11 Steps to a COMPLETE Cozy Mystery Plot

Here's where we bring it all together! In this series, we've talked about a lot of steps toward planning a cozy mystery: planning clues, inventing suspects, devising plot twists. In this video, we'll go over the process for planning a cozy from start to finish, so you have a complete game plan for writing your mystery novel.

0:00 Intro
0:32 Step 1
2:46 Step 2
4:21 Step 3
5:03 Step 4
5:58 Step 5
10:01 Step 6
16:11 Step 7
17:09 Step 8
18:35 Step 9
19:48 Step 10
20:16 Step 11

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[paperbackstories]

I just cancelled my MasterClass subscription... Dan Brown, David Baldacci, James Patterson, not one of them gave me as much practical information as you have packed into this video

[jessicakasimir]

I don't know exactly why it is so helpful to watch someone else going through the process, but you are doing it in such a logical and creative manner that I feel totally motivated and educated in the best way. Also, you make me feel as if crime notel writing is not impossibly complicated :-) Really great video, thanks a lot!

[SuzanneElizabethAnderson]

My goal is to write a cozy mystery in 2023 and your videos make it seem possible! This was such an exciting video, I couldn't wait for you to write this cozy mystery or I wanted to write it myself! Bravo! You're amazing. Thank you.

[GUTOG]

Who here wants to force Jane to write my book?!

[emmacampbell]

It's crazy how many stories have mysteries at their core. This was so incredibly helpful in understanding how the mystery structure can work as the base plot for other genres! I just changed Sleuth to Protag, murder or crime to the general bad event, and then everything fell into place!! Thank you!!

[tricialee]

I want to write paragraphs of reasons why I am loving these videos and how helpful and inspirational they are... so I'm channelling that energy into my projects! Thank you so much. I know for certain that I will start seeing your videos crop up in my newsfeeds and I will be stoked when I do! They are fantastic!

[JillMaurer]

Yay! This video really brought it all together, and I would definitely love to see the scene video. You are the best!! xoxo

[shante]

I know you mainly focus on cozy mysteries, but do you think you could make a video about the differences between thrillers and mysteries? Particularly in YA, everything seems to be categorized as thrillers, so I'd love some clarification.

[barbaralaw]

Thank you. You're such a great help.

[sherrihollister]

I have suggested your videos to my writers’ group. I love how you break it down. I’m using your advice for both my historical suspense series and my contemporary romantic suspense series. I just had to tweak it for the different genres!

[coneil]

You are truly a marvel, and providing SO much valuable information on mystery writing!! Which is weirdly a topic that is drastically under-represented among writing advice books and websites. I have no idea why she doesn't have 10x more subscribers.

[JonTanOsb]

I'm rewatching. :) I love the idea of the preacher being a fake, even if he isn't the murderer. Then Peyton can get married, realize it was a big mistake, then find out it wasn't legal. Of course a lot of villagers would also find out they had been living in sin, but, oh, well. :)
Jon in rural BC, Canada

[jasondclark]

Listening to you in your flow is amazing. Thank you so much, you stir my creative fire!

[iamfriedrich]

Thanks a lot watched your videos and completed my manuscript in 3 days

[linetteholm]

Really great video!! It ties things together and gives me solid plan on HOW to write my cozy. I've been flailing by starting here...then there...then derailed by uncertainty. Each video you do is SUPER helpful. But this one shows me how to all of that advice into actual work. Very excited to get to work (again...lol)!! Thank you for all you do! Lin H.

[EcceHumanitatis]

Excellent method! And that is a gorgeous turquoise pendant -- it makes me think of the heirloom locket you describe in your improvised storyline.

[JuliaSusa]

Thank you so much! Not only for this video, but all of them 🌷 I am just starting out with writing and your videos were such a great help to find my courage to actually write a cozy mystery (in german we call it cozy crime 😊)
It is going to be in Ireland 😊
Again, thank you so much for your great videos! I can only imagine how time consuming it is to make them... thats why I want you to know that I appreciate them so much and you were and are helping me in writing my cozy 💖
And yes, please show how you plan and write the scenes 😊

[danmillward]

Another great Video Jane. Thank you 🙂 I am currently planning my first mystery and some of your more technical videos ie murder graph and locked room have really helped me get a solid howdunit mystery idea.

[AnthonyPafford]

I love how concise your video is and I love how it is so easy to follow what you say. You manage to give us lots of usable tips from inspiration through nailing down the details, and all without making me roll my eyes even once. I will be watching everything on your channel.

[familyballantyne]

Thank you so much! I think that if you did examples of scene planning that would be awesome. So fantastic :)