For Cozy Mystery Readers and Writers
My Dear Cozy Mystery Lover,
In this “Behind the Scenes” article series, I’m drawing back the curtain and inviting you to view how cozy mysteries are written. This series will help you appreciate what goes on behind the scenes of writing a cozy. Then, as a cozy mystery reader, you’ll learn about features of this genre you may not have noticed before.
In each article, we’ll examine one aspect of reading and writing this well-loved type of book. We’ll look closely at what makes cozies unique and how an author writes one from the spark of an idea to publication and beyond.
As a result, you’ll get a glimpse of what the author might have thought when creating the characters. And you’ll discover that crimes and settings are not haphazardly chosen.
Likewise, when you find yourself viewing cozies in a different light, you’ll have an in-depth view of what goes into creating them. You’ll recognize clues quicker and better appreciate the hundreds of moving parts that go into a good cozy before it ever falls into your hands or pops up on your e-reader.
Then there are the suspects, clues, and red herrings. How does the author place them strategically throughout the book?
As a Bonus
As a bonus, if you’ve ever thought of writing a cozy, you can follow the steps in each edition of this newsletter to plant and grow your own cozy mystery, inch by inch, from seedling to tree.
There are many reasons to love to read – or write – a cozy mystery. In conclusion, in this “Behind the Scenes” newsletter series, we’ll examine how cozy mysteries are much more than just who-done-it.
Stay cozy,
-Penny
Another Bonus!
Here is a free cozy mystery short story for you to read today.
In 1911, G.K. Chesterton wrote a collection of twelve short cozy detective stories with Father Brown as the main character. “The Blue Cross” is the first story in his book The Innocence of Father Brown.
No need to download anything. Just read the original version of “The Blue Cross” here:
https://pennysilverbrook.com/the-innocence-of-father-brown-story-1
To learn more about this genre, check out what they say in this Wikipedia article: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cozy_mystery)