most of the two million psychopaths in North America aren't murderers. They're our friends, lovers and co-workers. They're outgoing and persuasive, dazzling you with charm and flattery. Often you aren't even aware they've taken you for a ride -- until it's too late.
Psychopaths exhibit a Jekyll and Hyde personality. "They play a part so they can get what they want," says Dr. Sheila Willson, a Toronto psychologist who has helped victims of psychopaths. The guy who showers a woman with excessive attention is much more capable of getting her to lend him money, and to put up with him when he strays. The new employee who gains her co-workers' trust has more access to their chequebooks. And so on. Psychopaths have no conscience and their only goal is self-gratification.
In general, psychopaths aren't the product of broken homes or the casualties of a materialistic society. Rather they come from all walks of life and there is little evidence that their upbringing affects them. Elements of a psychopath's personality first become evident at a very early age, due to biological or genetic factors. Explains Michael Seto, a psychologist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental health in Toronto, by the time that a person hits their late teens, the disorder is almost certainly permanent.
Psychopaths have only a shallow range of emotions and lack guilt, says Hare. They often see themselves as victims, and lack remorse or the ability to empathize with others. "Psychopaths play on the fact that most of us are trusting and forgiving people," adds Seto. The warning signs are always there; it's just difficult to see them because once we trust someone, the friendship becomes a blinder.
In the romance department, psychopaths have an ability to gain your affection quickly, disarming you with words, intriguing you with grandiose plans. If they cheat you'll forgive them, and one day when they've gone too far, they'll leave you with a broken heart (and an empty wallet). By then they'll have a new player for their game.
Psychopaths also tend to switch jobs as frequently as they switch partners, mainly because they don't have the qualities to maintain a job for the long haul. Their performance is generally erratic, with chronic absences, misuse of company resources and failed commitments. Often they aren't even qualified for the job and use fake credentials to get it. Seto talks of a patient who would get marketing jobs based on his image; he was a presentable and charming man who layered his conversations with educational and occupational references. But it became evident that the man hadn't a clue what he was talking about, and was unable to hold down a job.
(1) They are habitual liars. They seem incapable of either knowing or telling the truth about anything. (2) They are egotistical to the point of narcissism. They really believe they are set apart from the rest of humanity by some special grace. (3) They scapegoat; they are incapable of either having the insight or willingness to accept responsibility for anything they do. Whatever the problem, it is always someone else's fault. (4) They are remorselessly vindictive when thwarted or exposed. (5) Genuine religious, moral, or other values play no part in their lives. They have no empathy for others and are capable of violence. Under older psychological terminology, they fall into the category of psychopath or sociopath, but unlike the typical psychopath, their behavior is masked by a superficial social facade.
http://www.mcafee.cc/Bin/sb.html
Profile of the Sociopath
Glibness and Superficial Charm
Manipulative and Conning They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.
Grandiose Sense of Self Feels entitled to certain things as "their right."
Pathological Lying Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.
Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.
Shallow Emotions When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.
Incapacity for Love
Need for Stimulation Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common.
Callousness/Lack of Empathy Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.
Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.
Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet "gets by" by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc.
Irresponsibility/Unreliability Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed.
Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity Promiscuity, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual acting out of all sorts.
Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively.
Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution.
Changes life story readily.
Other Related Qualities:
Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them
Does not perceive that anything is wrong with them
Authoritarian
Secretive
Paranoid
Only rarely in difficulty with the law, but seeks out situations where their tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or admired
Conventional appearance
Goal of enslavement of their victim(s)
Exercises despotic control over every aspect of the victim's life
Has an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore needs their victim's affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)
Ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim
Incapable of real human attachment to another
Unable to feel remorse or guilt
Extreme narcissism and grandiose
May state readily that their goal is to rule the world
Antisocial personality disorder is characterized by a lack of regard for the moral or legal standards in the local culture. There is a marked inability to get along with others or abide by societal rules. Individuals with this disorder are sometimes called psychopaths or sociopaths
Diagnostic Criteria (DSM-IV) 1. Since the age of fifteen there has been a disregard for and violation of the right's of others, those right's considered normal by the local culture, as indicated by at least three of the following: A. Repeated acts that could lead to arrest. B. Conning for pleasure or profit, repeated lying, or the use of aliases. C. Failure to plan ahead or being impulsive. D. Repeated assaults on others. E. Reckless when it comes to their or others safety. F. Poor work behavior or failure to honor financial obligations. G. Rationalizing the pain they inflict on others. 2. At least eighteen years in age. 3. Evidence of a Conduct Disorder, with its onset before the age of fifteen. 4. Symptoms not due to another mental disorder.
Manipulative and Conning They never recognize the rights of others and see their self-serving behaviors as permissible. They appear to be charming, yet are covertly hostile and domineering, seeing their victim as merely an instrument to be used. They may dominate and humiliate their victims.
Grandiose Sense of Self Feels entitled to certain things as "their right."
Pathological Lying Has no problem lying coolly and easily and it is almost impossible for them to be truthful on a consistent basis. Can create, and get caught up in, a complex belief about their own powers and abilities. Extremely convincing and even able to pass lie detector tests.
Lack of Remorse, Shame or Guilt A deep seated rage, which is split off and repressed, is at their core. Does not see others around them as people, but only as targets and opportunities. Instead of friends, they have victims and accomplices who end up as victims. The end always justifies the means and they let nothing stand in their way.
Shallow Emotions When they show what seems to be warmth, joy, love and compassion it is more feigned than experienced and serves an ulterior motive. Outraged by insignificant matters, yet remaining unmoved and cold by what would upset a normal person. Since they are not genuine, neither are their promises.
Incapacity for Love
Need for Stimulation Living on the edge. Verbal outbursts and physical punishments are normal. Promiscuity and gambling are common.
Callousness/Lack of Empathy Unable to empathize with the pain of their victims, having only contempt for others' feelings of distress and readily taking advantage of them.
Poor Behavioral Controls/Impulsive Nature Rage and abuse, alternating with small expressions of love and approval produce an addictive cycle for abuser and abused, as well as creating hopelessness in the victim. Believe they are all-powerful, all-knowing, entitled to every wish, no sense of personal boundaries, no concern for their impact on others.
Early Behavior Problems/Juvenile Delinquency Usually has a history of behavioral and academic difficulties, yet "gets by" by conning others. Problems in making and keeping friends; aberrant behaviors such as cruelty to people or animals, stealing, etc.
Irresponsibility/Unreliability Not concerned about wrecking others' lives and dreams. Oblivious or indifferent to the devastation they cause. Does not accept blame themselves, but blames others, even for acts they obviously committed.
Promiscuous Sexual Behavior/Infidelity Promiscuity, child sexual abuse, rape and sexual acting out of all sorts.
Lack of Realistic Life Plan/Parasitic Lifestyle Tends to move around a lot or makes all encompassing promises for the future, poor work ethic but exploits others effectively.
Criminal or Entrepreneurial Versatility Changes their image as needed to avoid prosecution.
Changes life story readily.
Other Related Qualities:
Contemptuous of those who seek to understand them
Does not perceive that anything is wrong with them
Authoritarian
Secretive
Paranoid
Only rarely in difficulty with the law, but seeks out situations where their tyrannical behavior will be tolerated, condoned, or admired
Conventional appearance
Goal of enslavement of their victim(s)
Exercises despotic control over every aspect of the victim's life
Has an emotional need to justify their crimes and therefore needs their victim's affirmation (respect, gratitude and love)
Ultimate goal is the creation of a willing victim
Incapable of real human attachment to another
Unable to feel remorse or guilt
Extreme narcissism and grandiose
May state readily that their goal is to rule the world
Antisocial personality disorder is characterized by a lack of regard for the moral or legal standards in the local culture. There is a marked inability to get along with others or abide by societal rules. Individuals with this disorder are sometimes called psychopaths or sociopaths
Diagnostic Criteria (DSM-IV) 1. Since the age of fifteen there has been a disregard for and violation of the right's of others, those right's considered normal by the local culture, as indicated by at least three of the following: A. Repeated acts that could lead to arrest. B. Conning for pleasure or profit, repeated lying, or the use of aliases. C. Failure to plan ahead or being impulsive. D. Repeated assaults on others. E. Reckless when it comes to their or others safety. F. Poor work behavior or failure to honor financial obligations. G. Rationalizing the pain they inflict on others. 2. At least eighteen years in age. 3. Evidence of a Conduct Disorder, with its onset before the age of fifteen. 4. Symptoms not due to another mental disorder.
Revenge and the people who seek it
Historically, there are two schools of thought on revenge. The Bible, in Exodus 21:23, instructs us to "give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot" to punish an offender. But more than 2,000 years later, Martin Luther King Jr., responded, "The old law of 'an eye for an eye' leaves everybody blind."
