Thursday, May 24, 2012

Mystery vs. Suspense


                      Mystery vs. Suspense – Immediately related or twelve-times removed?

The answer requires defining the two genres. Although the two are related, they are more like shirttail cousins than brother and sister. The main difference is perspective. Both deal with a crisis event to hook the reader and keep the plot moving, but the storytelling approach is completely different.

A famous actor is murdered in Chapter One. In a mystery the rest of the story would center on two things: discovering who committed the act and the person or persons responsible for solving the crime. A good mystery writer often spends his time setting up suspects and clues, revealing little until the end of the story.

 A suspense story creates drama before the crisis event occurs. For a good suspense story to work, what’s at stake is generally stated at the beginning of the story, and often the reader knows important details such as the who, why, and when, early on. The suspense writer must create tension by inserting a strong protagonist and developing inventive story paths that avert a certain outcome. Unlike a mystery writer, he can write from the point-of-view of the antagonist, pitting him against the protagonist throughout the story.

While the above outlines the traditional confines of the two genres, as an avid suspense reader I have to say not all books categorized as suspense fit the definition exactly, as do their mystery counterparts; there is frequently a lot of overlap between the two genres.

Today’s Indie writers have a whole new realm of genre freedoms not always available to the author who chooses a more traditional publishing route. And we are seeing the birth of more and more cross-genre novels, which gives readers a much wider selection of novels to choose from, and has the added bonus for writers of seducing a new generation of readers to their stories.


Dear readers,
Thanks for visiting my blog. I love reading suspense. My first novel, She’s Not There was written as suspense but also has elements of mystery. Which do you prefer? I find the traditional mystery plot not as satisfying as suspense or a combination thereof, but that is what makes the new wave of crossover genres so compelling—it offers so much more variety to readers.
Please take time to let us know your preferences! I’d love to hear from you.
Marla

Note – Some of the above is taken from Simon Wood’s article, “9 Tricks to Writing Suspense Fiction."

11 comments:

  1. I read mystery and suspense and that hybrid that lies between the two.

    I describe my book, Deadly Legacy, as a mystery. My publisher calls it suspense. I suspect we're both right. It won't be the first time I've crossed genres. My first book, Under A Texas Star is a mystery/western/romantic suspense novel.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds like we both enjoy the same reading genre! I'm glad to hear a publisher welcomed a "hybrid." Good term for them! Hope it's wildly successful for you.
      Guess my book is a mystery/suspense with a dash of romantic and human interest! Another hybrid.
      Thanks for visiting, Alison!

      Delete
  2. Writer Dave Here,
    In my novel, Web of Guilt, soon to be out in ebook on Kindle, I write in the first person for each of the three main characters. The protagonist, the antagonist, and the catharsis character. I call it a suspense story, which I prefer reading. The three characters all have extreme guilt, each trying to exonerate themselves by different means, and they all get tangled up with a gangster!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sounds like what Alison called a hybrid. We'll be anxiously waiting to read it Dave!
      Nice to hear from you,
      Marla

      Delete
  3. I had always called my series a "traditional mystery" but my agent labeled it suspense. Sometimes I think the deciding factor in determining genre- mystery, suspense, and thriller- has as much to do with commmercialism as anything else. Not everyone understands the inherent differences; more importantly, not everyone cares. :)
    I like your definitions, Marla. Nice post.
    Carolyn Wheat has an excellent resource book on the subject, How To Write Killer Fiction: The Funhouse of Mystery & The Rollercoaster of Suspense.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think Alison (above) would say your is a hybrid, like mine. And I think you're right--no one really cares. And I think the article that inspired my blog was one I got from you!
      Thanks for visiting, Donna.

      Delete
  4. I lean more towards suspense, but I enjoy a good mystery as well. Sometimes the who-done-it aspect can be a real page-turner.

    Enjoyed your novel "She's Not There." Left a review on Amazon. Clever twists right up till the end. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Many thanks, Crubin! It's so wonderful that you left a review, so often people forget. Suspense is my favorite too. Glad you visited! Your kind words have improved my day!
      Marla

      Delete
  5. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I'm writing a book that is probably both romantic mystery and suspense. It is suspense in that external events keep happening that keep our hero and heroine on edge and on the defensive. But it is mystery in that they have to figure out who is behind it. It probably leans more toward suspense, but has elements of mystery because the reader has to figure out the villain.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Your novel sounds unique, Rachelle. Do you plan to self publish? I think the great thing about it is the freedom you
    have to do something original and not be restricted by what is expected. Good luck with it! Keep us posted of your
    progress!
    Happy fourth,
    Marla

    ReplyDelete

Please share your thoughts!