by Jacque' Stoddard

Created on: October 07, 2007

Creating characters for a murder mystery involves a little research. The writer must create believable characters no matter what genre they are writing for.

Step one would be to familiarize yourself with true crime stories in order to get a good feel for the dark side of criminals. The main character doesn't have to be a detective but must be curious.

It is important to write out a history for each character to make the person real. Childhood, parents, important events, all add up to a whole character. You must do this not only for the heroine or hero, but also for the murderer and any minor characters. Most of what you write in the history won't be used in the murder mystery, but the bits and pieces you scatter through the story will make it a better story. The history should include the basics of the character's physical as well as emotional side. You wouldn't put a man who's afraid of his own shadow as the hero in a murder mystery.

By the writer creating believable characters they can make them three dimensional. This will pull the reader into the story. It is essential to create in depth profiles. The story idea is fifty percent of holding the reader, but it must be met with interesting and believable characters to keep the reader's attention to the last page.

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