I use a
special program to create my book covers and it has a layering function. For
those who don’t know, this means I can take a picture and layer things over it.
If I want to I can start with a country scene with an large oak tree, and then
I can add a dog under the tree, add a large, gaping hole with a skeleton in it,
and end with another dog next to the hole in the ground.
However, this
post isn’t about book covers. It’s about layers, and it’s about mysteries.
The basis for
your story might be about a family going on vacation. From there the author
will start layering.
Where did the
family go? Where did they stay? Who did they see? What did they do? In the
midst of the vacation, how did they suddenly cross paths with a dead body? What
did they do about it?
Each one of
those questions is answered with a new layer.
Of course, I’m
not telling mystery writers something they don’t already know. It might give
readers a new perspective, though.
In Awkward Moments – A Bogey Man Mystery, while on vacation young Mikey Cross digs a hole
in which to bury a dead bird and finds the vintage remains of a man. Under the
body he finds bags of gold. It started with a vacation and turned into a murder
investigation after layers started being unveiled. By the way, the book cover
described above is the cover for this story.
I can only
speak for myself, but when reading a mystery I like to savor every layer and
try to figure out who done it and why. I do the same thing when I watch a
mystery show on television. Even if my conclusions are wrong, as long as the
outcome makes sense, I’ve still had a good time trying to figure things out.
The key is that the ending leaves the reader feeling fulfilled because it made
sense. Sometimes you have to slap the palm of your hand on your forehead and
say, “Now why didn’t I see that coming?”
At one time
my husband liked to “channel surf”, which drove me nuts. He’d pick up the
remote control and start clicking to
see what else might be on. It went something like this:
“And the killer is…”
click
“The secret ingredient is…”
click
“Next week all will be revealed
about why…”
click
“The
butler couldn’t have done it because…”
click
Sometimes you
have to look at the funny side. Otherwise, that remote might have ended up in
the trash or in a good hiding place.
Off topic,
but this reminds me of why I don’t like books that end with a cliffhanger,
making you buy the next book to find out what happened. Of course, there are
exceptions or we’d probably be reading seven hundred page books. Been there,
done that. No more. It reminds me of laying a story too many times. Give me a
cliffhanger at the end of a chapter, and I’m good – not at the end of a story.
I like to feel fulfilled when I close the book.
Think about
what you’ve just read in this post. It layered from one thing to another. How
else could I have gotten from book covers to cliffhangers and still make sense?
At least, I hope I made sense. You never know with me.
As a reader,
how do you feel about layers in a story? Doesn’t it feel a bit one-dimensional
without them?
Until next
time, think about the layers in your everyday life. If the layers don’t feel
right, try to make a few changes so they add up to a good week.
CLICK HERE to
visit Marja McGraw’s website
CLICK HERE
for a quick trip to Amazon.com
Don’t forget
about How Now Purple Cow – A Bogey Man Mystery whose purple cows and elderly
spies just might knock your socks off.
