Category: Writing & craft

When people think of detective fiction, the first things that usually come to mind are solving crimes and identifying the culprit. In reality, however, different types of mystery fiction place their emphasis on very different elements. Some works focus on logic and intricate tricks, while others are more concerned with social issues, psychological depth, or…

In the structural design of detective fiction, well-executed tricks are rarely built around a single device. Instead, they emerge from the gap between how information is arranged, how the story is structured, and what readers expect. A common technique is to create cognitive confusion through the use of “similar elements.” At the core of this…