How do you lay out a detective story?

Answer 1

You need to have the whole thing worked out ahead of time -- make sure you know exactly what's happening at all times or the clues will either be too easy or too hard. Here's how most detective stories are laid out:

1. The crime takes place -- there's usually a little bit of story before, just to introduce the characters
2. The detective is hired or starts investigating on their own
3. There are several suspicious people who might have done the deed
4. Clues are given one at a time through the story
5. The detective solves the crime