The Technique of the Mystery Story

Before she began writing her Detective Fleming Stone series of mystery novels, Carolyn Wells was a published poet, accomplished children’s author, and professional jingle writer. In the middle of her career, she heard a mystery story by Anna Katharine Green and was instantly hooked. Through years of practice and attention to the craft, she earned a reputation as a leading fiction writer of her generation, an adept craftswoman whose stories appeared in some of the leading newspapers and magazines of the day. “Why is the detective story? To entertain, to interest, to amuse. It has no deeper intent, no more subtle raison d'être than to give pleasure to its readers.” Writing is a simple act, requiring only the mind, a pen, and a piece of paper. But how does one write well, grabbing the reader’s attention and ensuring their time will be rewarded by the end of the story? In The Technique of the Mystery Story, Carolyn