How-To Write (and sell) a Murder Mystery
Many of you have asked us how we write our parties. We've compiled our best ideas to help you in this rewarding process.
Here are the key steps in creating an exciting murder mystery game:
Here are the key steps in creating an exciting murder mystery game:
- Get Experienced - Play a few murder mystery games to figure out how they work, and what's involved. If you need more practice, look no further than this website to play our games (Lake Terror & Sushi Surprise).
- Do Your Homework - Research on the different types of murder mystery games.
- We only write 'round' based games, where the murder has already taken place and people go through a series of rounds to gather clues, make funny comments, etc.
- There is also a type of murder mystery game where the murder takes place during the party. Sometime during the night, the host would turn off the lights and someone lies down dead. The remaining guests would need to figure out which one among them is the murderer. We don't write these, but they are also a lot of fun.
- Setting/ Theme - pick a location that will be unfamiliar (e.g. Tokyo) or a location where bodies always turn up (e.g. a lake). This will help set the mood, as well trigger the imagination of the guests.
- Characters - Each game should have a combination of everyday characters and abnormal ones. In Lake Terror we have the world's oldest yoga instructor, and in Trouble in Tokyo we have a speed eating champion.
- Motives - Every character should have a motive for killing. Before we write a game we make a list of the characters, their personalities and their motives. This makes writing the game much faster and easier.
- Dialogue - Create a dialogue matrix so you know who should say what to whom and during which round. It can be confusing to keep track of all the characters, but a matrix will help to keep you organized.
- Bonus Material - Let's face it, people like awards. That's why in each of our games we include printable certificates for: best actor, be actress, and best dressed.
- Have Fun - Writing one murder mystery party takes us over 50 hours to brainstorm ideas, write the scripts, edit for cohesion, and polish it for sale. But getting so much positive feedback from all the people who have played our game makes it all worth while.
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If you are serious about writing your own murder mystery game, then consider our How-To Write a Murder Mystery Guide eBook which includes:
Buy now and start creating today! $35
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