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“Building Better Mystery Characters—Without Overthinking It"

Holy excitement, Batman! Uh, Reader,

A mystery lives or dies on its characters.

Not the twist.
Not the reveal.
Not even the crime itself.

If we don’t believe the people involved—if we don’t understand what they want, what they’re hiding, and what they’re afraid to lose—then the mystery becomes a puzzle instead of a story.

And puzzles don’t bleed.

Better mystery characters aren’t created by adding quirks.
They’re created by pressure.

Stop Decorating. Start Diagnosing.

Forget the nervous tics and favorite drinks for a moment.

Ask four questions:

1. What does this character want right now?
2. What do they need but won’t admit?
3. What’s the motive under the motive?
4. What line will they not cross—and what happens if they do?

If you can’t answer these, the character isn’t mysterious.
They’re unfinished.

Reality Check the Skills

If your mystery involves specialized knowledge—vaults, jewels, tech, poisons, legal systems—someone has to plausibly know how this works.

There are four clean ways a character can access that knowledge:

• Training
• Proximity
• Obsession
• Outsourcing (bringing in someone who already has the expertise)

That last option often creates the most tension, because now more people are exposed—and more people have something to lose.

And ask yourself honestly: how much research are you willing to do to support this?

The Character Triangle

Lock your character in with three things:

• The Secret – what they’re hiding
• The Stakes – what they lose if it’s revealed
• The Scar – the old wound driving their choices

People lie because something hurts.

Suspects Need Guilt—Just Not Always Murder

A suspect with nothing to hide isn’t a suspect.

Your suspects should be guilty of something:
a lie, a theft, a betrayal, a cover-up.

That guilt fuels tension and misdirection.

A Special Preview for Readers

Write the Crime is a larger workshop and instructional project focused on helping mystery writers think more clearly about crime, motive, character, and structure.

As a small preview, I’ve been testing a set of short diagnostic tools drawn from that work—quick story checkups designed to reveal weak spots fast.

There are five of them:

1. Crime Selection
2. Motive Mapping
3. Perpetrator Profile
4. Stakes & Consequences
5. Red Herrings & Subplots

If you’d like a preview of one, just reply "SLEUTH" and tell me which one of the five you want.
​
​Best,

Alex Simmons ​
​

CTA: Where do you freeze most as a writer—starting, continuing, or finishing?​
Think about it, and let me know.

If you need help telling your stories, Click Below and let me know.