Editor's Note: Welcome to Phyllis Smallman for today's 'Why I Write Mysteries' Column. Harriet Klausner, one of amazon.com's premier reviewers, says about Sherri Travis, Smallman's sleuth, in Margarita Nights: "She makes the tale fun with her sass, spunk and spitfire sleuthing. " Enjoy!
Why I Write Mysteries.
Phyllis Smallman
When I was asked why I write mysteries it didn’t take me long to come up with a dozen solid reasons. To start with, writing is the most fun you can have with your clothes on and mysteries are the most popular form of fiction in the world. But more than that, I love mysteries, love to read them and love to write them.
The often reluctant and unprepared hero or heroine goes on a quest - often a life and death struggle, taking us with them on an epic adventure to right wrongs, to see justice done or to discover truth.
These stories of crime explore the dark side of human nature; greed, anger, jealousy and even love when it’s beyond control.All of these emotions are at the heart of a good mystery. Cautionary tales, they tell us what happens when our emotions get out of control.
Mysteries hold up a mirror to society, showing it without its make-up on, revealing all its warts. Mental illness, drugs, and the social problems we all have to deal with in our neighborhoods, workplaces and yes, even our families, are examined. We see how ordinary people deal with extraordinary circumstances, how they cope with what life sends them. And all this wrapped up in a puzzle.
Stories about crimes spot-light our fears. Each of us feels as vulnerable to crime as we do to disease. All those little security signs in flower beds are the new crosses over doors to tell misfortune to move on.
And how many of us think human beings are becoming less moral and more violent?Remember the first crime stories appear in the bible. Cain murdering Able, Joseph being sold into slavery, the bible is full of tales of theft and murder and even tales of the slaughter of babies.And you think identity theft is new?Think of Jacob stealing Esau’s birthright.
Human nature flows through crime books, entertaining us, frightening us and even educating us.That’s why I love a mystery!I have a new one out in March, A BREWSKI FOR THE OLD MAN.Holding your brand new book in your hands, well, it doesn’t get any better than that.
Editor's Note: Welcome today to a wonderful Thursday edition of 'Why I Write Mysteries'. This installment features Penny Warner, author of the fun mystery 'How To Host a Killer Party' (Signet - February 2010 - Available Now!) This prolific author walks the walk and talks the talk, having written numerous non-fiction party handbooks. Enjoy, all!!
WHY I WRITE MYSTERIES? iT’S BECAUSE OF NANCY Drew
By Penny Warner
I didn’t plan to be a writer when I grew up. When I was a kid, I placed writers on pedestals—“writers” like Carolyn Keene, “author” of the Nancy Drew series. Larger than life, they seemed as fictional as their characters. Turns out some of them were—like Carolyn Keene. But not my other favorites like E.B. White, A.A. Milne, L. Frank Baum. With authors like that, I found it hard to believe that an ordinary person like me could become a writer.
Then, when I was in sixth grade, I got mono and missed two months of school. That’s when my mother handed me a copy of my first Nancy Drew mystery—“Secret in the Old Clock.” It wasn’t long before I became obsessed with the girl sleuth. I started wearing a trench coat, made my own sleuth kit, and wrote my first mystery, “The Mystery of Mr. X.” While Nancy Drew was fiction, she inspired me to follow my passion—and that passion turned out to be writing mysteries.
I’ve had 50-plus books published over the years, including eight mysteries and THE OFFICIAL NANCY DREW HANDBOOK. Now the first book in my new mystery series, HOW TO HOST A KILLER PARTY will debut on February 2—and I owe it all to Nancy Drew. I’ve come to realize that everything I know about writing, I learned from reading Nancy Drew mysteries. I thought I’d share some of Drew’s clues to writing that worked for me.
1.Create unforgettable characters:“You know Nancy.” All agreed she possessed an appealing quality, which people never forgot. ~ Clue in the Diary
All stories are based on interesting characters—there are no exceptions. Introduce us to your character a little at a time, using action and dialogue (showing), rather than a thumbnail sketch (telling). Create realistic characters without using stereotypical traits, and include some surprises about the character that are believable. Finally, give the characters conflict—happy characters make dull characters.
2.Use dialogue: Suddenly the young sleuth snapped her fingers. “I know what I’ll do! I’ll set a trap for that ghost!” ~ The Hidden Staircase
Dialogue makes a story come alive. It also helps move the story along, increases pace and creates drama. Listen to real conversations for realism, then edit and tighten them to make the dialogue readable. Keep attribution simple—use action or “said,” rather than adverbs and euphemisms for “said.” Finally, read your dialogue aloud.
