Step 5: Create a Killer and Suspects

As promised, this week we’ll create a killer and suspects to keep your sleuth confused. Confusion and complications–the hallmarks of good mysteries!

The Killer

The killer must have the means to kill, the motive to kill, and the opportunity to do the dastardly deed. MOM in mystery writer parlance. I start with the motive, which is suggested from the ideas about the victim from last week’s post. But there are many more reasons one might decide to kill. I’ve had killers who feared the victim would report him to the authorities, another who wanted to save the man she loved from certain hanging, and one who made a mistake, killing the wrong sister.

The killer needs to be more fully drawn than other characters so as not to appear too obvious. The way to do that is to give him some positive characteristics, making him a more rounded person. I’ve given killers backstories that explain their anger, reveal their beliefs, and show why they fear abandonment. (You’ll learn how to use backstory in a future post.)

Now, decide how he’ll kill and where. He needs a means he can manage. Can he get a gun and then get rid of it? What if he uses a knife/axe/hatchet? How will he get rid of his bloody clothing? Can he overcome the victim so he can smother or strangle him? How about poison? I’ve used succinylcholine (in a mystery, in case anyone thinks I murdered someone in real life). It met all my criteria for poison: it worked immediately and dissipated rapidly so would be unlikely to be discovered even if the person’s blood was tested. Even easier to poison in my historical mysteries because forensics hadn’t been discovered in 1833. I do have to watch for telltale signs and symptoms, though.

To inspire you to feel how a killer feels, think of a time when you were furious with someone. He cheated you out of money or recognition, attacked your child, or cut you off in traffic. You might slam around, beat your fists on your desk, or lay on your horn, but all the time you’d be thinking, “I could kill him!” Got it? The difference between you and your fictitious killer is that you can make him do it! (I’ve often had certain people in mind when I pick a victim.)

Suspects

To keep the killer from being too obvious, you must create suspects. Suspects each need to have a reason to kill the victim, the ability to do so, and be the same place and at the same time as the victim. A tall order and one I’ve struggled with repeatedly.

After you’ve planted suspects throughout your story, your sleuth must rule each one out as the murderer until the only person left who could have done it is the killer. There are several ways to rule them out.

Did he have a motive? Was it reason enough to cause him to kill?

Where was she at the time of the murder? (You can make that more difficult–another word mystery writers love–by obfuscating the time or place of the murder.)

Was her alibi witness reliable? Maybe he recants and admits she wasn’t home at the time. Or an alibi witness comes forward later in the story.

Was she strong enough to string him up to hang? Or to strangle him?

Keep asking these questions until you can exclude every suspect. Voilà! You have a killer!

What’s next week? Come back and see then!