Losing the plot
By Brian Clegg
Although I mostly write non-fiction, I have had quite a few science fiction short stories published. I don’t know if it’s true of all writers, but I quite often start developing an idea for a piece of writing as I’m waking up – this is particularly irritating if I wake early, as I then can’t get back to sleep because I have to keep going over the idea.
A week or so ago, this happened with an SF story idea. I was too busy with my day job to do anything much with it at the time, so I just made a note for when I had space to get onto it. But here’s the thing. The note begins with a description of a setting with an informer found dead in his protected apartment. He is shot through the forehead, despite being in a secure apartment and guarded 24/7. And it ends as follows (‘them’ refers to the two individuals who are charged with looking after the informer):
But this is the ultimate locked room mystery. No one came in or went out. It’s only when she interviews them separately that things start to become clear.
What I didn’t write is how the locked room mystery is solved, and what became clear when the pair were interviewed separately. I can’t remember why it was significant that he was shot through the forehead. And I can’t for the life of me see how to solve the puzzle.
Argh. Note to self: if you do this again, make sure you include the reveal.
Image from Unsplash by Kamsin Kaneko
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Source: http://brianclegg.blogspot.com/2026/11/losing-plot.html
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