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What kind of legacy does your character wish to leave behind?

This question probes into the character’s long-term goals and values, and what they hope to achieve or be remembered for.

These questions encourage deep thinking about your character’s psychological makeup, driving forces, and how their mind works. But I’d throw in a few more basic questions: Does your character believe in God? What makes your character most happy? What song does your character love the most right now? What is your character’s earliest childhood memory? Is your character a good driver? Was your character popular in high school? When and with whom was the first time your character fell in love? What is the funniest movie your character ever saw? Does your character get along with his parents? Is your character an only child or does your character have siblings—and what is his relationship to them? Does your character make friends easily? Does your character believe that everything works out for the best?

Remember, we’re writing cozy mysteries, so we don’t want to get too dark here. A history of abuse or molestation, or violent experiences are powerful backgrounds for different stories and different characters.

Every book cannot be everything to every reader.

By understanding characters’ backgrounds, personalities, and daily lives, authors can create more nuanced and engaging narratives that resonate with readers.

Exercise: The Day-in-the-Life

Objective:This exercise is designed to help authors understand their characters’ daily lives and routines, revealing their habits, quirks, and how they interact with their world. Understanding your character’s normal routine will show you how to really shake things up once the trouble starts.

Instructions:

Choose a Day:Select a typical day in your character’s life before the main events of your story take place. It could be a workday, a day off, or a day with a special significance to them.

Detail Their Routine:Write a narrative or a detailed outline describing their entire day, from the moment they wake up to when they go to bed. Include mundane details such as what they eat for breakfast, how they commute, and how they interact with people throughout the day.

Incorporate Internal Thoughts:As you describe their day, include their internal monologue. What do they think about as they go about their routine? How do they feel about the people they encounter? This insight can add depth to their character.

Identify Character Traits:Use this story to highlight your character’s traits, such as their kindness shown by small acts of helping others, their meticulous nature revealed through their habits, or their social awkwardness in interactions.

This exercise encourages you to think deeply about how your character interacts with the world when they are not solving crimes or facing possibly dangerous challenges. By visualizing them going through an ordinary day, you can hopefully see how to make them more real and relatable.

3. Home Sweet Home – Setting

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Home Sweet Home – Setting

The quality ofnicenessis not strained; It droppeth as the gentle rain from heaven

Upon the place beneath. It is twice blest: It blesseth him that gives and him that takes.

So yeah, I’mcribbing from Shakespeare.

When we talk about setting in the cozy mystery, we’re really talking about world building. In a funny way, the world of the cozy mystery protagonist is just as elaborate as that of any fantasy novel.

But before we get into world-building, let’s cogitate about the quality ofniceness. Because it is central to the cozy mystery.

“Nice” is one of those wonderfully flexible words that can mean different things to different folks, but at its core, it describes something positive, agreeable, or pleasant. When we talk about something being “nice,” we’re often referring to qualities that evoke feelings of warmth, comfort, or satisfaction.

Niceness can be defined in various contexts: It can refer to the quality of something. Saying something is made of “nice material” suggests it’s of high quality or particularly well-made. In some cases, “nice” can imply a level of refinement or subtlety. A nice dress might not just be beautiful but also elegant and tastefully chosen. And, though less common, “nice” can be used to describe actions that are morally commendable or virtuous, suggesting a sense of righteousness or goodness.

I know you know.

But at its most basic, nice means exactly what you think it does, something pleasant or agreeable. It describes something that is pleasing to the senses or the mind. A nice day might be sunny and warm, while a nice meal might be tasty and satisfying. If we’re speaking about a person who is nice, we’re often reflecting on their kindness, friendliness, and consideration for others. A nice person is someone who treats others well, shows empathy, and is generally pleasant to be around.

Nicenessis a trite word for the elements that make civilized society possible.

Cozy mysteries are about nice people in nice places trying to deal with the ultimate in not-niceness: murder.