3.Set the scene: Many Colonial houses had secret passageways. “Do you know any entrances a thief could use?”~The Hidden Staircase
A vivid setting pulls the reader into the story. It also intensifies suspense and becomes a character in itself. Show the setting through the character’s eyes and include all five senses, telling details, and occasional metaphors.
4.Add mood and atmosphere: Nancy had heard music, thumps and creaking noises at night, and had seen eerie, shadows on walls. ~ The Hidden Staircase
Give a sense of foreboding through description. Mood and atmosphere give the story depth and stimulate the emotions of the readers. Use foreshadowing to give the reader a feeling of unease.
5.Outline your plot: Ellen was alarmed. “We must do something to stop him!” “I have a little plan,” Nancy said. ~ Quest of the Missing Map
Before you begin writing, outline your plot so you know, generally, where the story is headed. You can keep it simple and just jot down the major plot points of the story—where the story takes a surprising turn and how it ratchets up the suspense. Or you can write a detailed chapter-by-chapter outline, with the option of veering off if the story requires an alteration.
6.Start the clock ticking: “Hurry, girls, or we’ll miss the train to RiverHeights!” Nancy knew being on time was important.~ Secret of Red Gate Farm
Begin with the inciting incident, which starts the clock ticking. Include not only the situation, but where it takes place, and who’s involved. This is where you ask the story questions: What if….? Think about your goal as start the story and where it will lead.
7.Create conflict: Nancy struggled to get away. She twisted, kicked and clawed. “Let me go!” Nancy cried. ~ Secret of the Old Clock
There is no story without conflict. The protagonist must come up against an antagonist, which can be a person, an idea, a corporation, or some kind of evil. Conflict helps reveal the protagonist’s needs, values, and fears, and causes her to confront her demons, challenge herself, and become a hero of sorts.
8.Pack it with action: “How do we get in?” “Over the top, commando style,” George urged. “Lucky we wore jeans.” ~ Clue in the Crumbling Wall
Today’s reader wants action, so give your protagonist opportunities to do something physical. Give her a choice between fight or flight, and when she fights—make her strong but still vulnerable.
9.Spark reader’s emotions: Nancy was too frightened to think logically. She beat on the door, but the panels would not give way.~ Secret of the Old Clock
Crank up the reader’s involvement but increasing the character’s emotional risk. This way the reader will care about the story. If she can relate to the protagonist’s emotional jeopardy, she’ll be hooked on finding out what happens.
10.Raise the stakes: In a desperate attempt to break down the door Nancy threw her weight against it again and again. ~ Secret of the Old Clock
The story begins with a challenge for the protagonist. But that’s not enough. As the story moves along, something worse must happen. And just when you think it’s safe to go back into the water, things become even worse. Keep raising the stakes to keep those pages turning.
11.Make the situation hopeless: “We’re locked in!” Nancy exclaimed, and began banging on the door with her fist. ~ Nancy’s Mysterious Letter
When all seems lost and the protagonist is about to give up because she’s running out of time and is under extreme pressure, she must find the courage to go on, make another decisions, and get herself out of this devastating trouble.
12.Give the protagonist strength: “Girls don’t faint these days,” George scoffed. ~ Secret of Red Gate Farm
As the protagonist comes face to face with the antagonist, she must pull out all her reserves and use her own skills to change the situation. This heroic attempt must also create growth and change in the protagonist.
13.Don’t give up: Nancy tried to open the door. It was locked. Not easily discouraged, she tried a window; it was unlocked. ~The Hidden Staircase
I really believe the reason I’ve had over 50 books published is simply because—like Nancy Drew—I followed my passion and never gave up!
Penny Warner is the author of THE OFFICIAL NANCY DREW HANDBOOK, and the upcoming mystery series, HOW TO HOST A KILLER PARTY, from Penguin.She can be reached atwww.pennywarner.com.
Editor's Note: Welcome to M. E. Kemp, who writes an unusual historical murder mystery series set in Puritan-era America. Enjoy!
Why I Write Historical Mysteries
M. E. KEMP
I write a series of historical mysteries set in Colonial days with two nosy Puritans as detectives.Well, Puritans were supposed to be nosy, to keep watch on their wayward neighbors.And a detective has to be nosy, so...
