Well, I do today. I’m struggling with some clues in my latest MONK novel and it’s hell. I’ve been in this position hundreds of times (literally) and it never gets any easier.
God, I wish I could write a "mainstream" novel. It must be so nice to just tell a story without having to weave in a puzzling mystery to solve…
I suppose it could be argued that all great novels include a mystery to be solved and clues to the solution along the way… but those are mysteries of character. It’s not easy coming up with those puzzles either. But in a good whodunit, you need to have the mysteries of character and a murder/crime puzzle as well.
It’s especially difficult if you’re writing a long-runing mystery TV or book series, because you’re also struggling not to repeat yourself, not to use any of the tricks or clues you’ve used in the past. So the more successful you are, the harder it becomes.
End of whine. Back to work.
The harder they come…the harder they fall…
oops, sorry Jimmy Cliff moment.