Guest Blogger: Rabbi Ilene Schneider – Writing A Mystery Series

Writing a Mystery Series by Rabbi Ilene Schneider

I write a cozy mystery series. They feature an amateur sleuth, Rabbi Aviva Cohen. All the sex and gore are off the page. There is humor. There is a lot of back story. There is a happy ending. They differ from other cozies in that there are a few expletive-deleted words that haven’t been deleted; as I explained to my mother when she complained, “That’s how aging baby boomers talk.” And none of the language is gratuitous. If you woke up in a hospital, with no idea how you got there, and can’t find your glasses, would you say, “Gosh darn it”? Neither does Aviva.

 

I decided to write a series because I am basically lazy. The books have the same protagonist and major characters. I don’t have to think up new ones for each book.

 

I’m making it sound as though I’ve published dozens of books. So far, there are two in print, with another in the works: CHANUKAH GUILT and UNLEAVENED DEAD are published by Oak Tree Press; the third, currently being written is YOM KILLER. I have, in my head, broad outlines and titles for an additional three: HIGH HOLY DAZE, SABBATH WHINE, and MATZAH BAWL.

 

But even with two (plus a bit) books written, I’ve realized there are difficulties with a series. In writing a series, you need to be able to provide enough background information for those who haven’t read the previous book(s), while not making it boring for those who have. Earlier events can be referred to, but only vaguely, so as not to give away the plot. Never write, “Mehitabel used to be my best friend, but she killed herself after realizing her lies and schemes were about to be revealed.” Instead, write, “I still miss my best friend Mehitabel, whom I didn’t know as well as I thought I had.” It will send them to the earlier book to find out what happened.

 

There has to be character development, especially if there was a life-altering situation in the earlier books. If the long estranged mother, after a near-death experience, realizes how much she has missed in her life by not seeing her now adult children in book one, don’t have her still be uninterested in reestablishing a relationship in book two.

 

You have to be consistent. If the new book is taking place two years after the first, don’t have the protagonist be younger. Or taller. If her eye color changes, mention contact lenses. If her hair color does, mention she got tired of the old one. To keep the characters straight, I have a file on the computer that lists them by book, with their ages at the time of the book, relationship to the protagonist and to other characters. I use control-f to search the older manuscripts for physical descriptions.

 

Finally, know when the series has come to its natural conclusion. You’ll know when (or should know) it’s time to end the series when you keep writing the same book.

 

As for me, I’ll know the series has run its course when I run out of titles.

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Award-winning author Rabbi Ilene Schneider, Ed.D., one of the first six women rabbis ordained in the U.S., has finally decided what she wants to be when she grows up. She has retired from her day job as a hospice spiritual support counselor to devote full time to writing.

 

Rabbi Schneider is the author of the Rabbi Aviva Cohen Mysteries, published by Oak Tree Press: Chanukah Guilt, which was nominated for the Deadly Ink David Award for Best Mystery of 2007, was one of My Shelf’s 2007 Top Ten Reads, and was a Midwest Book Review Reviewers Choice Book; and Unleavened Dead, which won First Place from the Public Safety Writers Association, and was nominated for the Deadly Ink David Award for Best Mystery of 2012. Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine called Unleavened Dead “… a solid, funny mystery that provides an insider’s look at Jewish life.”

 

A resident of Marlton, NJ, near Philadelphia, she is working on the third book in the series, Yom Killer, and is also the author of the best-selling Talk Dirty Yiddish: Beyond Drek: The Curses, Slang, and Street Lingo You Need To Know When You Speak Yiddish, published by Adams Media. The Jewish Forward described Talk Dirty Yiddish as “Such a breezy, engaging book, I should be so lucky to write.”

Guest Blogger Nancy J. Cohen – Far-Flung Family Ties

Nancy J. Cohen

“Far-Flung Family Ties” by Nancy J. Cohen

As we approach the holidays, we begin planning our family celebrations. These may not always be the joyous occasions we’d like. Disagreements, envy, cultural gaps with married partners, and secrets can keep families apart. In PERIL BY PONYTAIL, my recent release and #12 in the Bad Hair Day Mysteries, Marla and Dalton Vail embark on a honeymoon to an Arizona dude ranch.