Actually, I decided upon Puritans as a reaction to all the medieval mysteries featuring monks, nuns, sisters, brothers, etc.Increase‘Creasy’ Cotton is a member of the famous Mather family who led the largest and richest church in al of the colonies.Except that Creasy’s congregation is made up of poor widows and sailors in Boston’s south end.The Mathers were community as well as religious leaders and were very busy people, father and son, so they delegate ‘Cousin Creasy’ to do the dirty work for them in such mundane matters as murder.
Assisting him is Hetty Henry, a wealthy widow with connections to high and low society.Hetty is such a pushy broad she took over the first book, MURDER, MATHER AND MAYHEM, and then the series.The two are always quarreling, which helps to show humor in Puritan life.The poor Puritans have gotten “bad press” over the centuries.They were quite progressive in matters of education, style of dress and enjoyment of food, drink, and yes, SEX.
They were a lusty peoples – how do you think we got here?I believe American history is just as bloody and colorful as medieval Britain, so that’s what I try to convey in my books, which include DEATH OF A DUTCH UNCLE (set in Albany,) DEATH OF A BAWDY BELLE (the Salem witch trials,) and in my fourth book due out in ’10; DEATH OF A DANCING MASTER.My books are based upon historical incidents but are works of fiction.
Email M. E. Kemp at: mekemp at nycap.rr.com
Visit M. E. Kemp at: http://www.mekempmysteries.com
*Editor's Note: Welcome W. S. (Wendy) Gager today to the irregular Tuesday 'Why I Write Mysteries' column. I identify with her 'why' in part because I, too, imagine things when I'm out and about. Ideas lurk around every corner, as you'll find when you read on. Enjoy!
Why I Write Mysteries
by: W. S. Gager
I have always loved getting lost within the pages of a book, any book. Books fed my own imagination. I always imagined myself as an innocent bystander pulled into some type of intrigue. I, of course, would manage to solve the mystery without the help of the professionals by sheer brainpower alone. That being said, I am no genius, just filled with a fanciful imagination that can picture intrigue around any corner.
Such as:
A car in front of you is moving slowly because they are looking for a likely place to dump a body and are hoping you pass them and they can get on with it.
A woman is looking frantic at the grocery store and instead of just not having enough time, she is looking for the one clue that will save her husband who is being held by terrorists.
A large pile of leaves along the curb begins to move slowly and out pops a man covered in blood left for dead.
These are the crazy things that I think of as I go about my “normal day.” If people only knew, they would cross the street as they come across me or shield their children from my eyes. Lucky for me, they have to buy a book to see how my crazy brain works. In my debut novel, A Case of Infatuation, crime beat reporter Mitch Malone is hoodwinked into helping a small witness escape from the scene of the crime and ends up babysitting, much to his dismay. He must use his reporting skills to get rid of his baggage and win his freedom.
I have always been a voracious reader having read nearly every fiction book in my middle school library (It was a small library). I had a whole set of Nancy Drews at home and they were the ones I pulled out when my library stash was finished and it was a weekend. As I got older, I started reading romance.Figured it would be best to write romance as a first book. After several attempts, I finally finished a full story. I gave my first finished manuscript to a woman in my writer’s group to critic. I will never forget her first words. She reached over and grabbed my hand (mainly so I couldn’t run away). “Honey, you are not a romance writer, you’re a mystery writer. “ I was crushed but thought about what she said and I loved writing the mystery part of my book and struggled with the romantic elements. (My kissing scenes were so bad they were funny!)
That book has never seen the light of day and probably never will because I had so much to learn. But I always will think fondly of it because a mystery writer was born within its pages.
W.S. Gager A Case of Infatuation-Now Available
Author Bio
W.S. Gager has lived in West Michigan for most of her life except for stints early in her career as a newspaper reporter and editor. Now she enjoys creating villains instead of crossing police lines to get the story. She teaches English at a local college and is a soccer chauffeur for her children. During her driving time she spins webs of intrigue for Mitch Malone's next crime-solving adventure.
*Editor's Note: I was first introduced to Kathy Lynn Emerson by way of a book I have on my desk right this minute, HOW TO WRITE KILLER HISTORICAL MYSTERIES, a great guide for the would-be mystery writer. But she practices what she preaches in her 'Face down' series and others. Read on and enjoy!
