This document provides guidance for planning and writing a mystery story. It discusses the key elements of a mystery - the what/crime, who/suspects and investigators, why/motives, how/method, and when/where/setting. It then walks through building a mystery plot by identifying suspects, their motives, an investigator and their motive, and the crime. The document stresses researching the how/method and where/setting of the crime thoroughly. Finally, it advises laying out clues that point to suspects while also including false clues and suspects to mislead readers.
