I have arrived at a plot point that I would rather be later. If one were to say that a page is 250 words, then the murderer has scapegoated someone else at page 8. As far as I can recall, Agatha Christie, for example, has such things not at the beginning, but after a significant amount of time. How can I rescue my story in terms of length from webnovel syndrome?
1 Answer
I have arrived at...
That sounds as if you have been discovery writing. Haven't you outlined your novel beforehand?
Discovery writing works well if you have a lot of experience or write some meandering genre like a quest fantasy, but murder mysteries need to be planned painstakingly in advance.
Unlike in other genres in a murder mystery the end is always firm and certain before you begin working on the book. You, the author, know who dunnit. And to reveal that slowly and in a thrilling and suspenseful manner, you need to carefully plan when to reveal which clue. In a story like a murder mystery where the end is already set, there is a tendency in discovery writing that you involuntarily try to get there. And then exactly what you experienced happens: You reveal clues to early.
I would never "pad" a story. The result will be boring for the readers. Instead,
Start fresh.
Put away your current draft and create a (new) outline. Then write the story again.
