YOU CAN WRITE A MYSTERY: LESSON NINE

LESSON NINE: THE END (PART TWO)

YOUR FINAL LESSON 

Face Personal Problem

In the beginning, your protagonist had a personal problem that was somewhat debilitating. This is the place where he faces and overcome his fear of this area of his life. Although Ron is a secondary character in the Harry Potter series, he has a huge fear of spiders. He is called upon to rise above this personal fear to help Harry escape from the giant spiders in the forest. He doesn’t lose his fear, but he does face it.

Confront Major Problem

No more delays, the time has arrived to confront the major challenge your protagonist set out to solve from the beginning. He needs to come up with a plan or strategy to make it happen. I wrote a book set in 1946 about a boy who lives with his grandparents in Hawaii. When his grandparents disappear and his best friend is arrested as a leper, he sets out to find his birth parents on a neighboring island. He has several adventures, learns some difficult truths, but never gives up his search for his parents. Not even when it means risking his own death.

Go All Out to Fight the Foe

The protagonist sets his plan into action. Everything is on the line and there’s no backing down. He’s willing to risk it all. Marvin, the dragon boy, has devised a plan to rescue his brother from the evil sorcerer’s dungeon. He’s enlisted the help of some other characters he’s met during the course of the story. Plus he will rely on the help of his dragon to fly him to the tower
in the center of the compound. From there he will climb down and open a secret passage hidden in the cunning magician’s bedroom. Marvin’s cohorts will join him. They will storm the dungeon and free his brother. The plan is risky, but it’s the only one that’s viable. He sets out at daybreak.

Showdown Scene

The plan is set in motion. It leads the protagonist to a showdown with the antagonist. This is the scene at the end when the protagonist faces their personal problems and confronts the challenge of the major conflict. It should be BIG and DRAMATIC and SURPRISING. Avoid clichéd dramatic endings, unless you can give it an intriguing twist.

Resolve major challenge

The protagonist must solve or win the story conflict through thought and action!!! It’s her story. Her problem. Her solution. Do not allow another character to take away her glory by stepping in a solving the problem for the protagonist. No act of God. No well meaning savior. No parent stopping the bullying.

Wrap up lose ends

Every problem you raised in the beginning must be addressed. This is called the resolution of the plot. It’s when the reader learns what’s happened and why it happened. Once this is complete, it’s time to wrap-up the story and to bring it to a satisfying end.

Sometimes authors will “book end” their opening and ending scenes. They revisit a beginning situation with a different and pithier conclusion.

THE LAST OF YOUR MYSTERY PLOT

Answer the following questions for your plot and go out there and write your mystery.

Face Personal Problem

Confront Major external Problem

Go All Out to Fight the Foe

Describe the Showdown Scene

Resolve major challenge

Wrap up any lose ends and any questions readers might have gleaned along the way.

Resolution

Final Wrap Up & Goodbye to the characters