Dalton’s uncle owns both the resort and a nearby ghost town that he’s renovating. Marla soon learns that Uncle Ray had an ulterior motive in inviting them out there. Mishaps have been plaguing both properties, and he suspects a saboteur. With Dalton being a homicide detective and Marla an amateur sleuth, Uncle Ray figures they can help him catch the culprit. But when a local forest ranger is found dead, the stakes escalate.

Marla is happy to meet Dalton’s extended family, especially since his mother isn’t speaking to his uncle for reasons unknown. Uncle Ray is just as tight-lipped, refusing to mention his past. However, he blames neighboring rancher Hugh Donovan for his troubles. Evidently, their animosity goes back to their childhood. Dalton’s cousins are more warm and welcoming. Annie is a dietician in town and Wayne manages the ranch. It’s a good chance for Marla to get to know this side of the family, but as she digs deeper into Uncle Ray’s secrets, she’s afraid exposing the truth might tear her new family apart.

Some of us may not know our extended family too well. We gather for holidays, exchange superficial news, and go on our merry ways until the next event. It’s not like the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, where everyone is in each other’s business but is also there for support. Your old childhood roles might surface when the relatives gather. Were you the shy one? The troublemaker? The lazy kid in school who never studied? It’s hard to surpass those reputations. Getting together more often and in different settings than a holiday dinner might be the answer.

So how often do you see your relatives? Do you feel comfortable around them? Would you rather be somewhere else at those times?

Leave a comment for a chance to win a Kindle copy of Peril by Ponytail.

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Peril by Ponytail (Bad Hair Day Mystery #12)
Marla and Dalton’s honeymoon at an Arizona dude ranch veers from dangerous to downright deadly faster than a horse headed to the corral. With her husband’s uncle—the resort owner—on the suspect list for murder, Marla races to prove his innocence. She hopes her blind trust isn’t misplaced, especially when she learns their relative has secrets he’d rather keep buried. As the bodies pile up, she digs deeper to find the killer. With her new family in jeopardy, she’d better figure out who’s adding to the spirits at a nearby ghost town before someone she loves is hurt.

Excerpt from Peril by Ponytail

Marla and Dalton are invited to dinner at his cousin Wayne’s house in Arizona. Present are Wayne and his wife Carol, Wayne’s sister Annie, and their father who is Dalton’s Uncle Raymond.

After they’d eaten a hearty vegetable bean soup, Raymond addressed Wayne. “Did you get that leaky water heater fixed?”

Wayne’s mouth tightened. “Yes, we did. The plumber said a valve had been loosened. Maybe it got knocked open by a broom that may have fallen over, but I think it was deliberate. At least we were able to clean the dining hall in time for the next meal.”

“I told you to put more video cameras in place.”

“Carol is still waiting for an estimate from the security company. Why do you look like you swallowed a lemon pit? I’ll take care of it.”

Raymond gripped his water glass. “I attended a town council meeting today. Hugh Donovan is stirring up trouble again.”

“What did he want this time? Donovan owns the Dead Gulch Ranch on the other side of the mountain,” Wayne explained in an aside to Marla and Dalton.

“His cattle aren’t doing well, and he blames my renovations,” Raymond said. “The guy’s an idiot. We’ve done the proper environmental impact studies, and they were approved. There’s no way our ghost town project can be contaminating his property.”

“Why does this fellow worry you so much?” Dalton asked, voicing the thought in Marla’s head.

“The man has it in for me, and don’t ask why because it’s nobody’s business but mine. I’ll need more approvals for my construction. If the council refuses to issue even one permit, it’ll put us behind schedule.”

“And how does that benefit Donovan?” Wayne said in a frustrated tone.

Marla figured he must have asked his father before about Hugh Donovan without satisfaction. What had happened between the two men to cause animosity?

“He hopes I’ll run out of money if he delays things long enough. I’ve had offers to buy that property, and I suspect he’s behind them. If the council doesn’t heed him, he’ll find other ways to shut me down.”