SCIENCE WATCHRevenge and the people who seek it
New research offers insight into the dish best served cold.
By Michael PriceMonitor staff Print version: page 34
Historically, there are two schools of thought on revenge. The Bible, in Exodus 21:23, instructs us to "give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot" to punish an offender. But more than 2,000 years later, Martin Luther King Jr., responded, "The old law of 'an eye for an eye' leaves everybody blind."
Who's right? As psychologists explore the mental machinery behind revenge, it turns out both can be, depending on who and where you are. If you're a power-seeker, revenge can serve to remind others you're not to be trifled with. If you live in a society where the rule of law is weak, revenge provides a way to keep order.
But revenge comes at a price. Instead of helping you move on with your life, it can leave you dwelling on the situation and remaining unhappy, psychologists' research finds.
Considering revenge is a very human response to feeling slighted, humans are atrocious at predicting its effects.
The avengers
Social psychologist Ian McKee, PhD, of Adelaide University in Australia, studies what makes a person seek revenge rather than just letting an issue go. In May 2008, he published a paper in Social Justice Research (Vol. 138, No. 2) linking vengeful tendencies primarily with two social attitudes: right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance, and the motivational values that underlie those attitudes.
"People who are more vengeful tend to be those who are motivated by power, by authority and by the desire for status," he says. "They don't want to lose face."
students whose answers showed a deference to authority and respect for traditions and social dominance, had the most favorable opinions about revenge and retribution.
Those personalities, McKee says, "tend to be less forgiving, less benevolent and less focused on universal-connectedness-type values."
Gelfand has also found that collectivists are more likely than individualists to avenge another's shame. To collectivists, shame to someone with a shared identity is considered an injury to one's self, she explains. As a result, she says, "revenge is more contagious in collectivist cultures
SCIENCE WATCHRevenge and the people who seek it
New research offers insight into the dish best served cold.
By Michael PriceMonitor staff Print version: page 34
Historically, there are two schools of thought on revenge. The Bible, in Exodus 21:23, instructs us to "give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot" to punish an offender. But more than 2,000 years later, Martin Luther King Jr., responded, "The old law of 'an eye for an eye' leaves everybody blind."
Who's right? As psychologists explore the mental machinery behind revenge, it turns out both can be, depending on who and where you are. If you're a power-seeker, revenge can serve to remind others you're not to be trifled with. If you live in a society where the rule of law is weak, revenge provides a way to keep order.
But revenge comes at a price. Instead of helping you move on with your life, it can leave you dwelling on the situation and remaining unhappy, psychologists' research finds.
Considering revenge is a very human response to feeling slighted, humans are atrocious at predicting its effects.
The avengers
Social psychologist Ian McKee, PhD, of Adelaide University in Australia, studies what makes a person seek revenge rather than just letting an issue go. In May 2008, he published a paper in Social Justice Research (Vol. 138, No. 2) linking vengeful tendencies primarily with two social attitudes: right-wing authoritarianism and social dominance, and the motivational values that underlie those attitudes.
"People who are more vengeful tend to be those who are motivated by power, by authority and by the desire for status," he says. "They don't want to lose face."
students whose answers showed a deference to authority and respect for traditions and social dominance, had the most favorable opinions about revenge and retribution.
Those personalities, McKee says, "tend to be less forgiving, less benevolent and less focused on universal-connectedness-type values."
Gelfand has also found that collectivists are more likely than individualists to avenge another's shame. To collectivists, shame to someone with a shared identity is considered an injury to one's self, she explains. As a result, she says, "revenge is more contagious in collectivist cultures
plotting and character
How do you plot an entire mystery novel?
How I craft plot has changed radically over the last four books. With BIG RED TEQUILA, I did very little plotting in advance. I simply began writing, then went back later and tied up all the loose ends, of which there were plenty. With each successive novel, I’ve done more outlining in advance. Strangely, this has made writing no easier — it’s only made the process harder in different ways.
My attitude about plot and how one develops effective pacing is evolving, but below are five points I stand by:
Rick’s top five tips on PLOT
5. Don’t write the parts the reader would skip anyway.
Most readers, from time to time, have skipped over portions of a chapter to get to the “good stuff.” For instance, many readers will skip a long paragraph of description so they can find the next line of dialogue. One trick for keeping the reader’s interest is to zoom in on the content they want to see and leave out the rest. Writers, especially beginning writers, tend to over-explain.
4. Distinguish between mystery and confusion.
It is good to keep the reader guessing. It is bad to keep the reader confused. The key to successful plotting is giving the reader sufficient information to keep them interested and engaged, but not so much information that they no longer care about what will happen next. The plot should be built in layers of compelling questions – “What will he do?” “What is his secret?” “Why does she hate him so much?”The reader should always have at least one question in mind, and be dying to find out the answer.
3.Get going!
Beginning writers tend to believe that they must “set things up” before they get into the real meat of the novel. They want to introduce characters, history, and setting before they start on the central dilemma. Chapter one is often limp, because of this. Even worse, some writers are so hesitant to get to the point in chapter one that they put off the action even further by writing a prologue. The problem is, until we know the dilemma, we won’t care about the set-up. Get to the point! Often manuscripts are better if they start with chapter 2.
2. Identify the moral dilemma driving the novel.
The successful novel will haunt a reader because it deals with some ethical or moral dilemma that makes the reader wonder what he or she would do in the protagonist’s place. Action may hold a reader for a chapter. A surface dilemma like a kidnapping or a romance may hold the reader for fifty pages or more, but only a moral dilemma will hold the reader for an entire novel.
1.The protagonist must exert influence to solve the problem, and the antagonist must exert influence to stop the solution.The book must be about conscious choices, carried out in active terms. It must be about conflict. A book about random events happening to passive people will not be compelling. Coincidence is taboo – things can’t just happen. There must be a cause and effect.
How do you develop characters?
Character development is paramount for me. I firmly believe that plot and character development must occur simultaneously. Plot cannot be left to chance. Neither can characters be automatons who carry out actions envisioned in the author’s master plan. Below are some things
I try to keep in mind when developing my characters:
5. Define a character through action, first. Through dialogue and description, second. Through explanation, never.
A character should be primarily defined by the choices he makes, and the actions he takes. How does he respond to violence? How does he respond to love? Secondly, a character must be vividly but deftly describe through his speech, and through the initial view you give the reader (see #4 below). Never stop to explain who a character is when we can watch him in action and decide for ourselves.
4. Be impressionist rather than realistic.
Describe characters as Dickens did – with a single deft stroke. A laundry list of physical traits is realistic, but it is neither memorable nor compelling. A jarring metaphor for the character, or a focus on one mannerism or physical trait, can be very compelling.
3. Do not be afraid to use real people as models, but do not be constricted by your models.
It is very natural to use parts of ourselves or the people we know when creating characters. Do not be afraid to do this because someone might get mad at you. At the same time, let your character develop. Do not force them to do what the real-life model would do. Characters seldom end up exactly like the real people they are based on.
2. The reader does not have to be told everything you know about the character.
It may be critically important to you that your character has blue eyes, or went to Texas A&M. But if these details have no part in the story, the reader will not care. Leave them in your subconscious. If you are having trouble figuring out a character, fill out a character profile, or do some journaling in that character’s voice.
1. Your character must act, not simply be acted upon.
We care about characters because we are interested in the choices they make. We want to boo the villain, cheer the hero, and cry with frustration when the tragic figure makes the wrong move. A character who does not act, but simply receives information and is acted upon by outside forces, is not a character who will compel the reader. Remember, plot is what the characters do next. If the characters do not create the plot, the plot is hollow.
http://www.rickriordan.com/
How I craft plot has changed radically over the last four books. With BIG RED TEQUILA, I did very little plotting in advance. I simply began writing, then went back later and tied up all the loose ends, of which there were plenty. With each successive novel, I’ve done more outlining in advance. Strangely, this has made writing no easier — it’s only made the process harder in different ways.
My attitude about plot and how one develops effective pacing is evolving, but below are five points I stand by:
Rick’s top five tips on PLOT
5. Don’t write the parts the reader would skip anyway.
Most readers, from time to time, have skipped over portions of a chapter to get to the “good stuff.” For instance, many readers will skip a long paragraph of description so they can find the next line of dialogue. One trick for keeping the reader’s interest is to zoom in on the content they want to see and leave out the rest. Writers, especially beginning writers, tend to over-explain.
