Opening Hook​ -​ ​begin story with an inciting
While
event that grabs the reader and makes
them want to know more
Description of Sleuth​ - the grittier, more
troubled, and more stacked against him or
her, the better
Murder ​- main event to start off
investigation; description appropriate to
targeted audience
Mishaps, obstacles, red herrings ​- events
that transpire to complicate the investigation
and make the sleuth’s task difficult
● “The cat wasn’t fed for 2 days.
she waited for Lucy to come home,
she meowed and hollered
plaintively. When the detectives
finally opened the door, the first
thing to draw their attention was the
elongated scratches along the
doorframe, almost a centimetre
deep in places.”
● “Penny woke with the usual
hangover, and with a start, realized
today was the day her suspension
was over. ​Damn​,​ I’m late​, she
thought. Her unpressed suit was all
she had, but it would have to do.
She pulled her dark brown hair into
a bun, reheated yesterday’s coffee
in the microwave, and jumped into
her Jetta. She couldn’t mess this
up.”
● “Lucy left the fundraiser close to
midnight. She smiled. The night had
raised almost 25 thousand, and
tomorrow the receipts would be
forwarded to the fund committee.
With the last tune of the night still
swirling in her head, she reached
into her bag for her car keys.
Fumbling, Lucy dropped the keys.
She set her bag down. Just as she
leaned over to pick up her keys from
the asphalt, a hard shove sent her
careening head-first into her car
door, a large dent with a smear of
blood left behind. Her last thought
was of needing to remember to feed
her cat, Daisy, when she got home.”
● “Penny’s feet hurt, her head hurt,
her stomach hurt from the punch. All
she wanted was her bed. But when
she got home what she found would
keep her moving forward, in a panic,
for another 48 hours. Lucy’s cat was
on her bed, eyes marbled, it’s claws
stiff in a defensive position.
Someone’s playing games here​,
Penny thought, feeling the edge of

Resolution​ - the case is solved, there is
relief for the sleuth, the murderer is caught
(or dead)
panic.”
● “Penny was so tired, and just
wanted to get this last interview over
with. Pulling her Jetta up to the
janitor’s small house, Penny felt
near-defeat. ​This is such a
dead-end​, she thought. As she
walked up to the front door, she
peeked briefly into the front window
and caught sight of a brown satchel.
Wait! That’s Lucy’s! ​Quickly, Penny
called in for back-up, but she
couldn’t wait. She pulled her gun
and stealthily snuck around to the
side door — through a crack she
could see the janitor at the stove,
frying an egg by the smell. She
caught him in her sights and then
yelled, “Freeze! You are under
arrest for the murder of Lucy Blain.”
Her heart felt more steady than it
had for weeks.”