Why I Write Mysteries
by
Kathy Lynn Emerson/Kaitlyn Dunnett
Why do I write mysteries?
There are two answers to that question. The first is that I’ve always loved reading well-written traditional mysteries. They have complex plots, characters who are far more clever than I am at figuring out who dunnit, and endings that solve the crime and wrap up all the loose ends. Readers know that by the end of a traditional mystery novel, wrongs will have been righted, villains will have been caught and punished, and justice will have prevailed. There may have been heart-wrenching moments along the way, the suspense may have been almost unbearable, and the detective will undoubtedly have been faced with great personal danger, but when it is all over, the reader will be wearing a satisfied smile. Unlike real life, mystery novels provide closure.
Such stories are not particularly easy to write, but the process is challenging. That leads me to the second answer to the question. Why do I write mysteries? It’s because I’m easily bored.
I’ve written all sorts of books during the last thirty-plus years. In most of them, even the ones that weren’t published as mysteries, I’ve included mystery elements. If I couldn’t work in a murder, I inserted secrets and intrigue and, in the case of the historical fiction, treason plots or spies. Even the non-mystery historical novels I’m currently writing under the name Kate Emerson are published under the series title “Secrets of the Tudor Court.”
For stories to be interesting, their characters need obstacles to overcome. The higher the stakes, the more invested the reader becomes in the outcome. Add crime to the mix, especially if that places the protagonist in a life-and-death situation, and the book, assuming it is well-written to begin with, goes from merely entertaining straight to page-turner. I’ve written novels without any mystery elements and, as far as I know, readers did not feel they were lacking in entertainment value, but those books are not my favorites. And, if I’m being truthful here, during the writing process I sometimes longed to throw in a body. As I said, I’m easily bored.
I’m never bored when I’m figuring out how to murder someone, or why the killer won’t get away with it. And traditional mysteries have another element that fascinates me, too—creating and solving a puzzle. Traditional mysteries are sometimes called cozies because they often, but not always, feature amateur detectives, small-town settings, and a notable absence of explicit sex and violence. Readers may never even see a body, let alone have to wade through blood and gore. Other elements, such as cats, crafts, and recipes, are optional. The emphasis is on plot, with twists, and on interesting characters and their relationships. Most of these books belong to series rather than being stand-alone titles.
I’ve never been tempted to write suspense novels or police procedurals or make my protagonist a private detective. All of those would require a more extensive knowledge of modern day forensics than I want to acquire. I’d have to learn more about guns, too. I’m happiest writing about an ordinary person who stumbles onto a murder and is pulled, reluctantly, into solving the crime.
People often ask me which I prefer, mysteries with historical settings or those that take place in the here and now. I’ve written both and enjoy both, perhaps because basic human emotions are the same, whatever century people live in.
As Kathy Lynn Emerson I’ve written two historical mystery series. The Face Down novels feature Susanna, Lady Appleton, a sixteenth-century gentlewoman who is an expert on poisonous herbs. There are ten novels, the most recent FACE DOWN O’ER the BORDER, and a collection of short stories (MURDERS AND OTHER CONFUSIONS) in this series, but it is currently on hiatus. The most recent entry was a story (“Any Means Short of Murder”) in the January/February 2009 issue of Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. I hope to write more of these, but for the moment I have other writing commitments that just don’t leave me with time enough to do it.
Why did I write these in the first place? Because I’m fascinated with that period in history. Fortunately, I’m still writing about it, just not, at the moment, in the traditional mystery genre.
In my other historical mystery series, a nineteenth-century journalist named Diana Spaulding is the detective. This four-book series was conceived as a quartet from the beginning and all four books (DEADLIER THAN THE PEN, FATAL AS A FALLEN WOMAN, NO MORTAL REASON, and LETHAL LEGEND) take place in various locations in the U.S. in 1888. I chose the late nineteenth century to write about for several reasons. First, early in my career I wrote a biography of reporter Nellie Bly for young readers and I thought at the time that a newspaper reporter would make a good detective. Second, I had already accumulated a great deal of material about the year 1888, making research much easier. And third, I had my grandfather’s memoirs, which gave me special insight into what life was like in those days. The third book is set in the area of New York State where he (and I) grew up. The fourth book is set in Maine, where I live now, and that one was a particular pleasure to write.
