In my previous article, I had talked about the plot for your cozy mystery. Britt discusses scenes, but if you’re just starting, you’ll need to know more before you can comfortably begin writing. A plot can be as detailed as you like. However, when writing, you don’t work with plots; you work at the level of a scene.
A scene is a story in miniature. You essentially combine tiny stories into one big narrative. A scene has a beginning, a middle, and an end. You need to hook your readers in the first 25% of the scene. There is, of course, some kind of conflict, and you should provide a partial resolution to that conflict at the end of the scene. Note that I use the term partial. Even in cozy mysteries, you need to build tension in steps, so that your conclusions feel both satisfying and engaging for your readers.
Remember, your goal is to ensure that readers finish the entire book. This is important, especially if you’re enrolled in programs like Kindle Unlimited. How much you get paid depends on how many pages readers actually read.
The key element of a scene is its focal character. This is the character whose point of view is established in the scene. You tell the story from their perspective—including their feelings, observations, and internal thoughts. This doesn’t mean other characters cannot appear, but the focal character anchors the reader’s attention.
In cozy mysteries, the majority of scenes will likely center on your amateur sleuth, given the genre’s intimate and character-focused style. Whether you use first-person (“I”), or third person limited (“he/she”), your scenes will often feel personal and introspective, while driving the investigation forward. To help you craft compelling scenes, let’s dive into more examples, opening tactics, and possible endings to keep readers intrigued.
Example Scene 1: A Community Gathering with a Twist
Many cozy mysteries thrive on rich, small-town environments where characters’ lives intersect at events like bake sales, fairs, or book club meetings. These community scenes double as opportunities to immerse readers in the town’s charm and to plant clues or red herrings.
Imagine your protagonist, Anna, attending a cake auction at the local church. The scene opens with a sensory hook: “The scent of fresh-baked chocolate chip cookies mixed with the faint aroma of lilies filling the chapel made Anna’s stomach rumble.” This immediately grounds readers in the ambience. As cheerful banter fills the space, tension builds when Anna spots a suspect awkwardly dodging a conversation or reacting strangely to an innocent comment. Maybe Anna notices something unusual in their expression or behavior but doesn’t fully understand it yet, leaving both her and the reader with a tantalizing puzzle.
The scene might end with an unresolved question or revelation. For example, Anna overhears a snippet of whispered conversation: “No one would ever check the garden shed… not even the cops.” Intrigued, she files that detail away—which leads seamlessly into the next investigative scene.
Example Scene 2: The Discovery of a Key Clue
In cozy mysteries, seemingly innocuous spots—gardens, kitchens, libraries—often play host to surprising discoveries. These moments are pivotal to the story and can occur when the sleuth is actively investigating or even when they stumble across something by accident.
Picture Anna returning home after a long day and settling into her regular tea-making routine. She inadvertently knocks over the stack of library returns given to her earlier by the murder victim—a set of knitting books. As she bends down to pick them up, a hidden photograph falls out of one book. It’s torn at the edges and shows the victim with someone Anna doesn’t recognize. Or worse: it’s a photograph of the victim arguing with a prominent town leader.
This type of scene opens with a mundane, relatable action: making tea, browsing books, or straightening a shelf. By lulling readers into a sense of routine, you make the discovery of a key clue all the more exciting. The scene might end with Anna hurriedly calling her best friend, taking a trip to the mysterious second subject’s house, or simply sitting with new doubts: “What did this photo mean? And why had someone gone through so much effort to hide it?”
Scene Openings: Setting the Tone Right Away
Scene openings are crucial for setting the tone and hooking your reader. In cozy mysteries, you want to avoid an overwhelming start—no high-octane car chases or explosive drama here—but you do want to intrigue your audience with smaller yet equally compelling details. Here are a few types of scene openings that work well in cozies:
- Sensory Detail:
- Action or Motion:
- Dialogue:
Start by vividly describing a sound, scent, or sight specific to your setting. For instance, “The soft hum of bees floated on the breeze in Anna’s garden, accompanied by the earthy aroma of freshly turned soil.” This draws readers into the cozy world.
Beginning in the middle of a character’s action works well for immediate engagement. “Anna’s keys slipped from her trembling fingers as she stared at the muddy footprint on her doorstep.” This introduces a small mystery instantly.
Open with an intriguing or playful exchange. For example:
“Have you heard? Mary Baker’s peach pie lost to a store-bought one at last night’s competition.”
“Anna swirled her coffee. ‘No way. Mary’s pie is the competition.'”
Readers are drawn in by the charm of the small-town drama, which can easily transition into the larger mystery.
Scene Endings: Leave Your Readers Wanting More
Closing a scene with resolution is rare in cozy mysteries. Instead, scene endings are often crafted to propel readers forward by raising new questions or offering new glimpses into the puzzle. Here are a few tried-and-true ways to end cozy mystery scenes:
- A Suspect’s Reaction:
- An Incomplete Discovery:
- An Urgent Interruption:
- A Question or Insight:
End on a tense or enigmatic note by focusing on a character’s expression or body language. For instance, “Anna couldn’t ignore the way Mr. Simms’s hands shook as the sheriff mentioned accounts of a late-night argument.”
Tease a clue but leave it unresolved. For example: “The box was locked tight, but the initials scratched onto its side—L.T.—set Anna’s heart racing.”
Create an abrupt shift to keep readers hooked. “Before Anna could press further, her phone buzzed with a message: Meet me at the park. I know who did it.”
End with a thought-provoking observation from your sleuth: “The pond had been undisturbed for years—or so the locals claimed. So why, Anna wondered, did it suddenly smell like bleach?”
Example Scene 3: A Confounding False Lead
Not every lead will bring your sleuth closer to the truth—some will deliberately misdirect both them and the reader. Let’s say Anna finds a receipt in the victim’s house for an expensive boutique she knows is unaffordable on the victim’s budget. Investigating the boutique opens up an entirely new avenue, only for Anna to discover the receipt is a gift from an unsuspecting (and innocent!) friend.
While this false lead doesn’t solve the mystery, it serves an important purpose: deepening the complexity of the case, introducing new suspects, and giving the readers a sense of twists and turns.
Final Thoughts
Scenes are the building blocks of your cozy mystery. They keep tension high, reveal information little by little, and allow readers to slip seamlessly into the world you’ve created. By carefully crafting your scene openings, raising questions within the middle, and ending with intrigue, you keep your audience hooked every step of the way.
Whether it’s a scene of quirky small-town life, a tense confrontation with a suspect, or the quiet discovery of a hidden clue, each moment should contribute to the broader narrative. Stretch your imagination, experiment with openings and endings, and always remember: every scene is a mold for your words, shaping the delightful story you want to tell.