NaNoWriMo & Step 1

If you are unfamilliar, November is National Novel Writing Month.  It's a challenge to write 50,000 words in the month of the November.  I have participated quite a few years but this year something has changed for me.  I'm actually trying.  

I know that probably sounds weird.  Why wasn't I always trying.  I was in a way.  I had an idea, I wrote words, I tweaked and edited, I circled back and read what I had written, life happened, and then I would set it down at the end of the month.  I always thought of writing as a hobby that I was clearly not good at because I hadn't writen a novel.

This year, I have decided I want to see if I have what it takes to be a writer but also pursue a job in the publishing industry.  I'm looking at going back to school or take some specific courses.  I'm looking into internships.  I'm working hard to set aside my internal editor and just write knowing that this first draft is going to be bad, or at least not as good as I want to make it.  I'm letting myself discover the world, story, character quirks and paradigms that are going to shape the message I want to tell.  I'm developing the habits I will need to draft, edit and revamp until I have writen the book I want to submit.

I'm also fighting the inevitable doubts.  Am I even capable of doing this?  If I'm not good at it, why bother?  Do I want to start a career at 47?  Is my brain still capable of learning?  I've quit every time before, how is now different?  

It's a journey.  As part of that journey I think it's important for me to document it.  To practice the art of writing, researching, and crafting a story.  

So, step 1:

• Sit down and write every day
• Take steps to learn the art and craft of writing

I'm excited.  I hope you'll come along on the adventure. Let's Go!

Mystery Party Writing Checklist

As we get into the nitty gritty of writing the mystery party, I move to a checklist as opposed to an outline.  I personally start with the theme.  I then move on to character names.  Character names are not the first thing that has to be done but they are one of the quickest steps and so I tend to do them at the beginning of my process.  It also helps me to lean in to the obvious motives and assumptions that the audience will make.  That generally leads me to writing those down as the character description which gives me a framework to plug in motives to the story.  That doesn't have to be how it works for you.  

No matter how you write your mystery party, or in what order, I think it's vital to have a checklist of things you need to get done so that you can be sure you don't arrive at the event with huge gaps.  Give yourself milestones so you aren't rushed the day, or even week, of.