It was the desire to do more using a location close to home that led to the launch of my contemporary series, the Liss MacCrimmon Scottish-American Heritage Mysteries. My sleuth was a professional Scottish dancer (think Riverdance, only Scottish) until a knee-injury ended her career. In the first book (KILT DEAD), she returns to her home town of Moosetookalook, Maine to recuperate and figure out what she’s going to do with the rest of her life. And, of course, she immediately becomes involved in solving a murder. I write this series under the pseudonym Kaitlyn Dunnett. There’s more humor in these books than in those I write under my real name, more use of quirky characters, and a very different feel to the stories. The third Liss MacCrimmon novel, available just in time for holiday gift giving, is A WEE CHRISTMAS HOMICIDE. I’ve finished #4 and am at the plotting stage of #5. I still love historical mysteries, even though I’m not writing one at the moment. I was fortunate to be able to combine reading other people’s historical mysteries with writing 2008’s HOW TO WRITE KILLER HISTORICAL MYSTERIES: THE ART AND ADVENTURE OF SLEUTHING THROUGH THE PAST, a book that won the Agatha award and was nominated for both the Anthony and the Macavity. Right now I’m working on the third book in the “Secrets of the Tudor Court” series. The second, BETWEEN TWO QUEENS, which does not contain a murder but does have a nicely complex treason plot, will be out in January 2009.
Just a quick note to say Happy Hallowe'en, and to apologize for not being here more often. Sometimes necessity, in the form of life, does intrude and the best laid plans, as Robbie Burns said, do aft go aglay!
And that's my way of saying, sorry!
Do come back on Tuesday, November 3rd for a new Why I Write Mysteries from a wonderful author who wrote a 'how to' book on writing mysteries that I have on my desk right this minute! You'll see then why I felt compelled to go all Scottish on you!
*Editor's Note: Welcome to Elizabeth Spann Craig, today's Tuesday 'Why I Write Mysteries' columnist! After reading her piece I feel like saying, 'What she said!' Love it! Enjoy, everyone!
I'm a bona fide mystery nut.
When I was a kid, I got my hands on every Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden book I could find. The two series were very different from each other, and I’d switch back and forth between the two.
Once I started reading mysteries, I never stopped. I graduated to Agatha Christie, then to Martha Grimes. Then I read any mystery anyone ever recommended to me or that sounded interesting to me.
Why do I love them so much?
I love the process of restoring order. I love reading (and writing) about an idyllic setting where a serious problem is introduced and then methodically—and successfully—solved. Good triumphs over evil and order is restored to the idyll.
I love starting on the same page as the sleuth. We can identify with them easily since we don’t have all the pieces of the puzzle yet, either.
I love the fact that everyone has something to hide—like so many of us in real life. No one wants their dirty laundry aired and they’ll try to lie and cover up evidence in order to keep their secrets.
I love the small town gossip in cozy mysteries.
I love the sense of surprise when the second body is discovered. It’s a double-whammy surprise if the body is of the suspect I’d pegged as the killer.
I love the frightening moment when the sleuth is face to face with the murderer. I love pulling for the sleuth as she outsmarts the killer.
My most favorite thing about mysteries? Creating my own by incorporating my favorite mystery elements into a manuscript.
*Note from the editor: Welcome to Camille Minichino, aka Margaret Grace, author of the wonderful ‘Miniature’ Mysteries, that are miniature only in that they deal with miniatures and dollhouses. Enjoy her unusual and wonderful take on why she writes mysteries! It’s really more what mysteries are to her! Enjoy!
Why I Write Mysteries
by: Margaret Grace (aka Camille Minichino)
I write mysteries because it's so much like doing physics. You might even say,
MYSTERIES = MC2
[Some people think I see everything in relation to physics. As if that's a bad thing!]
We often hear that mysteries are like puzzles, that writers and readers enjoy putting the pieces together, ending up with a satisfying solution, much like turning 1500 jagged pieces into a reproduction of Van Gogh's Sunflowers.
I'm in accord with that notion, but only to a certain extent.
Surely, mysteries are not like jigsaw puzzles, where all the pieces can be piled before us with one brisk dump from the box, and what's required is simply to sort them by color or shape and fit them together.
Neither are mysteries like Rubik's cube puzzles, where the faces of a block are bound as one, but in the wrong order.
We have everything we need; our job is to make the correct twists and turns.
Is a mystery like a crossword puzzle? I don't think so. Again, all the clues are there in a couple of columns. In most cases, there are black squares that are cues to word length. We fill in the blanks and enjoy a sense of accomplishment when every square is filled in.
