I recently finished reading a very good cozy mystery. Well crafted, some nice tension, realistic characters and humor--always a plus for me. But I knew who did it the minute the character was introduced. I kept hoping I was wrong, but nope.
Fleur says that's one of the problems with being a writer. We read books or watch movies and think, "What would I do here?" Movies with big twists are especially disappointing. About ten minutes into "The Others" I knew what was going on. That doesn't mean I'm particularly smart, just that I thought, "What would make this movie different from all the other ghost stories out there?"
So how do we avoid giving away what we're trying to hide and still play fair? Introducing a character on page 250 of a 255 page book and then declaring him the culprit is a cheat.
I guess, as with most things in this business, it comes down to the writing. Craft a story with all the elements I listed above, and the reader won't care that she figured it out. She may even feel good about it.
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That is the toughest part. I remember when I was in high school, they had some horrid TV movie I started watching w/my folks. It was all about how one gal and three guys go out on a boat, and only two come back!
Well, twenty minutes in, I gave up on the movie and said "The chick and the guy who just went overboard (presumed dead) are the two who make it." Then I went to my room to do something else. Sure enough, when the movie ended, I was right.
Like you say, I think the most important part is creating a good story. The second most is the mystery element.
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