Book Trailer: http://youtu.be/T2Vao7yDIVY
Buy at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Peril-Ponytail-Bad-Hair-Mystery/dp/1432830988/
Buy at Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/peril-by-ponytail-nancy-j-cohen/1121698516

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Nancy J. Cohen writes the humorous Bad Hair Day Mysteries featuring hairdresser Marla Vail, who solves crimes with wit and style under the sultry Florida sun. Titles in this series have made the IMBA bestseller list and been named by Suspense Magazine as best cozy mystery. Nancy is also the author of Writing the Cozy Mystery, a valuable instructional guide on how to write a winning whodunit. Her imaginative romances, including the Drift Lords series, have proven popular with fans as well. A featured speaker at libraries, conferences, and community events, Nancy is listed in Contemporary Authors, Poets & Writers, and Who’s Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, & Poets. When not busy writing, she enjoys fine dining, visiting Disney World, cruising, and outlet shopping.

Website: http://nancyjcohen.com
Blog: http://nancyjcohen.wordpress.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NancyJCohenAuthor
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/nancyjcohen
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/91508.Nancy_J_Cohen
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Linked In: http://www.linkedin.com/in/nancyjcohen
Google Plus: https://plus.google.com/+NancyJCohen/

Guest Blogger B.K. Stevens – What Do Teen Readers Want?

What Do Teen Readers Want? by B.K. Stevens

Earlier this month, I participated in an unusual panel at Bouchercon in Raleigh, North Carolina. The panel’s topic wasn’t unusual—these days, most mystery conferences devote at least one panel to young adult novels—but the panelists were. Three of them were real, live young adults, members of a high-school book club in Georgia. They brought along a list titled “Ten Things We Wish YA Writers and Editors and Publishers Knew about Actual YAs (Like Us).” As a writer whose first YA mystery was just published, I found the list both enlightening and reassuring. Parents and grandparents who give books to the young adults in their lives might enjoy checking it out, too.

Some items on the list are predictable—the club members like a diverse cast of characters, they don’t like having pets or young children put in jeopardy simply to heighten tension, and they think it’s important for YA writers to “talk to young people alive and young right now,” rather than relying on decades-old memories. Preachy mysteries don’t appeal to them—“We can smell a lesson a mile away”—but mysteries that mix serious issues with humor do. The club members also want writers to “treat YA mysteries as seriously as adult mysteries.” That means playing fair with clues, not introducing villains at the last minute, avoiding plot holes, and tying up loose ends. As someone who loves traditional whodunits, I was glad to see that some young people still value these time-honored standards.

The list also includes less predictable advice. The club members don’t see romance as a necessary element in YA mysteries, especially not if it seems injected into the book “just to create a relationship subplot.” The characters’ attraction to each other has to feel genuine. Also, not every protagonist has to be a “misunderstood loner,” and “not all characters need a tragic backstory.”

That was good to hear. Misunderstood loners with tragic backstories are so common in YA fiction that I worried about whether young readers would care about my protagonist, a popular athlete with an intact family. When I was planning the novel, I wondered if I should give Matt a dead parent, an addicted sibling, at least a lactose-intolerant cousin. I decided against it, and now I feel more confident about that decision. Of course Matt’s family has problems—all families do. Matt feels distant from his parents and thinks they won’t understand his problems, and they’re so intent on making him feel secure that they hide the challenges they’re facing. But they’re all good, well-intentioned people, and they all love each other. Once they start talking more openly, things get better—not suddenly, completely better, but better. I hope the novel succeeds in acknowledging that the problems young adults experience can be painful and real, even when those young adults aren’t misunderstood loners with tragic backstories.

I also felt cheered by the second item on the club’s list. “Adults are not always evil/boring/patronizing/incompetent,” these young people maintain. “We live with adults, and we actually care about them and sometimes even like them. And we have people in our lives who care about us.” Frankly, I hadn’t expected a group of teenagers to take a stand on behalf of the adults in their lives, but I was moved when they did. It made me feel pretty good not only as a YA author but also as a teacher, a mother, and a grandmother. If you’d like to see the full list, you can find it here: http://ccatmystery.blogspot.com/2015/10/ten-things-we-wish-ya-writers-and.html. It might make you feel pretty good, too.