1. Ready a minimum of 3-4 weeks before event
1. list of characters
1. character names
2. 1-2 sentences general intro
3. costume suggestions
4.  character description paragraph 
2. plan for how to determine guilty party
1. Is it important to you that the character know they are guilty?
1. Will they find out when they receive their character intro before the event 
2. Will they find out in the first act information 
3. Will they find out during final reveals
2. Do you want to randomly determine at the event
1. slips of paper to draw from a bag? 
2. special intro page for one lucky participant?  
3. No matter what, make sure your organizer/host can easily handle the particulars.  Think it through and how it will go at the event.  
3. Do you want to predetermined based on the story?
1. how will you ensure this character is present.  
1. Some scripts will rank the importance of the characters so the most important characters to the story are chosen first.
2. Some scripts assume all characters are present even if noone chose to embody them.
4. Do you need to include a special bit of information?
1. Some scripts include a story line that will help the audience, in theory, to determine who the guilty party is.
2. Some scripts include an event, drama, or reveal that will draw attention to the guilty party.
3. Outline of the story
1. You need to at least know the sequence of events or what happened so that you can work your clues off of that based on what your cast would have been present for.  This information is just for you.
2. Do you want your  host to be able to participate in the party or not.  Most hosts want to be able to play along and so information should be included but sealed so they can look at it only if they need to.  If you are the host, you can write yourself a special place in the mystery so you can still enjoy watching your mystery unfold.
3. A plan for who to reveal what information too.
4. Think of time allotments
1. Have a plan for how long the event is going to last.  This will not only serve you well as you inform your guests of how long the evening will last so they can plan accordingingly, it will also give you a general guide for how much information to use.  
2. This is also why a host is often suggested.  The host needs to be able to move the group from one act to the other.  
3. If you have alloted an hour and a half for your evening you could dvide it like so: 20 min for Act 1, 60 min for act 2, 10 min for act 3.
1. Act 2 is longest because of the logistics of a meal.  If you are not having a sit down meal, or your group is larger, you will have to think about how much time you are going to alot to accomodate.  It will also change how much information you are providing to your guests and how complicated the mysteries are.  
2. In general, Act 3 is the shortest even if you have a large group.  It's the wrap up and once people know who "did it' the natural conclusion to the end of the evening.  You can include 3rd act clues for a final round of accusations before the conclusion if you choose.
5. Most murder mysterys are divided into 3 parts:  The Intro, or Act 1, where horderves are served and people can mingle; Act 2, where the sit down meal is served; and Act 3, where the guilty party is accused/revealed which is a good time for dessert and coffee if you are including that.  Clues for each character for each round will have to be written.
1. Act 3 can be organized in several ways
1. read in order from least suspected to guilty
2. read in random order with the guilty party being instructed to stay silent until accused
3. allowing accusations or a vote to occur so the guests can test their detective skills before the reveal
4. a single character being asked to read the final reveal which explains what happened and gives context for clues revealed during the course of the game.  
6. I recommend having an aid to keep track of how people and plots are connected.  I have absolutely used walls to visually track the connections.  I now utilize software like Mindmup to help me keep track.  Having a way to organize that information will help you make sure you're not dropping information you thought about and planned for but ultimately forgot to write down in clue form for your guests.
4. Review
1. I can not emphasis this enough.  READ YOUR WORK!  
1. Edit your work for spelling and grammar and give yourself enough time to think about what you've written
2. Think about the flow of each individual character and of the group.  
2. Make sure you have revealed all the information that needs to be revealed
1. If your group is large, make sure multiple people have the clues so they move and flow around the group.  
2. make sure that the revelations connect where they should connect and follow through where they should follow through.
1. If you are writing an accusation style clue format then the accused should have corresponding answer/information.  They should know what they are being accused of.  
2. Ensure that the clues make sense
3. make sure all the character information, clues and revealations are consistent
2. Ready a minimum or 1 week before event
1. Clue Envelopes 
1. guests should begin with an envelope (or however you are sharing information) that tells them if they are guilty (if that's how you are organizing it) and what information the character knows as of that moment.  
1. This includes specific information they should be encouraged to hide or reveal.
2. It also includes a reminder of the setup of the event and a reminder of their personal bio with maybe a few more details than was provided in the initial character list.
3. Depending on your group, this may need to include conversation propts, specific instructions for how to play the game or quirks that the character has.
4. You will generally need two envelopes with clues for acts 1 and 2 and a final paragraph for act 3
2. Each character should have a clue envelope for each act printed out and ready
1. organizing this in advance means you're not scrambling last minute
2. the guilty party will need an extra insert or an additional envelope with what they need to know
2. Supplimental information
1. Some mystery parties include evidence that the guests can examine.  This allows you to write/create one document that can be shared.  
2. If you have other information that needs to be share with the group at specific times, whether you are having your host read something out or you choose to include another crime happeneing in the midst of the event, you will need to have this prepared and ready with instructions on the envelope.  
3. there are plenty of gimicks that can be used in a mystery party.  Feel free to get creative, just make sure you have a doable plan that won't be too stressful to impliment at the event.  
3. Food
1. Most mystery parties are organized around food.  This neccesitates that allergies are considered, the menu is planned in advance and a plan for who makes what is in place.

Writing a mystery party can be intimidating but knowing what you need to do is half the battle.  Just start creating and have fun!  I've had so much fun brainstorming with you.  It has definitly helped me!

Introducing the Cast

The next important step in writing a mystery party game is creating your amazing cast of characters!  Mystery party games use very punny character names and in general, the puns follow the theme of the mystery.   They can be a spoof of real or fictional people that the character is emulating.  This can help the audience, because recognizable character names communicate basic information about who the character is or is supposed to be.  Schmerlock Homes will leave the individual playing them, and the other participants, with no doubt as to the general air and manerisms they should use.  

This doesn't work for every scenario.  If the tone of your party is serious or dark, then punny names will pull your audience out of the story.  In the case of the mystery I am writing, the cast are all authors.  (Yes, we could have included publishers, editors, personal secretaries and other roles but not this time)  While I have punned names of famous writers in specific genres, not everyone in my audience will be familiar with them.  Nor will everyone recognize the pun.  Pun fun should be just that, a minor giggle that shouldn't take up too much of your writing time.  If puns don't work for your character names, then you'll have to decide how intentional you want your names to be.  Do they reflect that characters job, character, or motive?  Does it serve the story to make it obvious?  Either way, don't get bogged down in this step.  They are generally only used to distiguish the character and are rarely pivitol.

