Chapter One: A Murder is Announced

TuppenceTuppence City of London, United Kingdom
edited October 2013 in Write Your Own Christie
What are the best ways to set a scene, open a story and announce a murder?

Are you writing Chapter One of our new mystery novel? Share your tips, queries and techniques right here.
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Comments

  • GKCfanGKCfan Wisconsin, United States
    Am I right in believing that the opening pages of A Murder is Announced do not count towards the word limit?
  • TommyTommy Vale of Glamorgan, The, United Kingdom

    GKCfan said:
    Am I right in believing that the opening pages of A Murder is Announced do not count towards the word limit?
    Correct!
  • Delicious_DeathDelicious_Death

    If I won a stage of this competition, I simply couldn't afford the prize. (Almost R16 to the British Pound and huge visa costs.)  :(

    It might present difficulties for many others living outside the UK and EU too.

  • TuppenceTuppence City of London, United Kingdom
    Delicious_Death said:

    If I won a stage of this competition, I simply couldn't afford the prize. (Almost R16 to the British Pound and huge visa costs.)  :(

    It might present difficulties for many others living outside the UK and EU too.

    Don't forget that by entering you would also get the chance to have your work read by industry professionals.
  • AriadneOliverAriadneOliver
    One actually has to think, you know. And thinking is always a bore. And you have to plan things. And then one gets stuck every now and then, and you feel you’ll never get out of the mess – but you do! Writing’s not particularly enjoyable. It’s hard work like everything else.
  • mstrsims2mstrsims2 Massachusetts, United States

    Questions on the "rules"

    3.    The murderer must be one of the characters introduced in Chapters One, Two or Three.

    Now, in chapter one, mention is made of several people who do not appear further in the novel (ex: Mr. Totman, Selina Lawrence, and the Semedleys).   Can we create characters based on these people? or must we only use the suspects from the original novel?

    Thank you.

    ([email protected])

  • TuppenceTuppence City of London, United Kingdom
    mstrsims2 said:

    Questions on the "rules"

    3.    The murderer must be one of the characters introduced in Chapters One, Two or Three.


    You can drop, embellish or even murder any of the characters mentioned in the first extract - but they must be acknowledged in the next chapters and the story must make logical sense.
    Don't forget you can also add new characters of your own creation.
  • Pat_septemberPat_september Gauteng, South Africa
    this is so tempting.. like a dream come true
    ;;)
  • HBNHBN North Yorkshire, United Kingdom

    For online submissions, the only way I can get the PDF form to work is to cut and paste the text into a text document - any chance you could provide a Word version of the entry form? Alternatively, will you accept a text version? As far as I can see, the only way to fill in the PDF is to print it out and fill it in with pen - or are you expecting everyone to have a scanner?

    Help needed urgently if post is the only realistic option for submission! Many thanks.

     

  • TuppenceTuppence City of London, United Kingdom

    HBN said:

    For online submissions, the only way I can get the PDF form to work is to cut and paste the text into a text document - any chance you could provide a Word version of the entry form? Alternatively, will you accept a text version? As far as I can see, the only way to fill in the PDF is to print it out and fill it in with pen - or are you expecting everyone to have a scanner?

    Help needed urgently if post is the only realistic option for submission! Many thanks.

     

    A text version of the entry form is fine, although it will need to be signed. You can always email your Chapter entry and post the entry form separately.
  • GKCfanGKCfan Wisconsin, United States
    There are numerous places on the Internet where you can have a PDF document converted into a Word document for free.  Then you can edit it.  Alternatively, you can print it out, fill it out, and scan it onto your computer, provided you have a scanner.
  • Pat_septemberPat_september Gauteng, South Africa
    who else is writing? good luck!
    ~O)
  • Pat_septemberPat_september Gauteng, South Africa
    I have a question, please.
    in the rules it says:

    "When submitting your chapter, also add one or two sentences describing the identity of the murderer and (most importantly) their motive and how they committed the murder given all the clues revealed to date.

    Does this mean: when saying who did it and why, one should not reveal more clues than one has revealed in the chapter written so far?
    Thanks!