4. Distinguish between mystery and confusion.
It is good to keep the reader guessing. It is bad to keep the reader confused. The key to successful plotting is giving the reader sufficient information to keep them interested and engaged, but not so much information that they no longer care about what will happen next. The plot should be built in layers of compelling questions – “What will he do?” “What is his secret?” “Why does she hate him so much?”The reader should always have at least one question in mind, and be dying to find out the answer.
3.Get going!
Beginning writers tend to believe that they must “set things up” before they get into the real meat of the novel. They want to introduce characters, history, and setting before they start on the central dilemma. Chapter one is often limp, because of this. Even worse, some writers are so hesitant to get to the point in chapter one that they put off the action even further by writing a prologue. The problem is, until we know the dilemma, we won’t care about the set-up. Get to the point! Often manuscripts are better if they start with chapter 2.
2. Identify the moral dilemma driving the novel.
The successful novel will haunt a reader because it deals with some ethical or moral dilemma that makes the reader wonder what he or she would do in the protagonist’s place. Action may hold a reader for a chapter. A surface dilemma like a kidnapping or a romance may hold the reader for fifty pages or more, but only a moral dilemma will hold the reader for an entire novel.
1.The protagonist must exert influence to solve the problem, and the antagonist must exert influence to stop the solution.The book must be about conscious choices, carried out in active terms. It must be about conflict. A book about random events happening to passive people will not be compelling. Coincidence is taboo – things can’t just happen. There must be a cause and effect.
How do you develop characters?
Character development is paramount for me. I firmly believe that plot and character development must occur simultaneously. Plot cannot be left to chance. Neither can characters be automatons who carry out actions envisioned in the author’s master plan. Below are some things
I try to keep in mind when developing my characters:
5. Define a character through action, first. Through dialogue and description, second. Through explanation, never.
A character should be primarily defined by the choices he makes, and the actions he takes. How does he respond to violence? How does he respond to love? Secondly, a character must be vividly but deftly describe through his speech, and through the initial view you give the reader (see #4 below). Never stop to explain who a character is when we can watch him in action and decide for ourselves.
4. Be impressionist rather than realistic.
Describe characters as Dickens did – with a single deft stroke. A laundry list of physical traits is realistic, but it is neither memorable nor compelling. A jarring metaphor for the character, or a focus on one mannerism or physical trait, can be very compelling.
3. Do not be afraid to use real people as models, but do not be constricted by your models.
It is very natural to use parts of ourselves or the people we know when creating characters. Do not be afraid to do this because someone might get mad at you. At the same time, let your character develop. Do not force them to do what the real-life model would do. Characters seldom end up exactly like the real people they are based on.
2. The reader does not have to be told everything you know about the character.
It may be critically important to you that your character has blue eyes, or went to Texas A&M. But if these details have no part in the story, the reader will not care. Leave them in your subconscious. If you are having trouble figuring out a character, fill out a character profile, or do some journaling in that character’s voice.
1. Your character must act, not simply be acted upon.
We care about characters because we are interested in the choices they make. We want to boo the villain, cheer the hero, and cry with frustration when the tragic figure makes the wrong move. A character who does not act, but simply receives information and is acted upon by outside forces, is not a character who will compel the reader. Remember, plot is what the characters do next. If the characters do not create the plot, the plot is hollow.
http://www.rickriordan.com/
Plotting
Even more than writing in other genres, mystery writing tends to follow standard rules. This is because readers of mysteries seek a particular experience: they want the intellectual challenge of solving the crime before the detective does, and the pleasure of knowing that everything will come together in the end. Of course, the best way of testing the mystery writing rules that follow is to read widely in the genre. See how others use them or how and when they get away with breaking them.
1. In mystery writing, plot is everything. Because readers are playing a kind of game when they read a detective novel, plot has to come first, above everything else. Make sure each plot point is plausible, and keep the action moving. Don't get bogged down in back story or go off on tangents.
2. Introduce both the detective and the culprit early on. As the main character, your detective must obviously appear early in the book. As for the culprit, your reader will feel cheated if the antagonist, or villain, enters too late in the book to be a viable suspect in their minds.
3. Introduce the crime within the first three chapters of your mystery novel. The crime and the ensuing questions are what hook your reader. As with any fiction, you want to do that as soon as possible.
4. The crime should be sufficiently violent -- preferably a murder. For many readers, only murder really justifies the effort of reading a 300-page book while suitably testing your detective's powers. However, also note that some types of violence are still taboo including rape, child molestation, and cruelty to animals.
5. The crime should be believable. While the details of the murder -- how, where, and why it's done, as well as how the crime is discovered -- are your main opportunities to introduce variety, make sure the crime is plausible. Your reader will feel cheated if the crime is not something that could really happen.
6. The detective should solve the case using only rational and scientific methods. Consider this part of the oath written by G.K. Chesterton for the British Detection Club: "Do you promise that your detectives shall well and truly detect the crimes presented to them using those wits which it may please you to bestow on them and not placing reliance on nor making use of Divine Revelation, Feminine Intuition, Mumbo Jumbo, Jiggery-Pokery, Coincidence, or Act of God?"
7. The culprit must be capable of committing the crime. Your reader must believe your villain's motivation and the villain must be capable of the crime, both physically and emotionally.
8. In mystery writing, don't try to fool your reader. Again, it takes the fun out. Don't use improbable disguises, twins, accidental solutions, or supernatural solutions. The detective should not commit the crime. All clues should be revealed to the reader as the detective finds them.
9. Do your research. "Readers have to feel you know what you're talking about," says author Margaret Murphy. She has a good relationship with the police in her area, and has spent time with the police forensic team. Get all essential details right. Mystery readers will have read a lot of books like yours; regard them as a pretty savvy bunch.
10. Wait as long as possible to reveal the culprit. They're reading to find out, or figure out, whodunit. If you answer this too early in the book, the reader will have no reason to continue reading
1. In mystery writing, plot is everything. Because readers are playing a kind of game when they read a detective novel, plot has to come first, above everything else. Make sure each plot point is plausible, and keep the action moving. Don't get bogged down in back story or go off on tangents.
2. Introduce both the detective and the culprit early on. As the main character, your detective must obviously appear early in the book. As for the culprit, your reader will feel cheated if the antagonist, or villain, enters too late in the book to be a viable suspect in their minds.
3. Introduce the crime within the first three chapters of your mystery novel. The crime and the ensuing questions are what hook your reader. As with any fiction, you want to do that as soon as possible.
4. The crime should be sufficiently violent -- preferably a murder. For many readers, only murder really justifies the effort of reading a 300-page book while suitably testing your detective's powers. However, also note that some types of violence are still taboo including rape, child molestation, and cruelty to animals.
5. The crime should be believable. While the details of the murder -- how, where, and why it's done, as well as how the crime is discovered -- are your main opportunities to introduce variety, make sure the crime is plausible. Your reader will feel cheated if the crime is not something that could really happen.
6. The detective should solve the case using only rational and scientific methods. Consider this part of the oath written by G.K. Chesterton for the British Detection Club: "Do you promise that your detectives shall well and truly detect the crimes presented to them using those wits which it may please you to bestow on them and not placing reliance on nor making use of Divine Revelation, Feminine Intuition, Mumbo Jumbo, Jiggery-Pokery, Coincidence, or Act of God?"
7. The culprit must be capable of committing the crime. Your reader must believe your villain's motivation and the villain must be capable of the crime, both physically and emotionally.
8. In mystery writing, don't try to fool your reader. Again, it takes the fun out. Don't use improbable disguises, twins, accidental solutions, or supernatural solutions. The detective should not commit the crime. All clues should be revealed to the reader as the detective finds them.
9. Do your research. "Readers have to feel you know what you're talking about," says author Margaret Murphy. She has a good relationship with the police in her area, and has spent time with the police forensic team. Get all essential details right. Mystery readers will have read a lot of books like yours; regard them as a pretty savvy bunch.
10. Wait as long as possible to reveal the culprit. They're reading to find out, or figure out, whodunit. If you answer this too early in the book, the reader will have no reason to continue reading
Mystery Novel formula
The following outline serves the modern mystery novel, as defined by editors and publishers. A typical story will contain 60,000 to 65,000 words (205 manuscript pages) and will be divided into 12 chapters, each approximately 17 pages in length.
The Classic 12-Chapter Mystery Formula
Introduction of the crime (mystery) and the sleuth
Chapter 1
A. Disclose the crime and mystery to be solved. The crime must capture the imagination. It should have been committed in an extraordinary way and either the victim the perpetuator, or both, should be unusual. Give the reader enough information about the victim to make them truly care that the perpetrator is found out and that justice is served.
