing. Old-fashioned.

I knew better. I wanted my readers on the edge of their seats, not snoring in their chairs.

Friday afternoon, I scrapped the last third of the outline and added another plot twist and two more suspects. Saturday morning,  I read the new outline again, waiting for the comforting glow of a job well done. 

No glow. The outline was still wrong. I had to introduce those suspects earlier. They couldn’t walk in when the book was two-thirds over.

This time, I tore up the whole outline and redid it. Sunday passed in a blur of writing, along with any hope of a relaxing weekend.

Monday arrived and I was feverishly trying to finish the outline and e-mail it to my editor by the end of the day.

The outline was now nearly 40 pages long. And this version was better.  But you’ll be the judge when it's published in May 2013.

The new cover arrived. Look what the artist did with the paddleboard. Looks like a tombstone, doesn’t it?

I felt that terrific cover was a reward for my hard work. I discuss my other Dead-End Job mysteries Wednesday evening, 6 PM ET. Stream it on radioearnetwork.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Dana]

Great cover, Elaine! And well done, wrestling that outline into, um, submission!

[Alan Portman]

I always wondered if mysteries started from some form of 'Miss Scarlet, in the library, with the knife.' Now I know.

No, the killer cannot be introduced on page 234, it ain't fair to us readers.

Nice cover!

[Victoria Allman]

Great cover, Elaine! Makes me want to hurry back to the beaches of Florida and jump on my paddle board...although, I suspect it leads to death in your story....I look forward to reading the latest Helen book.

Victoria Allman
author of: SEAsoned: A Chef's Journey with Her Captain

www.victoriaallman.com

[Helen Ginger]

Love the cover! And this was so interesting -- hearing how you go about creating (and re-creating) an outline for your book.

[Elaine Viets]

Groan, Dana. What awful PUN-ishment after what I went through.

[Elaine Viets]

In less politically correct times, Alan, introducing a killer on page 234 was called "the Chinaman," because some old school mysteries would bring in a mysterious (and evil) Asian who killed the nice Brit.
Modern readers won't (and shouldn't) stand for that ploy.

[Elaine Viets]

You're right, Victoria. In "Board Stiff," paddleboarding is hazardous to the health of a certain tourist. It would be cruel to mention that today is a perfect paddleboarding day, except I'm stuck home writing.

[Elaine Viets]

Thanks, Helen. I've been lucky with my covers at NAL. I really like this one, too.

[Marcia Talley]

Love the cover, and the title, Elaine! :-) I'm at the keyboard today, too, on the first sunny day we've had since I drove back from Cleveland in the rain. Slaves to duty!

[Elaine Viets]

I had a little help on that title, Marcia. I believe you and your boater friends suggested it. And I'm sure glad you did.
Thanks.

[Donna Andrews]

Nice title and cover Elaine. And as a fellow outliner . . . once I have a good outline, I go through a brief honeymoon period when I could almost convince myself that the REAL work is done. Then reality sets in and I settle down to my daily quota.

[Storyteller Mary]

That cover is making me want a beach vacation! and a new book from you ;-)

[Elaine Viets]

My books go well on the beach, Mary.

[Elaine Viets]

An outline has such potential, Donna. I can almost kid myself I don't have to write the book.

[marie]

Elaine, I love the cover.
Cannot read this novel!!

[Elaine Viets]

Thanks, Marie. I can't wait for you to read it,either.