Reading books about mystery writing can help, but if you want to learn how to plot a cozy mystery you’ll find there are some genre-specific twists and turns.
Cozy mysteries are the fun-loving grandchildren of Agatha Christie (and the traditional mystery at large). They are fun to read, and fun to write as well.
When I started plotting my first book I found quite a few how-to manuals for writing and plotting a mystery or thriller, but very few spoke specifically to the cozy genre.
Cozy books typically include items from the general mystery-plot checklist, but they also need room to explore the quirky characters and community for which the genre is so well known.
I’ve rounded up a few blog posts about plotting a cozy mystery book, below. I hope you enjoy them.
If you know of other resources, please share them in the comments below!
Cozy Mystery Book Plot Resources:
- The Classic 12-Chapter Murder Mystery Formula
- The Novel Factory’s Template/Story Beats
- Nina Harrington’s Book Launch Challenge for Cozies
- Sara Rosett’s How to Outline a Cozy Mystery workbook
- More to come, as I find them!