How about an acrostic?
Now we're getting closer.
Closer to mysteries and to physics. Especially if we're looking at a diagramless acrostic.
Contemporary acrostics use two sets of clues: one set might be a list of definitions or word play phrases, the other is a quotation that emerges as correct letters are transferred to a grid that has no marks for word length. The solver works in both directions, sometimes figuring out the definitions, anagrams, or puns, and other times using insight into what the quote is about. That is, sometimes looking at the pieces, sometimes at the whole.
There's often also a vertical clue, where the initial letters of every definition spell out the quote's author and source. This gives us even a third set of clues to work or "see through."
In the same way, in a good "whodunit" mystery, there are many sets of clues that unfold: some are hidden in plain sight, some are subtly presented, some not; some are within the character profiles and arcs, the setting, or the plot. These mysteries are solved not by simply putting a given number of known pieces together, but by first sorting out the pieces that matter from the ones that don't. Maybe there are a couple of red herrings; maybe there are no herrings of any color.
I've seen puzzles where the manufacturer has deliberately included extra pieces that don't belong in the scene. Those puzzles are more like the great physics problems: figuring out the messy universe.
But solving the mysteries of the universe may take a while. In the meantime, I have nothing against working and reading on the small scale of a good, messy whodunit.
Neither doing physics nor reading mysteries should be taken lightly. Remember Woody Allen's admission: "I'm astounded by people who want to 'know' the universe when it's hard enough to find your way around Chinatown."
I've certainly had a rip-roaring start here at Cozy Murder Mysteries. 41 posts so far in just a month and a half seems like a lot to me, and the variety of authors... it's going great and I am enjoying myself.
But... (you knew there was a but, didn't you?) I do have a writing career to attend to, and I must get organized! I'm in the middle of so many things, it's driving me slightly bonkers!
Sooooo... I'm going to take a brief... very brief, really... break, less than a week, to allow me time to catch my breath and work uninterrupted.
I will be back October Sixth with a wonderful treat, Margaret Grace also known as Camille Minichino on why writing mysteries is like physics. ?? I know! If you have a perplexed look on your face, good... you'll have to come back next Tuesday, October 6th at 8:01 AM to find out just how writing mysteries is like physics!
Publisher Spotlight on... Poisoned Pen Press Author Q&A's on Cleo Coyle and Sue Ann Jaffarian
Marion Moore Hill 'On Touring' - A Mystery author takes her show on the road.
As well as....
More reviews, more author interviews, seasonal reads, and lots more!
Open Call:
I am still looking for: reviewers, opinion pieces, Why I Read Mysteries, Why I Write Mysteries, author profiles. I'm open to suggestion! If you've written a blog piece on some aspect of murder mysteries, especially cozy, and want someone to host it, think of me!
*Editor's note: Welcome to Steven Rigolosi. Love his list!
We all spend our days and nights reading and writing paragraphs.So, for the sake of variety, I thought I’d mix up the format a little bit, and answer in bullets.
So…why do I write mysteries?
=> Because when I started writing, nobody was buying haunted house books, which is originally what I wanted to write.
=> Because I grew up surrounded by my parents’ bookshelves, which were loaded with the greats: Agatha Christie, Erle Stanley Gardner, Ellery Queen, Ross Thomas, John D. McDonald, P.D. James, Ngaio Marsh.It’s tough to read these writers and not want to follow in their footsteps.
=> Because for me there’s no greater reading pleasure than matching wits with intelligent readers, playing fair with them but at the same time trying to pull the wool over their eyes.
=> Because the genre is so rich and allows such wide latitude.So far I’ve written three books, each of a different type: Who Gets the Apartment? (a caper), Circle of Assassins (noir), Androgynous Murder House Party (satire).
=> Because life is mysterious, with so many unanswered questions. When you write a mystery, you get to answer those questions however you’d like.
=> Because it seems that everyone loves a mystery, which is really helpful if you want people to read your books (and I do!). The odds of someone reading a mystery seem a lot greater than someone reading, say, a historical novel or a presidential biography.
=> Because writing mysteries is as much escapism for me as it is for the readers.
=> Because mysteries require a good story and a strong plot, and I think our job as novelists is to be great storytellers who keep readers coming back for more.
=> Because in mysteries the good end happily and the bad end unhappily. As Oscar Wilde said, that’s what fiction is all about.