B. Early in the story, clues should be revealed which suggest both physical and psychological aspects of the initial crime. Those clues should point to suspects and motive which will cary the sleuth to the end of Act I. Some clues should point the sleuth in the right direction, others may not be obvious or be recognized as actual clues unto later in the story.
C. Introduce the sleuth who will solve the crime early, and have him or her do or say something very clever or unexpected which will establish that person as unique. Create this character with care. His or her personality should be interesting enough to sustain the interest of the reader to the very last page. (or through an entire series of books). It is not necessary to disclose all aspects of the sleuth’s personality at the onset. Let the description unfold gradually to sustain interest. Do reveal enough background to let the reader understand the world in which the protagonist functions. (Small town sheriff, Scotland Yard detective, Pinkerton agent in the old West, country squire, investigative reporter in New York City, etc.)
D. Ground the reader in the time and place where the crime occurs. It is often useful to include some sort of symbol, an object or a person, in the opening scene which serves as a metaphor for what occurs in the story. The reappearance of this symbol at the conclusion of the story will create a certain organic unity.
E. Begin with a dramatic event. Some writers offer a prologue, describing the execution of the crime in detail, as it occurs, possible from the point of view of the victim or perpetrators. The same information could also be revealed by a character, through dialogue. Sufficient details should be furnished to allow the reader to experience the event as though he or she were actually there
Chapter 2
A. Set the sleuth on the path toward solving he mystery. Offer plausible suspects, all of whom appear to have had motive, means and opportunity to to commit the crime. Select the most likely suspects, and have the sleuth question them. One of these suspects will turn out to be the actual perpetrator.
B. At the approximate mid-point of Act 1, something should occur which makes it clear to the reader that the crime is more complicated than originally thought. Hints may be given to allow the reader to actually see possibilities not yet known to the sleuth.
Chapter 3
A. The sub-plot should be introduced. The plot will continue to maintain the progress of the story, but the sub-plot will carry the theme, which is a universal concept to which the reader can identify. Sub-plots tend to originate either in a crisis in the sleuth’s private life, or in the necessity of the sleuth to face a dilemma involving a matter of character, such as courage or honesty.
B. The ultimate resolution of the sub-plot with demonstrate change or growth on the part of the protagonist, and will climatic on a personal or professional level. That climax may coincide with, or occur as prelude to the climax of the main plot. The sub-plot may be a vehicle for a romantic interest or a confrontation with personal demons of the sleuth. The author can manipulate the pace of the novel by moving back and forth between the plot and sub-plot.
Direct the investigation toward a conclusion which later proves to be erroneous.
Chapter 4
A. Reveal facts about suspects, through interrogations and the discovery of clues.
B. Flight, or disappearance of one or more suspect.
C. Develop a sense of urgency. Raise the stakes or make it evident that if the mystery is not solved soon, there will be terrible consequences.
Chapter 5
A. The investigation should broaden to put suspicion on other characters.
B. Information gathered through interviews or the discovery of physical evidence, should point toward the solution, although the relevance may not yet be apparent.
Chapter 6
A. The sleuth’s background is revealed as the sub-plot is developed. Tell the reader what drives the protagonist, what haunts or is missing in his or her life.
B. Make it clear that the sleuth has a personal stake in the outcome, either because of threat to his or her life, or the possibility of revelation of matters deeply disturbing to the protagonist on an emotional level
Change of focus and scope of the investigation. This is the pivotal point in the story where it become evident that the sleuth was on the wrong track. Something unexpected occurs, such as the appearance of a second body, the death of a major suspect, or discovery of evidence which clears the most likely suspect. The story must take a new direction.
Chapter 7
A. Reveal hidden motives. Formerly secret relationships come to light, such as business arrangements, romantic involvement's, scores to be settled or previously veiled kinships.
B. Develop and expose meanings of matters hinted at in Act I., to slowly clarify the significance of earlier clues.
Chapter 8
A. The sleuth reveals the results of the investigation. The reader, as well as the protagonist and other characters, are given an opportunity to review what is known and assess the possibilities.
B. The solution of the crime appears to be impossible. Attempts to solve the crime have stymied the sleuth. Misinterpretation of clues or mistaken conclusions have lead him or her in the wrong direction, and logic must be applied to force a new way of grasping an understanding of the uncertainties.
Chapter 9
A. Have the sleuth review the case to determine where he or she went wrong.
B. Reveal the chain of events which provoked the crime.
C. The crucial evidence is something overlooked in Act I, which appeared to have been of little consequence at the time it was first disclosed. That evidence takes on new meaning with information disclosed in Act III.
D. The sleuth (and perhaps the reader, if a keep observer) becomes aware of the error which remains undisclosed to the other characters
Solution
Chapter 10
A. The sleuth weighs the evidence and information gleaned from the other characters.
B. Based on what only he or she now knows, the sleuth must seek positive proof to back up the yet undisclosed conclusion.
Chapter 11
A. Resolution of the sub-plot
B. The protagonist, having been tested by his or her private ordeal, is strengthened for the final action leading to the actual solution of the mystery.
Chapter 12
A. The Climax - a dramatic confrontation between the sleuth and the perpetrator in which the sleuth prevails. The more “impossible” the odds have been, the more rewarding the climax will be.
B. Resolution - Revelation of clues and the deductive process which lead to the solution. Establish that the case has been solved and justice has been served to the satisfaction of all involved (except, the villain).
The Classic 12-Chapter Mystery Formula
Introduction of the crime (mystery) and the sleuth
Chapter 1
A. Disclose the crime and mystery to be solved. The crime must capture the imagination. It should have been committed in an extraordinary way and either the victim the perpetuator, or both, should be unusual. Give the reader enough information about the victim to make them truly care that the perpetrator is found out and that justice is served.
B. Early in the story, clues should be revealed which suggest both physical and psychological aspects of the initial crime. Those clues should point to suspects and motive which will cary the sleuth to the end of Act I. Some clues should point the sleuth in the right direction, others may not be obvious or be recognized as actual clues unto later in the story.
C. Introduce the sleuth who will solve the crime early, and have him or her do or say something very clever or unexpected which will establish that person as unique. Create this character with care. His or her personality should be interesting enough to sustain the interest of the reader to the very last page. (or through an entire series of books). It is not necessary to disclose all aspects of the sleuth’s personality at the onset. Let the description unfold gradually to sustain interest. Do reveal enough background to let the reader understand the world in which the protagonist functions. (Small town sheriff, Scotland Yard detective, Pinkerton agent in the old West, country squire, investigative reporter in New York City, etc.)
D. Ground the reader in the time and place where the crime occurs. It is often useful to include some sort of symbol, an object or a person, in the opening scene which serves as a metaphor for what occurs in the story. The reappearance of this symbol at the conclusion of the story will create a certain organic unity.
E. Begin with a dramatic event. Some writers offer a prologue, describing the execution of the crime in detail, as it occurs, possible from the point of view of the victim or perpetrators. The same information could also be revealed by a character, through dialogue. Sufficient details should be furnished to allow the reader to experience the event as though he or she were actually there
Chapter 2
A. Set the sleuth on the path toward solving he mystery. Offer plausible suspects, all of whom appear to have had motive, means and opportunity to to commit the crime. Select the most likely suspects, and have the sleuth question them. One of these suspects will turn out to be the actual perpetrator.
B. At the approximate mid-point of Act 1, something should occur which makes it clear to the reader that the crime is more complicated than originally thought. Hints may be given to allow the reader to actually see possibilities not yet known to the sleuth.
Chapter 3
A. The sub-plot should be introduced. The plot will continue to maintain the progress of the story, but the sub-plot will carry the theme, which is a universal concept to which the reader can identify. Sub-plots tend to originate either in a crisis in the sleuth’s private life, or in the necessity of the sleuth to face a dilemma involving a matter of character, such as courage or honesty.
B. The ultimate resolution of the sub-plot with demonstrate change or growth on the part of the protagonist, and will climatic on a personal or professional level. That climax may coincide with, or occur as prelude to the climax of the main plot. The sub-plot may be a vehicle for a romantic interest or a confrontation with personal demons of the sleuth. The author can manipulate the pace of the novel by moving back and forth between the plot and sub-plot.
Direct the investigation toward a conclusion which later proves to be erroneous.
Chapter 4
A. Reveal facts about suspects, through interrogations and the discovery of clues.
B. Flight, or disappearance of one or more suspect.
C. Develop a sense of urgency. Raise the stakes or make it evident that if the mystery is not solved soon, there will be terrible consequences.
Chapter 5
A. The investigation should broaden to put suspicion on other characters.
B. Information gathered through interviews or the discovery of physical evidence, should point toward the solution, although the relevance may not yet be apparent.
