Photo Lessons: Setting in Mysteries

Hi all you mystery writers!  Today in class we talked about the importance of settings in mysteries.  Here are some facts you might need a reminder of while thinking of starting the draft of your mystery:

• Setting: The time and place of the story.
• Carefully chosen details by the writer enrich everything in the story.
• The setting can help or hurt the investigation
• In Agatha Christie's murder on the Orient Express, all the characters are stuck on a train, and no one can get off or on!
• The setting can even be an accessory to the crime!
• Nevada Barr's mysteries all take place in National Parks where some "spooky" legends and stories surround the beauty and expanse of the land.
• Sometimes the setting drives the story and enables the characters in the story to have specialized characteristics 
• Example: Janet Evanovich's mysteries all take place in New Jersey!  Her bounty hunter/detective can meet lots of strange and eccentric people in Jersey!
• Remember that whatever setting you choose, you may have to think about doing some additional research to finding out what kinds of things one might encounter in the setting or what type of characters one might find.  You might have to see what the local customs entail, as well, which means finding out what people do for employment, jobs, etc.
• With that in mind, it's often easiest for a young writer to start off with a place they have been, seen, or are familiar with.

The following pictures might help you to start thinking about a setting for your mystery...  Choose one of these, or choose your own.  Tell me what you're thinking in the comments section below!  Be ready to start writing on Monday!

The wilderness...

Those geysers add some spookiness to a mysterious setting, don't they?

What could be hiding in those painted hills?

A park or national attraction:

Think of all the people who visit Mount Rushmore or Disneyland every day!

A farm:

A lot of junk can accumulate on a farm... that could cause a lot of "accidents," right?

Nothing but beans and corn for miles around!

A construction site:

A tropical island:

Looks like paradise... or is it?

The old west:

These two both look guilty.

A rodeo or stadium game:

A small town, where everyone knows everyone?  A big city?  A suburb?  You decide!

Post your comments below... let me know where you're thinking of setting your mystery and why in the comments section.  Use complete sentences and be mindful of mechanics.  Have fun!