eMysteries Toolkit

The European Commission's support for the production of this publication does not constitute an endorsement of the contents, which reflect the views only of the authors, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein. [Project Number: 2019-1-DE03-KA201-060127] 54 There are so many possibilities for developing creativity, but the important thing is to always keep the place and time in mind, describing them in detail and putting them in context for the audience. It is also useful for that place to have many objects or stimuli in which to place clues or false clues. Ideas for mystery plots from well-known detective stories The plot of the mystery story is the most important thing and therefore it is essential to build a good structure. There are many themes for a mystery plot, but perhaps the most recurrent are the following: ✓ Search: characters are involved in the search for something, someone, or a site. ✓ Adventure: the plot is more focused on the situations that happen on a trip. What is important is the journey and not so much the destination. ✓ Persecution: something or someone is being pursued for some specific reason. ✓ Rescue: usually the main character tries to free a victim from the antagonist. ✓ Escape: one or several characters escape from a place or situation. ✓ Enigma: it is about deciphering the meaning of something, solving a mystery (this plot is one of the most used in mystery stories). There are many other plot ideas, however, the most commonly used theme in mystery detective stories and perhaps the most recurrent one is crime. The central conflict of the story will focus on two characters: the detective who tries to solve the crime and the murderer who tries to escape or deceive the detective. A mystery, moreover, is a puzzle or a guessing game for the person reading it, as he or she analyses the clues that the author has created, and tries to solve the mystery himself or herself. It could be said, then, that the mystery novel is an interactive novel between the person who reads it and the person who writes it. Ideas for suspects from well-known mystery detective stories Ideas can be drawn by taking a look at the real crimes that can be found in the events sections of newspapers or in the TV news and, on the basis of something that catches the eye, invent a story of your own.