Chapter 6
A. The sleuth’s background is revealed as the sub-plot is developed. Tell the reader what drives the protagonist, what haunts or is missing in his or her life.
B. Make it clear that the sleuth has a personal stake in the outcome, either because of threat to his or her life, or the possibility of revelation of matters deeply disturbing to the protagonist on an emotional level
Change of focus and scope of the investigation. This is the pivotal point in the story where it become evident that the sleuth was on the wrong track. Something unexpected occurs, such as the appearance of a second body, the death of a major suspect, or discovery of evidence which clears the most likely suspect. The story must take a new direction.
Chapter 7
A. Reveal hidden motives. Formerly secret relationships come to light, such as business arrangements, romantic involvement's, scores to be settled or previously veiled kinships.
B. Develop and expose meanings of matters hinted at in Act I., to slowly clarify the significance of earlier clues.
Chapter 8
A. The sleuth reveals the results of the investigation. The reader, as well as the protagonist and other characters, are given an opportunity to review what is known and assess the possibilities.
B. The solution of the crime appears to be impossible. Attempts to solve the crime have stymied the sleuth. Misinterpretation of clues or mistaken conclusions have lead him or her in the wrong direction, and logic must be applied to force a new way of grasping an understanding of the uncertainties.
Chapter 9
A. Have the sleuth review the case to determine where he or she went wrong.
B. Reveal the chain of events which provoked the crime.
C. The crucial evidence is something overlooked in Act I, which appeared to have been of little consequence at the time it was first disclosed. That evidence takes on new meaning with information disclosed in Act III.
D. The sleuth (and perhaps the reader, if a keep observer) becomes aware of the error which remains undisclosed to the other characters
Solution
Chapter 10
A. The sleuth weighs the evidence and information gleaned from the other characters.
B. Based on what only he or she now knows, the sleuth must seek positive proof to back up the yet undisclosed conclusion.
Chapter 11
A. Resolution of the sub-plot
B. The protagonist, having been tested by his or her private ordeal, is strengthened for the final action leading to the actual solution of the mystery.
Chapter 12
A. The Climax - a dramatic confrontation between the sleuth and the perpetrator in which the sleuth prevails. The more “impossible” the odds have been, the more rewarding the climax will be.
B. Resolution - Revelation of clues and the deductive process which lead to the solution. Establish that the case has been solved and justice has been served to the satisfaction of all involved (except, the villain).
WHODUNIT
A killer will disguise himself or herself as a different character, only to appear as themselves in the next scene. Impostors are handled well by Agatha. They are successful at hiding their true persona or maintaining a false identity for years only to cover up a murder from the past (or to set up revenge and murder in the near future). People with false identities exist because: 1) an item was "planted" on the "wrong" person; 2) two people swapped identities with one another; 3) it enables the villain to achieve a grand goal, such as inheritance; 4) of course! the true person has already been murdered
Suspect everyone. No one really should be above suspicion. Just possibly in Agatha's stories, one may encounter any of these scenarios: The detective may be the murderer. The sidekick or associate of the hero may be the murderer. The policeman investigating the murder may be the murderer himself. The narrator of the story may be the killer. The client soliciting help from the police may be the killer. A person of any age may be the murderer. An intended victim may be the killer. All the characters/suspects may have conspired in the same murder. The most well-respected character in the book may be the murderer. The hero of the story may be the killer. Or, the character that we love the most--believe it or not--may be the killer.
Everyone lies. Yes, they do. Even the detective or hero in the story. It is an axiom of human nature that we lie. Characters of Agatha's tell fibs for various reasons. Plenty of people other than the murderer have guilty secrets of their own. Their dishonesty, theft, or unfaithfulness may have nothing to do with the murder investigated. Of course, killers are terrible liars. They may remove suspicion by trying to take away their own life (faking it by maybe drugging or poisoning themselves). Very clever.
pay attention to what Agatha actually puts into words. She has a great command of language. When it comes to language, don't think that sometimes she wasn't paying attention, getting too old, or that the printers made a few typos. Pronouns may seem mistakenly placed or ill-used. Not so! Don't assume that people's names are just for one gender only. You'll be in trouble. Pay attention to what people say to others: 1) in half-heard conversations or 2) in scraps of paper likes letters or wills. Think of the over-all context that this information was found in. I always say about books: if it's in the book, there's a reason the author included it there!
Don't assume that the "important" clues are the same ones the detective say are "important". That's the author--Mrs. Christie--misleading you, confusing you, or simply giving you a headache for you to say to yourself "Ah, that's not that important."
This ties in with the art of "red herrings". According to the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, a source found at Dictionary.com, a red herring is "something intended to divert attention from the real problem or matter at hand" or "a misleading clue". So, the important points or clues of a detective contain some that are not that useful to you as a reader. The detective (through the author) states that some points or clues are vital, when really these are leading you to a wrong solution or wrong killer. You become preoccupied thinking about minor details taking you away from possibly a correct solution.
MOTIVE
If a suspect doesn't have a motive, then surely he/she can't be the murderer, right? Not exactly. If the suspect wasn't around to possibly commit the crime, then surely he/she can't be the perpetrator, right? Not exactly. There is such a rule of motive versus opportunity. "Suspect everyone" is a universal rule in solving detective stories. Sure, that's "easy". But, the reader can't help it if there is no motive. There is always a motive in a Christie story. It might not be noticeable; Christie has made discovering a motive difficult in some of her stories. She did that by design. Still, suspect that person. What about any opportunity of performing the crime? Still, suspect that person if it seems impossible for the suspect to have committed a crime. Perhaps the villain had an accomplice, or there was a prepared trap beforehand. Still, suspect that person.
Christie had a box full of motives to pick from. Her books have motives such as inheritance/wealth/gain, revenge, blackmail, theft, independence, self-righteousness, jealousy, concealment, meddling (knowledge, eyewitness, interference), espionage, love/hate, gossip, fear, and (yes!) even rehearsal. If the motive fits, but the opportunity didn't present itself, then dig deeper. As mentioned before, maybe the villain prepared the crime ahead of time, used an accomplice, used a disguise of some sort, or simply used "smoke and mirrors". About that last part: all is not what it seems to be in any crime scene. Don't forget the murderer (and the author) is putting on a "show"--there are many different angles (perhaps a "behind the stage" angle, too) that you musn't forget about. There's some sleight of hand here, and it's up to you to work out the magic trick.
That is the "opportunity" rule to remember in solving a Christie mystery. If the guilty party wasn't (apparently) there, there must have been another means of committing the crime. We touched upon that just right now with using a partner, using a disguise, or by means of trickery. In a detective story, there must be opportunity. It's not easy to see sometimes. Christie does have her sleuth or hero explain how the crime was committed to satisfy the reader. If she didn't do this, she'd be doing the reader a disservice. Because of this, opportunity can be worked out. You know it's so-and-so because of his/her motive? Having trouble on the opportunity? Try looking at the details leading up to the crime.
Look even for "minor" details that lead up to the crime. If a suspect notices something and mentions it, but never again--be suspicious. Be also alert if the author provides a description of the scene of the crime--before and after descriptions. You may have to re-read that portion of the story to answer: who was there, who wasn't there, how did the rooom look like, or what event took place before the "discovery" that distracted everyone momentarily. Christie liked to complicate the story with the deaths themselves. A death doesn't necessarily mean "murder". It could've been suicide, suicide dressed up to appear as murder, or even an accident. If you can't answer the motive and/or the opportunity factor, take a look at the death and ask yourself: was it simply an accident? Did the victim commit suicide? Sometimes these are included in novels with multiple deaths, simply a way for Agatha Christie to confuse you further.
http://www.poirot.us/index.php
Suspect everyone. No one really should be above suspicion. Just possibly in Agatha's stories, one may encounter any of these scenarios: The detective may be the murderer. The sidekick or associate of the hero may be the murderer. The policeman investigating the murder may be the murderer himself. The narrator of the story may be the killer. The client soliciting help from the police may be the killer. A person of any age may be the murderer. An intended victim may be the killer. All the characters/suspects may have conspired in the same murder. The most well-respected character in the book may be the murderer. The hero of the story may be the killer. Or, the character that we love the most--believe it or not--may be the killer.
Everyone lies. Yes, they do. Even the detective or hero in the story. It is an axiom of human nature that we lie. Characters of Agatha's tell fibs for various reasons. Plenty of people other than the murderer have guilty secrets of their own. Their dishonesty, theft, or unfaithfulness may have nothing to do with the murder investigated. Of course, killers are terrible liars. They may remove suspicion by trying to take away their own life (faking it by maybe drugging or poisoning themselves). Very clever.
pay attention to what Agatha actually puts into words. She has a great command of language. When it comes to language, don't think that sometimes she wasn't paying attention, getting too old, or that the printers made a few typos. Pronouns may seem mistakenly placed or ill-used. Not so! Don't assume that people's names are just for one gender only. You'll be in trouble. Pay attention to what people say to others: 1) in half-heard conversations or 2) in scraps of paper likes letters or wills. Think of the over-all context that this information was found in. I always say about books: if it's in the book, there's a reason the author included it there!
