Saturday, August 31, 2013

Life of a Writer. 24. Back to work on writing a mystery.

I have noticed this week that by 8.30 p.m., it is already dark. After hot days, I have not been thinking of the end of summer. But it is almost here. The seasons pass too quickly. How to enjoy each day, each moment and also get back to writing and revising the mystery? In one shape or another, that balance is often elusive. Even so, I have read up to page 175 of my latest revision of 'The White Ribbon Man' in the last few days and feel satisfied that the story is moving along up to this point. I know that around some corner in the next few pages, I will have to pause, reflect and likely regroup somehow from that point on.

Who murdered the woman discovered in the basement of the church? First of all, who is she anyway? When will the reader know? How do the  cops find out? Who is the murderer? How did the murder happen? It took me quite a while to figure it out myself. The challenge now is to make it plausible without making it obvious. So many questions to ponder to take this novel through to completion. It is almost as difficult for the writer to figure out as the writer hopes it will be for the reader. But the detective, Jack Cosser, will solve the case likely before the reader figures it out, possibly even before the writer does.