Without notes, it’s hard to keep track of information when writing a mystery novel. As the writer, you need to remember all the facts, the clues, the witnesses, suspects, victims, time and dates, evidence, and so much more.
Outlining is not for everyone, but I think it certainly helps. There are some questions that you need to ask yourself (and most likely have an answer to before you start writing) in order to keep good track of your information.
I use the standard “who, what, where, when, why, and how” questions.
Who:
–Who is the victim? –Who is the culprit? –Who are the witnesses? –Who are the suspects? –Who are the accomplices? –Who discovered the body?
–Who discovered the item missing?