=> Because of my fellow mystery writers—a very supportive, creative, and friendly group of people.
=> Because I love going to the mystery conventions, seeing what’s new and exciting, and hearing other writers talk about their work and their protagonists.
=> Because I love the length of the genre, which forces you to develop your characters, interest your readers, introduce your puzzle, and resolve everything satisfactorily in 300 pages or fewer.
=> Because I like the challenge of it all, of trying to do something new and different, of trying to work within the confines of the genre while trying to make a contribution to it.
=> Because I work full time and I feel that to have a happy life, I need to have something beyond my job. Writing is my get-away, the thing I have that belongs to me that is separate from my commute, and the demands of my job, and the stresses of everyday life.
=> Because one of my biggest goals in life is to have one of my books on someone’s “favorite books of all time” list.
=> Because we all want to make our mark somehow, to leave something of us behind that is remembered fondly, to have the satisfaction of knowing that we’ve succeeded in entertaining people, or tricking them, or surprising them, and that they appreciated the experience.
Steven Rigolosi, a resident of Northern New Jersey, is the author of the Tales from the Back Page mystery/suspense series.Each book takes a quirky advertisement on the back page of a New York City newspaper as its starting point, exploring who placed the ad and why, as well as who responded and what happened afterwards.His most recent book is Androgynous Murder House Party, in which readers are faced with two mysteries.Not only must they discover the murderer’s identity, they must also read between the lines to discover the gender of each of the characters, all of whom have androgynous names—Robin, Lee, Alex, Chris, Terry, and so forth. Library Journal has called Rigolosi “a completely fresh voice in the mystery genre.”
*Welcome to Sarah Wisseman! Thank you, Sarah, for this fascinating explanation of why you write mysteries!
I grew up in a house full of readers where everyone’s favorite pastime was to gather around the fireplace and read, talk about books, or read aloud from books such as The Hound of the Baskervilles. Gradually I became aware that some of my parents’ favorite books were mysteries, but I didn’t really understand why until I started to write one.
Traditional mysteries are layered puzzles, like archaeological digs. The best ones are rich in character and setting, hard to put down but satisfying to finish because (usually) evil is contained and chaos is tamed. Such stories offer a welcome respite from daily life, where bad guys thrive and events and personalities are usually messier and more complicated than in fiction.
I like layers and puzzles—that’s not surprising, since I am an archaeologist at the University of Illinois in my “day job.” Although I no longer shovel much dirt myself, I spend many hours reconstructing the history of excavated objects with incomplete information, much like a detective trying to ferret out clues when suspects refuse to talk.
My heroine, Lisa Donahue, is an archaeologist and museum curator with a background suspiciously like my own. She works in a Boston museum that resembles a dusty labyrinth and deals with layered complications in her job—difficult bosses, jealous colleagues—and in her personal life—a troubled stepson and an overworked, oblivious husband.
In my most recent mystery, The Fall of Augustus (coming in October 2009), Lisa’s museum loses two directors in quick succession in the middle of a nightmarish move to a new building. The first director is crushed by a falling statue and the second turns up as a mummy The plot layers include the machinations of a vicious woman—the sort of villain we all love to hate—the theft of valuable Celtic artifacts, and the rocky relationship between Lisa’s best friend, Ellen, and their oversexed colleague, Dylan.
Hopefully, as the reader “digs” into my mystery, she will enjoy excavating layered personalities as well as occasional esoteric facts about Greek vases and Egyptian mummification. The tricky part for me was embedding those facts deep into the plot so they become essential clues to the murders, like Roman coins found six feet under that help an archaeologist date an entire civilization.
If I’ve done my job as a writer, I’ve created something like an excavation-in-a-box for public schools: a rich micro-environment full of clues and quandaries—easy enough to reconstruct, complex enough to serve as a setting for future stories.
Tomorrow we will put in place a semi-regular column, 'Why I Write Mysteries' (Stacy Juba started us off with her fascinating column on Friday, September 11th)
Gayle Trent - she writes a cake decorating mystery series and embroidery shop mystery series! - will give us a little insight into her beginning with mysteries and tell us a little about her books!
Check it out tomorrow!
Coming soon... columns about or by writers with titles as diverse as The Anteater of Death and One Woman's Poison!
Why I Write Mysteries.
rs. Each of us feels as vulnerable to crime as we do to disease. All those little security signs in flower beds are the new crosses over doors to tell misfortune to move on.
