Ingredients to writing your own

detective story
1. Choose a time period and locale: You can set your story in any
time period or place. You must be able to make the place and time
believable. Choose your primary setting. A school, hospital, ship,
archaeological dig, museum, library, old house, apartment
complex, church -- you are limited only by your own creativity!
2. Develop a detective: Your detective can be of any
age, occupation, gender or nationality. Discuss what they are like
and their background. You should use the detectives you have
previously developed.
3. Outline the crime: Every detective needs a crime to solve. Based
upon your detective, place and time, choose an appropriate
scenario. It may involve murder, theft or a simple local incident
that affects only a limited group of people. Whatever the problem
or mystery, it needs to be outlined and explained, step-by-step in
sequence. Create timetables for yourself to show when things
happened. You can draw out a helpful map if necessary. This
becomes the plot.

4. Include some clues: Scatter some details that a witness may notice but not understand.
You can choose general clues like footprints, weapons or
food, but don't make them boring and repetitive. At the same time, don't make them so
complicated and above all, make them intriguing!

5. Identify the MMO: Every crime is based upon three factors: Motive, Method and
Opportunity. The motive is the reason a character would do something like commit a
crime. The method is how the problem came about or the crime committed. The
opportunity involves who was nearby when the problem happened or the crime was
committed (who had an opportunity to commit the crime).

6. Identify the alibis of the suspects: According to the timetable, decide who was where and
when at the time the problem occurred or crime was committed.

7. Provide a climax: Generally, a situation occurs which brings all the events together. It's
usually an event or some moment of tension or drama. The climax should contain an
element of surprise; you might include some danger or disaster. Someone might be saved
from the brink of death. It is this event that ultimately sheds light upon the mystery.

8. The big reveal: This is the resolution of the mystery. This is when secrets are revealed
and you wrap up the loose ends of the story. Some details will reveal themselves and your
detective can articulate the rest: the what, who, when, where, how and why!

9. Summarize with a short conclusion. Here is the final outcome of the story, and where we
leave our beloved detective. You might even give a few hints about her next adventures!