You will, by necessity, need to have determined your cast size to create your cast list.  If you are writing a traditional mystery party game, each character needs to be present to reveal specific information.  In general you are trying to create a 6-8 person dinner party.  For me, I am working with a minimum of 20.  This means I'm creating my story differently than a traditional mystery party which will allow for an indeterminate number of participants.  I will, however, still need specific things for each character whether they end up being present at the event or not.

1. Character name
2. 1-2 sentence general intro so the audience can pick the character they want to play and become familiar with the other characters.
3. costume suggestion
4. a more indepth paragraph describing the characters personality traits, manerisms (if important), general motives, and important specifics, like their job and why they are present for the event.  

This list of items will be the first information your audience receives so make sure the names and descriptions are consistent with your theme, taste level, and character specifics.  Character names can get very off color or offensive.  As always, check to make sure that names and traits match your audience/friend groups level of comfort. For the commercial venues I tend to write for, and my personal preference, I stay G rated.  Lastly, your descriptions and names should be consistent all the way through your documents. and how you characterize each character in the mystery game itself.  Do not release any information you haven't checked first.  If Schmerlock Homes is an arrogant know it all in your first draft but a tortured lovelorn genius in your final draft, make sure that is consistent all the way through from your character description to the final reveal.  It's easy to forget to check the initial character descriptions when you are approaching the end of such a complicated effort.

How about you?  What do you think is important when creating your cast of characters?

Smoke Screens and Red Herrings

 

Thinking about motives has got me thinking about Smoke Screens and Red Herrings.  If you are unfamiliar with the terms, it basically means misleading your audience by either hiding information, trying to obfuscate the information or offering false or unimportant information to muddle the issue.  In writing, these are common, especially in mystery writing.  They have to, or it would be a very short book.  

In murder mystery party games there are multiple schools of thought.  Some people believe that red herrings are hilarious and necessary because they add challenge to a traditionally light mystery.  Others believe that they are unnecesarry because they frustrate the players.  Honestly, I see both sides.  I've played enough Mystery Party Games to know that it can be written very badly and enrage the players because there was no way to "win".  It can also be written very well and not land for the audience because there is too much information and it got lost in the crowd.  It has been my experience that even when I write a red herring that is VERY outlandish, and I think NO ONE will believe it, people will pick it up and run with it to the finish line.  In my experience, people will make up their own red herrings.  I don't include them in large mystery party games at all because the large crowd is already a smoke screen.  Getting all the information requires the character to be intentional about seeking out and prying information from every other character.  Not everyone who plays is going to be an extrovert much less have played enough of these games to focus in on solving the mystery.  People will always be slightly uncomfortable with strangers, being dressed up weird, trying to embody a character and taking in tons of information.  

Whether you choose to include a red herring into your story or not, never over saturate your story with them.  Red herrings really shouldn't be more than 20% of your total clues and I wouldn't personally go over 10%.  The percentage is always scaled down with the size of your group.  Remember that 90% of the story is already leading to false ends.  Only one person is "guilty", the rest just have motive.

It can be tempting to think of writing a mysetery party game as a competition between you and your audience.  If you can trick most of them, you win!  If that's your goal, remember that you still want your audience to have fun.  Including red herrings can certainly help you acheive the goal of fooling your audience but it will also frustrate your players.  So when you are thinking of motive, and including red herrings, don't forget to check your motivation.  You'll have much more fun watching your audience enjoy themselves than hoping they don't figure it out.  

What's the most outlandish red herring you've ever read?  (Communism doesn't count, everyone knows its a red herring ;))

  

Let's talk motive

 

When I first started writing murder mystery dinner party scripts I did what ever modern person does, I searched the internet for how to do it.  There are a lot of great blogs that outline the basics.  Personally, I quickly became frustrated by the lack of detail beyond an outline.  Create a plot?  How is that helpful?  I wondered if  they didn't want to go into detail because then it would be selling the cow along with the milk.  Giving away the tricks of the trade and ultimately diminishing their livelihood.  I think I was being overdramatic.  Most likely it's because teaching someone how to write is more than the scope of a simple blog article.  

I don't make a living writing.  I have not been formally trained in the art of writing. I do love to read and I love analyzing story.  I enjoy editing and I enjoy writing murder mystery scripts.  So with that being said, I wanted to get into the nitty gritty of how I proceed once I have a theme for the murder mystery.  Before I can figure out who the "villian" is or what they have done, I have to create the over arching motive.  Because everyone has motive in a murder mystery party, you need all the ideas you can get in my opinion.