Don't assume that the "important" clues are the same ones the detective say are "important". That's the author--Mrs. Christie--misleading you, confusing you, or simply giving you a headache for you to say to yourself "Ah, that's not that important."
This ties in with the art of "red herrings". According to the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, a source found at Dictionary.com, a red herring is "something intended to divert attention from the real problem or matter at hand" or "a misleading clue". So, the important points or clues of a detective contain some that are not that useful to you as a reader. The detective (through the author) states that some points or clues are vital, when really these are leading you to a wrong solution or wrong killer. You become preoccupied thinking about minor details taking you away from possibly a correct solution.
MOTIVE
If a suspect doesn't have a motive, then surely he/she can't be the murderer, right? Not exactly. If the suspect wasn't around to possibly commit the crime, then surely he/she can't be the perpetrator, right? Not exactly. There is such a rule of motive versus opportunity. "Suspect everyone" is a universal rule in solving detective stories. Sure, that's "easy". But, the reader can't help it if there is no motive. There is always a motive in a Christie story. It might not be noticeable; Christie has made discovering a motive difficult in some of her stories. She did that by design. Still, suspect that person. What about any opportunity of performing the crime? Still, suspect that person if it seems impossible for the suspect to have committed a crime. Perhaps the villain had an accomplice, or there was a prepared trap beforehand. Still, suspect that person.
Christie had a box full of motives to pick from. Her books have motives such as inheritance/wealth/gain, revenge, blackmail, theft, independence, self-righteousness, jealousy, concealment, meddling (knowledge, eyewitness, interference), espionage, love/hate, gossip, fear, and (yes!) even rehearsal. If the motive fits, but the opportunity didn't present itself, then dig deeper. As mentioned before, maybe the villain prepared the crime ahead of time, used an accomplice, used a disguise of some sort, or simply used "smoke and mirrors". About that last part: all is not what it seems to be in any crime scene. Don't forget the murderer (and the author) is putting on a "show"--there are many different angles (perhaps a "behind the stage" angle, too) that you musn't forget about. There's some sleight of hand here, and it's up to you to work out the magic trick.
That is the "opportunity" rule to remember in solving a Christie mystery. If the guilty party wasn't (apparently) there, there must have been another means of committing the crime. We touched upon that just right now with using a partner, using a disguise, or by means of trickery. In a detective story, there must be opportunity. It's not easy to see sometimes. Christie does have her sleuth or hero explain how the crime was committed to satisfy the reader. If she didn't do this, she'd be doing the reader a disservice. Because of this, opportunity can be worked out. You know it's so-and-so because of his/her motive? Having trouble on the opportunity? Try looking at the details leading up to the crime.
Look even for "minor" details that lead up to the crime. If a suspect notices something and mentions it, but never again--be suspicious. Be also alert if the author provides a description of the scene of the crime--before and after descriptions. You may have to re-read that portion of the story to answer: who was there, who wasn't there, how did the rooom look like, or what event took place before the "discovery" that distracted everyone momentarily. Christie liked to complicate the story with the deaths themselves. A death doesn't necessarily mean "murder". It could've been suicide, suicide dressed up to appear as murder, or even an accident. If you can't answer the motive and/or the opportunity factor, take a look at the death and ask yourself: was it simply an accident? Did the victim commit suicide? Sometimes these are included in novels with multiple deaths, simply a way for Agatha Christie to confuse you further.
http://www.poirot.us/index.php
Agatha code
Agatha Christie believed that economy of wording was particularly important in detective stories; that the reader did not want to heard the same thing repeated three or four times.
She also uses very simple everyday language, and repeats it, rather than trying to introduce new words and phrases. She also relies heavily on dialogue throughout her books. In addition, the solution often depends upon the reader’s interpretation of something that a character says. Therefore by keeping her dialogue very simple and straightforward, and not challenging the reader with the vocabulary, she leaves us free to focus on the plot.
The simplicity of the language is one of the key points raised in the debate regarding “The Agatha Christie Code”, an ITV documentary backed by research undertaken by a number of universities.
The research team also analysed each of Christie's books for its word length, frequency and sentence structure. They found that all of her books are very similar in style, using the same number of letters in a word on average, and approximately same number of words in a sentence. This is true for books written at the beginning of her career as well as books at the end of her career; it was as if she found a successful formula which captivated her readers and stuck with it.
The researchers also found that there was a level of repetition of key concepts in her words within a small space. When Agatha is getting a concept across, she repeats key words and words which are similar in meaning in rapid succession and in a condensed space. This theory is also backed up by believers of neurolinguistic programming, which is how language affects the mind and how the words can have an affect on how we think and feel. By repeating words at least 3 times in a paragraph, it enables the reader to become convinced about something.
In addition, the programme claims that a person’s conscious mind has a very limited focus, and can only focus on between five and nine things at one time. Once there are more than nine things to focus on, the conscious mind can’t continue to track them all, and so the person literally goes into a hypnotic trance. The Agatha Christie Code claims that Agatha often uses this by using more than nine characters, and by having more than nine plot lines taking place at any one time. As the reader’s mind gets overloaded, they start to begin really experiencing the book, feeling the book, and getting lost in it. And because feelings are infinitely more memorable than thoughts, people associate the feelings with Agatha Christie’s name and also with her novels.
Finally, the research team discovered that Agatha Christie very precisely controls the speed at which we read her books, by changing the level of descriptive passages. There are more descriptive passages at the beginning of her book than at the end, which has the effect that we read more quickly towards the end of her books... literally we are rushing towards the end to see who did it
http://www.christiemystery.co.uk/index.php
She also uses very simple everyday language, and repeats it, rather than trying to introduce new words and phrases. She also relies heavily on dialogue throughout her books. In addition, the solution often depends upon the reader’s interpretation of something that a character says. Therefore by keeping her dialogue very simple and straightforward, and not challenging the reader with the vocabulary, she leaves us free to focus on the plot.
The simplicity of the language is one of the key points raised in the debate regarding “The Agatha Christie Code”, an ITV documentary backed by research undertaken by a number of universities.
The research team also analysed each of Christie's books for its word length, frequency and sentence structure. They found that all of her books are very similar in style, using the same number of letters in a word on average, and approximately same number of words in a sentence. This is true for books written at the beginning of her career as well as books at the end of her career; it was as if she found a successful formula which captivated her readers and stuck with it.
The researchers also found that there was a level of repetition of key concepts in her words within a small space. When Agatha is getting a concept across, she repeats key words and words which are similar in meaning in rapid succession and in a condensed space. This theory is also backed up by believers of neurolinguistic programming, which is how language affects the mind and how the words can have an affect on how we think and feel. By repeating words at least 3 times in a paragraph, it enables the reader to become convinced about something.
In addition, the programme claims that a person’s conscious mind has a very limited focus, and can only focus on between five and nine things at one time. Once there are more than nine things to focus on, the conscious mind can’t continue to track them all, and so the person literally goes into a hypnotic trance. The Agatha Christie Code claims that Agatha often uses this by using more than nine characters, and by having more than nine plot lines taking place at any one time. As the reader’s mind gets overloaded, they start to begin really experiencing the book, feeling the book, and getting lost in it. And because feelings are infinitely more memorable than thoughts, people associate the feelings with Agatha Christie’s name and also with her novels.
Finally, the research team discovered that Agatha Christie very precisely controls the speed at which we read her books, by changing the level of descriptive passages. There are more descriptive passages at the beginning of her book than at the end, which has the effect that we read more quickly towards the end of her books... literally we are rushing towards the end to see who did it
http://www.christiemystery.co.uk/index.php
Tropes in Agatha Christie's novels
Agatha Christie’s reputation as The Queen of Crime was built by the large number of classic tropes that she introduced, or for which she provided the most famous example. Christie built these tropes into what is now considered classic mystery structure: a murder is committed, there are multiple suspects who are all concealing secrets, and the detective gradually uncovers these secrets over the course of the story, discovering the most shocking twists towards the end. At the end, in a Christie hallmark, the detective usually gathers the surviving suspects into one room, explains the course of his or her deductive reasoning, and announces the guilty party.