  • TuppenceTuppence City of London, United Kingdom

    Pat_september said:
    I have a question, please.
    in the rules it says:

    "When submitting your chapter, also add one or two sentences describing the identity of the murderer and (most importantly) their motive and how they committed the murder given all the clues revealed to date.

    Does this mean: when saying who did it and why, one should not reveal more clues than one has revealed in the chapter written so far?
    Thanks!

    This is really for the following chapters - so that every chapter follows on logically from the last.
    When writing your 'who did it and why' statement, we're looking for a name, method and motive.

    Hope that helps!
  • Pat_septemberPat_september Gauteng, South Africa
    Yes, it helps a lot. Thank you, Tuppence!
  • HBNHBN North Yorkshire, United Kingdom
    Thanks for good advice given earlier - I don't have a scanner, so I've gone postal, so to speak :-)
  • LL88LL88 Sofiya, Bulgaria
    edited October 2013
    I guess I missed the deadline. :(
    I just read the rules and I hope I can take part in the next chapters. But today I got the idea for the first chapter and saw I was already late. :( Waiting for the winning chapter and the rules for the next one. :)
  • TuppenceTuppence City of London, United Kingdom
    Lyubomir.Lalev88 said:
    I guess I missed the deadline. :(
    I just read the rules and I hope I can take part in the next chapters. But today I got the idea for the first chapter and saw I was already late. :( Waiting for the winning chapter and the rules for the next one. :)
    If you're a fast writer you still have until midnight tonight GMT (British time)!
  • LL88LL88 Sofiya, Bulgaria

    Tuppence said:
    Lyubomir.Lalev88 said:
    I guess I missed the deadline. :(
    I just read the rules and I hope I can take part in the next chapters. But today I got the idea for the first chapter and saw I was already late. :( Waiting for the winning chapter and the rules for the next one. :)
    If you're a fast writer you still have until midnight tonight GMT (British time)!
    Oh, I thought the deadline is 00:00 GMT 28.10.2013, which is already in the past... Or, to be on the safe site - is it fine to post before 23:59 28.10.2013? I can write it until tonight, especially after having the idea already. :)
  • Pat_septemberPat_september Gauteng, South Africa
    One more day to wait...
    ;;)
  • TuppenceTuppence City of London, United Kingdom
    Hello all,

    Due to the large number of entries (very excited to read them all), we're pushing back the announcement of the winner to next Thursday, 7th November.
    Chapter Two's theme will now be announced on Friday 8th.

    Good luck to everyone!
  • Pat_septemberPat_september Gauteng, South Africa
    edited October 2013
    Thank you!  ;;)
  • Pat_septemberPat_september Gauteng, South Africa
    6 days left
    ;;)
  • mary.fitzgerald.560mary.fitzgerald.560
    This is Thursday; I thought the winner of the Chapter 1 competition would be posted today.
  • TuppenceTuppence City of London, United Kingdom

    mary.fitzgerald.560 said:
    This is Thursday; I thought the winner of the Chapter 1 competition would be posted today.
    Hi Mary,

    As mentioned above - due to the overwhelming amount of entries, we've pushed back the announcement until next Thursday 7th November, to give the judges enough time to read all the entries thoroughly.
    The next Chapter theme will be announced Friday 8th.
  • Pat_septemberPat_september Gauteng, South Africa
    Five more days...
    :D
  • Mystery.WriterMystery.Writer

    Dear Tuppence,

    How many entries were submitted for Chapter One?

    Thanks,

    J.A. Jensen

  • Commissionare LementeuilCommissionare Lementeuil

    I believe the answers to my following questions are implicit in the Competition Pack and elsewhere.  However, I am hoping someone can make the answers explicit.

    When the October winner is announced, will the winner’s proposed murder and motive be announced, or will we proceed in November—like the authors of the Floating Admiral—without knowing what the prior author intended?

    If these matters are announced, are we bound by them?

    If not, will we ever be bound by the murderer and motive of a winner, e.g., after month 3 which sets the limits on possible murderers or month 9 when all that is left for month 10 is the reveal?

    Thanks.

  • pink.perlpink.perl
    when is the result announced???
  • Pat_septemberPat_september Gauteng, South Africa

    pink.perl said:
    when is the result announced???
    the author (winner) of the first chapter chosen will be announced Thursday the 7th. 4 more days...
    8-|
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