{"id":58,"date":"2022-05-08T19:16:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-08T19:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bootstrapindie.com\/?p=58"},"modified":"2022-05-08T19:16:00","modified_gmt":"2022-05-08T19:16:00","slug":"celia-kinseys-cozy-mystery-short-story-outlining-template","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bootstrapindie.com\/?p=58","title":{"rendered":"Celia Kinsey’s Cozy Mystery Short Story Outlining Template"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n
\n
\n
<\/a><\/div>\n

<\/p>\n

A One Hour Cozy Mystery Short Story Template<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

8,000-12,000 words divided
\ninto 6 chapters<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter One<\/b><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Introduce the sleuth. Include a small amount of her backstory
\nscattered throughout the remainder of the story. Showcase upfront the sleuth\u2019s
\npersonality, quirks, and cleverness.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Describe your sleuth<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Give your sleuth a brief backstory<\/span><\/o:p><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Introduce the setting of the story and emphasize what makes the
\nsetting unique. Drop in details about the setting in bits and pieces throughout
\nthe rest of the story. Use more descriptions at the beginning of the series and
\nback off on descriptions in later installments.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Describe your setting<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/p>\n

Decide on one or two key locations within the larger setting
\n(usually a small town) where most of the action takes place, such as a bakery,
\nbookstore, farm, bed and breakfast, etc. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Describe your key location(s)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Introduce the crime and the victim within the first page or
\ntwo. Insert at least three clues at the crime scene or in other characters\u2019
\nreactions to the crime.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Describe the crime<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Describe the victim<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Describe the clues left at the scene<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Have the sleuth identify the suspects with the help of her
\nsidekick who gets his or her own introduction.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Describe the sleuth\u2019s sidekick<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/p>\n

Give each of your suspects a brief bio plus the means, motive,
\nand opportunity to have committed the crime. Give them each a secret that will
\nmotivate them to lie during their interviews with the sleuth. Give each of the
\nsuspects an alibi (which may or may not also be a lie).<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Suspect One<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

          Bio<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

          Means\/Motive\/Opportunity<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

          Lie<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

          Alibi
\n<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/p>\n

Suspect Two<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

          Bio<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

          Means\/Motive\/Opportunity<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

          Lie<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

          Alibi
\n<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/p>\n

Suspect Three<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

          Bio<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

          Means\/Motive\/Opportunity<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

          Lie<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

          Alibi
\n<\/span><\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/p>\n

Have the sleuth begin interviewing suspects.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Suspect One interview (when and where and what the
\nsuspect reveals)<\/span><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/p>\n

Conclude chapter one with the sleuth making a discovery which indicates
\nthat the crime is more complicated than it initially appeared.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

What is this discovery?<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter Two<\/b><\/o:p><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The sleuth interviews the remaining suspects and gleans
\nadditional information. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Suspect Two interview (when and where and what the
\nsuspect reveals)<\/span><\/p>\n

Suspect Three interviews (when and where and what
\nthe suspect reveals)<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/p>\n

At the end of chapter two, one of the suspects disappears, and there is
\na development that lends additional urgency to solving the crime.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Who disappears?<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

What is the new development that ups the urgency of
\nsolving the crime? <\/span><\/o:p><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Chapter Three<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

The sleuth second-guesses herself and wonders if someone needs to added
\nto her list of suspects. She interviews witnesses, associates of suspects, and\/or
\nthe victim and may tail or reinterview some suspects. She revisits the crime
\nscene and finds a clue she missed the first time around. She then follows the
\nbread crumb trail for each of the clues she gathered so far. <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Additional Interview One (when and where and what
\nthe interview reveals)<\/span> <\/span><\/u><\/p>\n

Additional Interview Two (when and where and what
\nthe interview reveals)<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Additional Interview Three (when and where and what
\nthe interview reveals)<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Any additional investigation (tailing suspects,
\nrevisiting crime scene, etc.)<\/span> <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/p>\n

Something happens at the end of chapter three to emphasize the personal
\nstakes if the sleuth fails to track down the culprit.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

What are the personal stakes for the sleuth? What
\nis the event that emphasizes those stakes?<\/span><\/o:p><\/u><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter Four<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

The sleuth discovers the secrets and hidden relationships of
\ntwo or more of her suspects. She finds deeper meaning in some of the clues she
\nhas already collected.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Secret One<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Secret Two<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Hidden Meanings<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The sleuth reviews everything she knows so far and discusses
\npossible solutions to the crime with her side-kick. None of the scenarios she suggests
\nseem plausible to her, however. Something is missing.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Chapter Five<\/b><\/o:p><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The sleuth reviews what she knows of the chain of events leading
\nup to the crime. She notices a crucial piece of evidence she has overlooked and
\nviewed in light of everything else she knows, takes on new meaning.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

What does she know about the chain of
\nevents leading up to the crime?<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

What is the piece of evidence she has overlooked?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

She looks for proof to back up her hypothesis. You may choose
\nnot to fully reveal the sleuth\u2019s hypothesis to the reader just yet.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

What is the sleuth\u2019s hypothesis? <\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Where and how does the sleuth look for proof
\nthat her theory about who-dun-it is correct?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Chapter Six<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

There is a confrontation between the sleuth and the perpetrator, often
\nresulting in temporary peril to the sleuth.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Describe the final confrontation between the sleuth
\nand the perp<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n


<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The criminal is arrested or otherwise brought to justice.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Briefly describe the arrest and how justice will be
\nserved<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The sleuth lays out for the supporting cast how she solved the crime.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

Justice is served. Peace is restored.<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n

What is the concluding scene?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

<\/o:p><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

A One Hour Cozy Mystery Short Story Template 8,000-12,000 words divided into 6 chapters Chapter One Introduce the sleuth. Include a small amount of her backstory scattered throughout the remainder of the story. Showcase upfront the sleuth\u2019s personality, quirks, and cleverness. Describe your sleuth  Give your sleuth a brief backstory   Introduce the setting of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-58","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-short-fiction","category-the-cozy-mystery-genre"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bootstrapindie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bootstrapindie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bootstrapindie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bootstrapindie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bootstrapindie.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=58"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bootstrapindie.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/58\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bootstrapindie.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=58"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bootstrapindie.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=58"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bootstrapindie.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=58"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}