So let's brainstorm on the Mystery Writer Convention Murder Mystery Party!

1. Revenge
1. Revenge for stolen success
2. revenge for specific incident
3. revenge for a perceived slight
2. Murder by Death style
1. If you've never seen Murder by Death ... Just do yourself a favor and go watch it.  It basically means that the motive is that the villian, or characters, are trying to prove they are the best.  The best detective, or in our case, the best mystery writer.  They all had information they were trying to hide that was used as a reveal as potential motive for murder but ultimately only has a way for each detective to reveal information about another that would prove they were the best detective.
3. Fear, the need to hide daming information
1. has a ghost writer
2. stole their last book idea
3. dwindling 
4. To stop a crime or abuse to themselves or a loved one
1. generally considered self defense
5. To eliminate a source of debt; either from blackmail, loan, or favor
6. love, lust, or passion
7. impulse
8. jealousy
9. tradgedy
10. to get an object of desire
1. job
2. acknowledgement of acheivement
3. removing competition for love interest
4. win competition

This is going to be a working list for now.  There are a ton of potential motives and I haven't listed them all.  I personally rank motives in my own head based on the likelyhood someone would commit a crime to fulfill the motive but there are a lot of different people in the world and the range of possibilities are very wide indeed.  Certainly wider than the ones that make logical sense to me.  Don't think of this list as too small either.  Multiple characters can be motivated by jealousy but it will look different and be motivated differently in each character.  The final motives of your villian will evolve as you brainstorm and create.  Don't get too married to one idea at first.  You're going to give each character a story, not just a one word motive.  

Mysteries afoot

Okay, the year has started out nice with gentle progress towards my daily goals and actually getting some things done.  I mentioned that I had started thinking about writing again and I've been given the opportunity to start working on one of my favorites.  I am going to write another mystery dinner party.  I honestly love writing these.  I have written several large group MDP's because there weren't a whole lot of large group ones on the market at first and then there weren't a lot of good ones.  I have written one for the state patrol youth academy which had to adapt to a very large group on a yearly basis.  I have written several for friends and a couple for local games stores.  I have to admit I tend to try and innovate and think outside the mystery dinner party box.  I want it to be unique and interesting.  I want it to be better than what you can buy in a box.  Two things have come from this desire.  I usually make an overly complicated mystery for a dinner party and I always wish I had a team.

I know that probably sounds weird but, I love brainstorming.  Thinking of all the possibilities and discovering the potential connections just makes the mystery write itself for me.  Getting excited with someone else is a big part of that.  Bouncing ideas off of them, having the instant check when you have gone off the rails, it's magic.  Sadly, people are busy.  Plus, I haven't found the person or people who get as much life out of brainstorming sessions as I do.  I also suspect it's the DM (dungeon master in roleplaying games) problem.  Everyone wants to play, they don't want to make the game. Being a part of the creation means you can't participate. 

So I'll take the next best thing.  I'll share little tidbits with you.  That way we can brainstorm together if you're so inclined.

Are you game?

Let's begin....  

I'm pondering three possible themes.  I've already started fleshing out one of them.  We'll see if you can guess which one.  Of the three, which one is your favorite?  Which do you think would make for the funnest Mystery Dinner Party?  But also, just the act of writing up the summary for the ideas has made me want to write them all....so maybe just help me figure out which one to write first.

1. Tournament Trouble - Dangerous games are being played at the Mage Poke Blood Yu Lore Event.  Someone has been picking off competitors and you may be next.  What's worse, you think they might be cheating so they can win the tournaments prize;  A Rare Shiny Mega Ultra Glamour  Evolved Pecunia Concidat
2. Murder by Murder - Welcome, writers, to our annual Murder Mystery Writers Convention.  Our guest list has been meticulously currated with the best in the genre, which is why you're here.  Rumors of our previous key note speakers untimely demise are sadly true but we have rallied from the blow and have secured a last minute special guest speaker we are sure you will all be shocked to hear.
3. Upstairs Downstairs - Who do you think can solve a mystery faster?  The elite rich, or the servants whose presence they forget?  This dueling party mystery will require alliances, observation and loyalty.  Choose wisely.
4. Truth is Stranger than Fiction - True Crime Podcasters have gathered by invitation to share the story they are currently investigating.  Strangely, as each podcaster tells their story, it all starts sounding a bit too familiar.