BASIC PLOT STRUCTURES Literary Convention Conventionss of the Detective Detective Story
ROMANTIC COMEDY Boy gets girl back Boy falls in love Boy meets girl
Boy loses girl
TRAGEDY Hero with a tragic flaw
Faces internal/ Faces inter nal/ external confli conflict ct
Ultimately defeated, but wiser.
JOURNEY (TRADITIONAL (TRADITIONAL RO ROAD MOVIE) B
A
JOURNEY Retur ns home Returns victorious/ changed
Home
Protagonist must go on a quest
Series of adventures /tests
SLICE OF LIFE Ordinary life of a seemingly conventional character or group of characters
e v i t a r r a N
COMING OF AGE Overcomes adversity to emerge into adulthood
Young/Immature Protagonist Major life crisis (tests (te sts of cha charac racter ter))
MYSTERY Reader finds out how Mystery solved Series of Series of clue lues/ s/ red herrings Crime/mystery to be solved
Problem
Solution
Conflict
Peace
Danger
Safety
Confusion
Order
Dilemma
Decision
Question
Answer
Ignorance Mystery
Knowledge Solution
CONVENTIONS OF THE DETECTIVE STORY
The mystery is presented (almost) at the beginning of the narrative narrative.. If someon someonee dies, it has has to be at the beginning (so that the reader hasn’t had time to form an emotional attachment to the victim). The mystery must unfold gradually.
The narrative shouldn’t be presented from the perspective of the perpetr perpetrato atorr of the crime crime (or there would be no mystery). Narrative is often told by another character (Watson being the most famous example) who serves as a sidekick to the main investigator inv estigator (and a stand-in for the reader). The scene is extremely important.
SCENE Where the clues are Often there is an/ several incongruent clue(s) The number of characters who conceivably could have been in the space limits the number number of possi possible ble suspects.
Locked Room Mystery Space in which the crime took place makes the crime seemingly impossible. The text becomes a puzzle that the reader, along with the detective detective,, tries to put together.
CONVENTIONS OF THE DETECTIVE STORY
The mystery must be intriguing enough that the reader will not be easily able to resolve it.
Some clues are intended to point the detective/reader in the wrong direction. [Red Herrings]
The reader is given only enough information to keep him/her interested in trying to solve it.
The “detective” is always a unique individual (eccentric, unusual, unique, off-putting, etc.).
There has to be more than one person who conceivably could have committed the crime. There should be some clues pointing to all the possible suspects.
Even when s/he is a cop, the “detective” somehow stands apart from the rest (not trusted, unconventional, unconv entional, or simply not in a profession where s/he would be expected to be a good investigator).
ADRIAN MONK Former (disgraced) cop Extreme case of obsessive-compulsive disorder Smarter/More astute than all the other cops put together
BRENDA LEE JOHNSON (THE CLOSER) Head of the Major Major Crimes Division Only woman on the team Southerner in L.A. Others find her abrasive/ offensive Addicted to sweets More intelligent and insightful than everyone else put together
SHAUN SPENCER (PSYCH) Freelance consultant con sultant to the police who pretends to be a psychic He’s annoying/ obnoxious to others because he’s always joking and refuses to take anything seriously Exceptional powers of perception
COLUMBO Member of the police force force,, but works alone and is extremely unconventional Appea rs sloppy Appears sl oppy,, absentabse ntminded, clumsy He’s really very astute and knowledgeable On the show, the mystery is usually not who committed the crime (viewer already knows), but how Columbo is going to catch the person
MISS MARPLE Sweet old lady Nobody expects her to be able to solve crimes Always solves the crime before the police do Has to inform the police about the mistakes they’re making in their investigation Her distinguishing characteristic as a detective is her keen knowledge of of human psychology psychology Model for Jessica Fletcher (Murder She Wrote)
CONVENTIONS OF THE DETECTIVE STORY
The characters reveal themselves through dialogue, mannerisms, behavior (things that can be observed by the detective). Something always occurs during the course of the investigation investigation that makes it more difficult for the detective to solve the mystery. There may be numerous subplots, subplots, and these may somehow in the end tie into the central mystery. The characters who at first seemed unlikely suspects are often in the end the actual culprits.
The detective always solves the mystery before the reader. There is a suspenseful pause between solving the mystery and the revelation to the reader of how it was solved. Resolution takes the reader through the entire deductive process. The mystery must have a rational explanation. (Paranormal or supernatural explanations are not allowed.)
TERROR/ HORROR/ GHOST STORY Has a supernatural explanation for the mystery
SUSPENSE The bad guy/gal is already known.The question is whether or not s/he will catch the good guy/gal.
