Suspense Draft; Agatha Christie & The Mousetrap: Day 1

Period 3:

If you did not take the test on Stephen King's On Writing...that's what you'll be doing 3rd period. Complete the test.

Those of you who have completed the test, please work on nearing completion of your suspense story project. This draft will be due at the end of 3rd period Thursday.

During period 4, together we will read our last piece for this year, Agatha Christie's long-running play Mousetrap. Sign up for parts in the next room.

4th period, please move next door to begin reading The Mousetrap by Agatha Christie.

Together let's read this article from the Guardian about the play. The Mousetrap opened in 1952 in the West End of London (its theater district) and is still running. It began as a radio play based on a short story: "Three Blind Mice."

Information about the author Agatha Christie can be found at the link.

A bestselling author for the past eighty or so years, Agatha Christie's has sold over two billion books worldwide and her books have been translated into over 45 languages. The world knows her name and her writing. She has eighty novels, several short story collections and over a dozen plays to her name. The play The Mousetrap, has been the longest-running straight play in theatrical history.

Here are a few clips from various Agatha Christie films:

• Murder on the Orient Express (2017)
• Murder on the Orient Express (1972)
• Death on the Nile (1974)
• Evil Under the Sun
• And Then There Were None (1945)
• 10 Little Indians (1974)
• And Then There Were None (BBC)
• The Mirror Crack'd (1980)
• Witness for the Prosecution (1957)

The queen of the whodunit is undoubtedly Agatha Christie. But various sleuths have graced the pages of British Lit. Among them, the granddaddy of detection is the character Sherlock Holmes, created by Arthur Conan Doyle. Other important sleuths include Inspector Morse (Colin Dexter), Albert Campion (Margery Allingham),  Adela Bradley (The Mrs. Bradley Mysteries by Gladys Mitchell), and Welsh brother Cadfael (Edith Pargeter).

Basically, a whodunit or mystery story involves a pretty good plot along with compelling characters. Keep some of this advice in mind when reading or writing mysteries:

1. Plot is king. Planning a plot is essential for a mystery. You can't write this kind of thing organically (like you're used to) and therein lies the difficulty (and challenge!)
2. Start with a crime in mind. Research crimes of this sort to get ideas. Choose a crime you'd be interested in exploring. Some basics are: murder, theft, sabotage, treason, manslaughter, breaking and entering, assault, kidnapping, etc.
3. Consider starting with the crime scene, then planning backwards.
4. Outline the story before starting to see if each scene fits (and how) into the plot. Each scene should advance the plot. (Good advice in writing all fiction!)
5. Rearrange necessary scenes in an order. In Agatha Christie's work, for example, she often arranges chapters to revolve around the questioning of a suspect. She cuts back and forth between key, important characters during a chapter or between scenes.
6. Using a flow chart can be helpful too in order to show dead ends.
7. Introduce what is called a "red herring" or "macguffin" (also mcguffin), a goal or object that the protagonist or antagonist is willing to sacrifice almost anything to get or pursue, often with little explanation as to why it is considered important. The macguffin is usually unimportant and leads the reader astray. Very helpful in designing mysteries.
8. Consider the plot as the way in which the problem (the crime) gets solved.
9. Put your protagonist in danger. Allow for dead ends to misdirect the reader.

10. Use minor characters (particularly their motivations) to misdirect or hint or provide clues that lead to the solution of the mystery.

Use the graphic organizers today to begin planning a mystery. Some further advice about writing a whodunit is here for those of you who care.

HOMEWORK: None. Your suspense story draft is due next class. For those of you advanced, who wish to play around writing a mystery, use the graphic organizer to help you plan an idea. After completing the graphic organizer, try writing your mystery.