In the News
Have you been following the tragic story of Gabby Petito and Brian Laundrie? I've been absolutely glued to it. It's kind of crazy how vested I am and how often I refresh the Twitter page of Dog the Bounty Hunter! I don't typically do this.
But the other day it dawned on me. This story is getting enormous public attention because we are living a real-life crime thriller in real time. One of the things I find fascinating about the public's interest is that so many people are sure about Brian Laundrie being responsible for the death of Gabby Petito but they are still at the edge of their seat, anxious and captivated.
It got me thinking about thriller novels that are written as a "whydunit" as opposed to a "whodunit". In the latter we don't know who the antagonist is and we continue to read to find out. In the former, we know the antagonist from the start but want to find out why he/she did it.
I'm now considering restructuring my WIP to be a "whydunit" — whereby I reveal early on who the evil-doer is. Then, I'll take the reader through this person's thoughts, decisions, actions (creepy and bizarre of course) all while he/she's getting away with . . . well, I can't really tell you! In this structure, the reader keeps reading to find out what goes through the mind of someone like this and if he'll/she'll be found out, and if so, by whom. What do you think about mystery/thrillers told that way? Please weigh in and take this quick poll!
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