Blackmail Notes

The storm has conveniently cut off all communication and blocked all roads. We’re trapped with a killer who’s likely to strike again.

A remote house, a group of suspicious characters, and secrets hiding in plain sight. This classic setup was made famous in the 1920s and 30s by authors like Agatha Christie (in her Poirot and Miss Marple stories) and Dorothy L. Sayers (the Lord Peter Wimsey novels). The goal is to create an intricate puzzle that invites the reader to solve the crime alongside the rest of the cast.

The genre’s name, “whodunit,” comes from the simple question, “who has done it?” What are the key ingredients?

• Readers love to solve the mystery, so all necessary clues should be available to them. The fun is in hiding them in plain sight! This is what separates whodunits from thrillers or other crime fiction.
• Your sleuth, whether a professional or an amateur, is the reader’s guide. A distinctive personality and unique method will make the investigation more engaging.
• Give a reason why the professionals can’t take over. A storm that isolates your characters, like in The Mousetrap, or a setting that is too remote for immediate help, raises the stakes and forces your characters to act.

The heart of a whodunit is the intellectual challenge. Each suspect needs secrets and motives, but satisfaction comes from readers solving the puzzle alongside the detective. This blend of deduction and misdirection is what will keep them hooked.

When you look for common motives, the usual suspects like crime, greed, power, or revenge might come to mind. But when we look deeper, underneath the surface, there is often another reason compelling antagonists to commit their crimes.

In Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express, the surface motive is revenge. But dig deeper and you find a cry for justice. The victim murdered a child and used his wealth to escape conviction. His killers aren’t just trying to get even—they’re addressing an injustice the legal system failed to handle.

This hidden layer gives the story its power. So, how can you apply this?

1. Ask your characters “why is that so important to you?”
2. When they answer, ask “and why does that matter?”

Their first answer gives you a plot point. But going deeper will reveal a character. Finding that emotional root is what can transform a simple antagonist into a truly unforgettable force.

How do you track evolving info in your Codex, like a character’s ‘suspect status’ in a mystery, without spoiling the plot for the AI?

While many use Progressions on the main description, you can also use them with text-type Codex details. This allows you to keep track of where information changes, right alongside your plot.

You could have a detail for “Witness Testimony” that shifts from a vague statement to an in-depth account of the crime by the end of the book.

To set up, link the progression to your custom Codex detail instead of the ‘Description’ field - this works the same for NSFW details too. This is perfect for tracking a character’s knowledge, a location’s state of decay, or shifting loyalties, keeping your world perfectly in sync with your story’s timeline.

Discover ways to track story changes