Least Likely Suspect
Perhaps the most common element of the Agatha Christie plot is in fact the twist ending itself, that the suspect least likely to have committed the crime is guilty. The murderer tends to conceal either means, motive or opportunity, or a combination of all three. Often, if one of these is apparently watertight, the murderer will play up another: i.e., that he or she had clear access to the weapon, was desperate to murder the victim (as in Lord Edgware Dies), or was in the vicinity of the murder at the time of death (as in Five Little Pigs). This partial admission of guilt is considered an unlikely behavior of the murderer.
Detective Warns Murderer
Although there are many instances of characters warning each other of death, in Death on the Nile, Evil Under the Sun and the short story Triangle at Rhodes, the detective tells the murderer early on that "there is danger". It appears that the detective is warning them that they could be killed, but ultimately it turns out to have been incredible foresight on the part of the detective; the danger was of committing murder, being found guilty and hanged.
Oddity Clue
This is a very common clue to the reader that something specific should be regarded as relevant in the immediate events. In The Mystery of the Spanish Chest, a character seems to remember that there was something odd about a room. Poirot remembers that she is puzzled, and later prompts her to remember that a screen was in the wrong place. This is also used to heighten suspense as to whether the person concerned will "remember" the crucial item, or, having remembered it, whether they can communicate with the detective before being silenced, as for example in After the Funeral, where Helen Abernethie is attacked while trying to telephone through information about 'something odd' she has remembered which gives a clear clue as to the killer.
Missing Elements
In Murder on the Links, Poirot draws the attention of Hastings to footprints in one of two flower beds. Hastings is misled into thinking that Poirot is interested in the footprints, but he is actually interested in their absence from the other bed, where they should have also been found.
This trope – which appears in several different forms throughout her novels – was borrowed by Christie from Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story, Silver Blaze. In this, Sherlock Holmes refers to “the curious incident of the dog in the night-time”, where the “curious” thing is the fact that the dog does not bark rather than that it does. Christie effectively admits the debt in the tenth chapter of Cards on the Table when her crime novelist character, Ariadne Oliver, explicitly mentions the source. The same reference is also specifically mentioned by Poirot in Murder in the Mews.
Chance Remarks
In the first chapter of Lord Edgware Dies, Hastings tells the reader that Poirot has always attributed his solution of this mystery to “a chance remark of a stranger in the street”. (The remark – “If they had just had the sense to ask Ellis right away” – has nothing directly to do with the mystery.) This is just one of many examples when the nature of the mystery is explained by an epiphany in which the detective makes a relevant discovery on the strength of a random occurrence.
Clues Hidden in Plain Sight
In Murder on the Links, Poirot stresses the potential importance of a length of lead pipe that is completely overlooked by a rival detective who only focuses on very small clues.
In a sense, many of Christie’s novels employ the same trope on a different level, in the sense that the murderer is rarely “the person one would least suspect”: more usually he or she is a character that has been very visible from early in the novel.
Supposedly Unreliable Character
In A Murder is Announced the silly and forgetful Dora Bunner tells Inspector Craddock what one particular character was doing shortly before the murder took place. But because she is so unreliable, everybody believes she was mistaken until she started to believe the version of the murderer herself. In The Mousetrap, Mrs Boyle points out that one character cannot be who he pretends to be, but nobody pays attention since Mrs Boyle is presented as a rather unpleasant woman who complains about everyone. In Crooked House, Brenda Leonides tells the narrator pretty early in the book that she thinks the character, who later turns out to be the murderer, might not be quite right in the head, but nobody believes her since Brenda herself is the main suspect in the poisoning of her much older and rich husband. In Dead Man's Folly one of the victims is an old man who found a dead body but his story was never believed.
Tampering with Time of Death
In several stories, the criminal plays with time, to make it look as though the crime took place when the criminal was elsewhere. In Evil Under the Sun the criminals fake a murder for a time when they both have alibis, then commit it later while the preliminary investigative bustle distracts attention. In Hercule Poirot's Christmas the murder is committed an hour before it appears to have taken place, at a time when the criminal is elsewhere in front of witnesses. In Hickory Dickory Dock, a criminal's accomplice makes a phone call that is ostensibly from the victim, at a time when the criminal is standing in front of Poirot. In The Plymouth Express and The Mystery of the Blue Train (the former being shortened version of the latter) the criminal disguises herself as the victim at a train station to create the impression that the victim was still alive when, in fact, she had been killed earlier. Playing with time invariably involves devices such as fake phone calls, gunshots, screams, disguises, people pretending to be dead, and other devices that take advantage of an observer's assumptions.
Murderer Plays Victim
In Peril at End House, a young woman (Nick Buckley) appears to be the target for a number of murder attempts. In fact she has arranged these in order to mask her own murder (of a distant cousin, Maggie) as another botched murder attempt that has miscarried. The same device for masking a real murder was used in A Murder is Announced and The Mirror Crack'd. Staged unsuccessful murder attempts appear in After the Funeral, Crooked House and Third Girl.
Viewpoint of the Murderer
In The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, the murder has been committed by the narrator, Dr. Sheppard, who never lies but omits mention of any of the actions that would demonstrate his guilt. The same thing happened in Endless Night.
Unconnected Killings
While it is a common red herring to include unrelated minor crimes like robberies in the stories, in Cat Among the Pigeons two murders actually have no connection at all except for place and method. The second murderer just happened to mimic the first murder in execution.
False Corpses and Subsequent Murder
In Evil Under the Sun, the body of the victim is apparently discovered by two characters, one of whom goes to fetch the police. The murderer, however, has only “discovered” the body of his accomplice, and is left free to murder the real victim with a seemingly perfect alibi established. In Cards on the Table, the murderer finds his victim sleeping, tells the maid she's dead then kills her during the resulting confusion.
Premeditation and Misleading Clues
In Murder on the Links, most of the confusing elements of the crime are discovered to have been part of an elaborate plan by the victim to stage his own death and disappear. It is when he is happened upon by the real murderer that the final elements are added to the puzzle.
Similarly, in The Mystery of the Spanish Chest the victim himself plans to hide in the chest and catch his wife with the man that he suspects of being her lover. The murderer kills him while he is in the chest, resulting in a more complex situation to be solved than might otherwise have arisen.
Double Bluff
In The Hollow, Poirot arrives at the scene of a murder in time to see a woman with a gun in her hand standing over the body of her husband, who is bleeding to death from a fresh bullet wound. It turns out at the end of the novel that she did in fact shoot him, but that this fact has subsequently been obfuscated by the other witnesses, all incriminating themselves to exonerate the woman for her perhaps justifiable act. Conversely, in Hickory Dickory Dock, the murderer is incriminated by so many clues that it appears he is being framed, with a lack of obvious motive and a clever false alibi for one of the murders weighing in his favor until the end. In Lord Edgware Dies, the murderer announces how she would kill the victim, and when doing it announces herself at the door of the victim's house perfectly truthfully, but has arranged apparent alibis to make it seem that she was framed. In The Murder at the Vicarage, the murderers each confess separately, but are cleared and only much later proved to be in fact guilty. In Towards Zero, the murderer fakes two sets of evidence that implicate himself in the murder of someone for which he has a blatant motive, only to plant a third set of evidence that frames someone else (and who in fact is the intended victim).
A variation on this is in Ordeal by Innocence, where the man found guilty for the crime, whose posthumously revealed alibi prompts a reopening of the case, turns out to have arranged the murder after all, though not committed it by his own hand.
Murderer Calls on Detective
In a number of stories, the criminal deliberately gets Poirot involved in the case. Of course it is only at the end that we discover this, and along the way it makes the real murderer less of a suspect to the reader. In Lord Edgware Dies, the murderer asks Poirot to help obtain a divorce, intending that this will help prove that she has no motive. In The A.B.C. Murders, the murderer sends letters to Poirot announcing the crimes beforehand, intending to frame an innocent person for the crime. A variation is Peril at End House, in which the murderer did involve Poirot deliberately, but until the end the reader is led to think her involvement is accidental.
Falsification and Murder Prevention
In some stories, such as After the Funeral and Murder In The Mews, a suicide or accident proves to be exactly that, but someone suggests otherwise, or comes along later and rearranges the scene in order to incriminate someone else. In And Then There Were None, the scheming murderer fakes his own being murdered, commits further murders, then commits suicide at the end so that it appears he was murdered much earlier and couldn't have committed any remaining murders.
In a few stories, such as The Labours of Hercules, someone who is thinking about committing murder is prevented from going any further. Interestingly, in the short story The Wasp's Nest, a variation on this theme is that the murderer has a terminal illness and plans to commit suicide in order to frame an intended victim, but is prevented from doing so.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plot_devices_in_Agatha_Christie's_novels
Least Likely Suspect
Perhaps the most common element of the Agatha Christie plot is in fact the twist ending itself, that the suspect least likely to have committed the crime is guilty. The murderer tends to conceal either means, motive or opportunity, or a combination of all three. Often, if one of these is apparently watertight, the murderer will play up another: i.e., that he or she had clear access to the weapon, was desperate to murder the victim (as in Lord Edgware Dies), or was in the vicinity of the murder at the time of death (as in Five Little Pigs). This partial admission of guilt is considered an unlikely behavior of the murderer.
Detective Warns Murderer
Although there are many instances of characters warning each other of death, in Death on the Nile, Evil Under the Sun and the short story Triangle at Rhodes, the detective tells the murderer early on that "there is danger". It appears that the detective is warning them that they could be killed, but ultimately it turns out to have been incredible foresight on the part of the detective; the danger was of committing murder, being found guilty and hanged.
Oddity Clue
This is a very common clue to the reader that something specific should be regarded as relevant in the immediate events. In The Mystery of the Spanish Chest, a character seems to remember that there was something odd about a room. Poirot remembers that she is puzzled, and later prompts her to remember that a screen was in the wrong place. This is also used to heighten suspense as to whether the person concerned will "remember" the crucial item, or, having remembered it, whether they can communicate with the detective before being silenced, as for example in After the Funeral, where Helen Abernethie is attacked while trying to telephone through information about 'something odd' she has remembered which gives a clear clue as to the killer.
Missing Elements
In Murder on the Links, Poirot draws the attention of Hastings to footprints in one of two flower beds. Hastings is misled into thinking that Poirot is interested in the footprints, but he is actually interested in their absence from the other bed, where they should have also been found.
This trope – which appears in several different forms throughout her novels – was borrowed by Christie from Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story, Silver Blaze. In this, Sherlock Holmes refers to “the curious incident of the dog in the night-time”, where the “curious” thing is the fact that the dog does not bark rather than that it does. Christie effectively admits the debt in the tenth chapter of Cards on the Table when her crime novelist character, Ariadne Oliver, explicitly mentions the source. The same reference is also specifically mentioned by Poirot in Murder in the Mews.
Chance Remarks
In the first chapter of Lord Edgware Dies, Hastings tells the reader that Poirot has always attributed his solution of this mystery to “a chance remark of a stranger in the street”. (The remark – “If they had just had the sense to ask Ellis right away” – has nothing directly to do with the mystery.) This is just one of many examples when the nature of the mystery is explained by an epiphany in which the detective makes a relevant discovery on the strength of a random occurrence.
Clues Hidden in Plain Sight
In Murder on the Links, Poirot stresses the potential importance of a length of lead pipe that is completely overlooked by a rival detective who only focuses on very small clues.
In a sense, many of Christie’s novels employ the same trope on a different level, in the sense that the murderer is rarely “the person one would least suspect”: more usually he or she is a character that has been very visible from early in the novel.
Supposedly Unreliable Character
In A Murder is Announced the silly and forgetful Dora Bunner tells Inspector Craddock what one particular character was doing shortly before the murder took place. But because she is so unreliable, everybody believes she was mistaken until she started to believe the version of the murderer herself. In The Mousetrap, Mrs Boyle points out that one character cannot be who he pretends to be, but nobody pays attention since Mrs Boyle is presented as a rather unpleasant woman who complains about everyone. In Crooked House, Brenda Leonides tells the narrator pretty early in the book that she thinks the character, who later turns out to be the murderer, might not be quite right in the head, but nobody believes her since Brenda herself is the main suspect in the poisoning of her much older and rich husband. In Dead Man's Folly one of the victims is an old man who found a dead body but his story was never believed.
Tampering with Time of Death
In several stories, the criminal plays with time, to make it look as though the crime took place when the criminal was elsewhere. In Evil Under the Sun the criminals fake a murder for a time when they both have alibis, then commit it later while the preliminary investigative bustle distracts attention. In Hercule Poirot's Christmas the murder is committed an hour before it appears to have taken place, at a time when the criminal is elsewhere in front of witnesses. In Hickory Dickory Dock, a criminal's accomplice makes a phone call that is ostensibly from the victim, at a time when the criminal is standing in front of Poirot. In The Plymouth Express and The Mystery of the Blue Train (the former being shortened version of the latter) the criminal disguises herself as the victim at a train station to create the impression that the victim was still alive when, in fact, she had been killed earlier. Playing with time invariably involves devices such as fake phone calls, gunshots, screams, disguises, people pretending to be dead, and other devices that take advantage of an observer's assumptions.
Murderer Plays Victim
In Peril at End House, a young woman (Nick Buckley) appears to be the target for a number of murder attempts. In fact she has arranged these in order to mask her own murder (of a distant cousin, Maggie) as another botched murder attempt that has miscarried. The same device for masking a real murder was used in A Murder is Announced and The Mirror Crack'd. Staged unsuccessful murder attempts appear in After the Funeral, Crooked House and Third Girl.
Viewpoint of the Murderer
In The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, the murder has been committed by the narrator, Dr. Sheppard, who never lies but omits mention of any of the actions that would demonstrate his guilt. The same thing happened in Endless Night.
Unconnected Killings
While it is a common red herring to include unrelated minor crimes like robberies in the stories, in Cat Among the Pigeons two murders actually have no connection at all except for place and method. The second murderer just happened to mimic the first murder in execution.
False Corpses and Subsequent Murder
In Evil Under the Sun, the body of the victim is apparently discovered by two characters, one of whom goes to fetch the police. The murderer, however, has only “discovered” the body of his accomplice, and is left free to murder the real victim with a seemingly perfect alibi established. In Cards on the Table, the murderer finds his victim sleeping, tells the maid she's dead then kills her during the resulting confusion.
Premeditation and Misleading Clues
In Murder on the Links, most of the confusing elements of the crime are discovered to have been part of an elaborate plan by the victim to stage his own death and disappear. It is when he is happened upon by the real murderer that the final elements are added to the puzzle.
Similarly, in The Mystery of the Spanish Chest the victim himself plans to hide in the chest and catch his wife with the man that he suspects of being her lover. The murderer kills him while he is in the chest, resulting in a more complex situation to be solved than might otherwise have arisen.
Double Bluff
In The Hollow, Poirot arrives at the scene of a murder in time to see a woman with a gun in her hand standing over the body of her husband, who is bleeding to death from a fresh bullet wound. It turns out at the end of the novel that she did in fact shoot him, but that this fact has subsequently been obfuscated by the other witnesses, all incriminating themselves to exonerate the woman for her perhaps justifiable act. Conversely, in Hickory Dickory Dock, the murderer is incriminated by so many clues that it appears he is being framed, with a lack of obvious motive and a clever false alibi for one of the murders weighing in his favor until the end. In Lord Edgware Dies, the murderer announces how she would kill the victim, and when doing it announces herself at the door of the victim's house perfectly truthfully, but has arranged apparent alibis to make it seem that she was framed. In The Murder at the Vicarage, the murderers each confess separately, but are cleared and only much later proved to be in fact guilty. In Towards Zero, the murderer fakes two sets of evidence that implicate himself in the murder of someone for which he has a blatant motive, only to plant a third set of evidence that frames someone else (and who in fact is the intended victim).
A variation on this is in Ordeal by Innocence, where the man found guilty for the crime, whose posthumously revealed alibi prompts a reopening of the case, turns out to have arranged the murder after all, though not committed it by his own hand.
Murderer Calls on Detective
In a number of stories, the criminal deliberately gets Poirot involved in the case. Of course it is only at the end that we discover this, and along the way it makes the real murderer less of a suspect to the reader. In Lord Edgware Dies, the murderer asks Poirot to help obtain a divorce, intending that this will help prove that she has no motive. In The A.B.C. Murders, the murderer sends letters to Poirot announcing the crimes beforehand, intending to frame an innocent person for the crime. A variation is Peril at End House, in which the murderer did involve Poirot deliberately, but until the end the reader is led to think her involvement is accidental.
Falsification and Murder Prevention
In some stories, such as After the Funeral and Murder In The Mews, a suicide or accident proves to be exactly that, but someone suggests otherwise, or comes along later and rearranges the scene in order to incriminate someone else. In And Then There Were None, the scheming murderer fakes his own being murdered, commits further murders, then commits suicide at the end so that it appears he was murdered much earlier and couldn't have committed any remaining murders.
In a few stories, such as The Labours of Hercules, someone who is thinking about committing murder is prevented from going any further. Interestingly, in the short story The Wasp's Nest, a variation on this theme is that the murderer has a terminal illness and plans to commit suicide in order to frame an intended victim, but is prevented from doing so.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plot_devices_in_Agatha_Christie's_novels
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