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B.K. (Bonnie) Stevens is the author of Fighting Chance, a martial arts mystery for young adults, which was recently released by The Poisoned Pencil / Poisoned Pen Press. She describes the novel as “a cross between The Hardy Boys and The Karate Kid.” Interpretation of Murder, a novel for adults, is a traditional whodunit that offers insights into deaf culture and sign language interpretation. . B.K. has also published over fifty short stories, most in Alfred Hitchcock’s Mystery Magazine. She has won a Derringer and has been nominated for Agatha and Macavity awards. http://www.bkstevensmysteries.com

Guess Blogger: Sandra Cary Cody-The Need for Stories

Sandra Carey Cody

The Need for Stories by Sandra Carey Cody

“We’re always the same age inside.” Gertrude Stein

The Jennie Connors/Riverview Manor mysteries are set in a retirement community and the characters are a variety of ages. The youngest is Jennie’s six-year-old son; the oldest is a ninety-pound, ninety-something, feisty southern belle who still thinks like a teenager. Other characters run the gamut of ages.

The inspiration for this setting came from a bittersweet time in my life. My mother and one of my aunts lived in a facility similar to my fictional Riverview Manor. Their health had deteriorated to the point where it was impossible for the family to care for them. I won’t go into the anguish involved in this decision; that’s not what this is about. This is about … well, you’ll see.

I visited Mom and Aunt Hedy fairly often in their new surroundings and, as an unexpected bonus, spent time with some of the other residents. Most of them were also in poor health and no longer physically active. They were old. Very old. That’s all I saw at first but, as I got to know them better, I learned to look beyond their physical limitations. I started to listen – really listen – and I saw the young person they still were inside. I realized they each had a story and what they wanted most was someone to tell their story to. They were all individuals, came from different backgrounds, but each had a story to tell.

Are any of these people in my books? Not really. My characters are cobbled together from bits and pieces of a lot of people, myself included. If I had to choose a favorite, it would be Nate, an 84-year-old retired actor who was and, in his own mind, still is, one of the finest interpreters of Shakespeare’s tragic heroes to ever grace the stage. Nate “struts and frets” a lot, demanding more than his share of attention. He’s not a nice man. He does and says the mean-spirited things most of us don’t allow ourselves to do or say. Maybe that’s why I created him. Writing scenes for Nate gives me a place to put out my own mean-spirited impulses. Turning those impulses into fiction forces me to examine and (hopefully) understand them.

That’s one of the reasons we need stories, both as readers and writers. In fiction, we meet people who are of another world, sometimes another generation. Their experiences may be different from ours, but when we hear their story, we begin to understand them and, if we listen – really listen – we see past the differences and realize how alike we are inside.

My characters aren’t real and Riverview Manor isn’t much like the place that inspired it. It’s a mythical place where all problems have a solution and there’s always someone who wants to hear your story. And isn’t that what we all want? Some to listen to our story.

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Sandra Carey Cody was born and grew in Missouri, surrounded by people who loved stories, whether from a book or told on the back porch on a Sunday afternoon. She now lives in a small town in southeastern Pennsylvania. Wherever she’s gone, books have been the bridge to her new community and new friends. Being the quiet member of a noisy family, her story-telling manifested itself in writing, mostly crime fiction. If you would like to know more, you can visit her website: www.sandracareycody.com or her blog: www.birthofanovel.wordpress.com

Fans-Whether in Sports or Writing, It’s All the Same

FANS – WHETHER IN SPORTS OR WRITING, IT’S ALL THE SAME by Debra H. Goldstein

When I moved to Alabama, a colleague asked if I knew who was number one in football. Not being a sports enthusiast, but reading all parts of the newspaper religiously, I replied that the polls said my alma mater, the University of Michigan, was ranked number one.

“No,” I was told. “Alabama is number one.”

I scratched my head and wondered about him. Apparently, he didn’t keep up with the news and his taste in clothing – a crimson blazer and a houndstooth vest – left something to be desired. At least, it wasn’t as loud a combination as the burnt orange blazer and navy blue tie another guy in the office seemed to sport every Friday.

It didn’t take long for me to understand the fervent loyalty Alabama and Auburn fans have for their teams. They live, breathe, and probably would sell their first born child for if it would insure a victory. They revere their coaches as Gods – at least as long as their teams are winning. Some people think their devotion to their schools is crazy.

There was a time I was a member of that latter group, but not anymore. Since becoming a writer, I understand the value of fans. They are the people who validate my efforts and those of my fellow writers. They encourage and give us purpose. When a person says “I liked your book” or “Your book really made a difference in my life,” it means the world to us.
That’s why, having fans and being a fan is a reciprocal relationship. Readers trust us to give them the best book possible. They want us to transport them away from their everyday lives, even if only for a few minutes. Hopefully, we not only do that, but we treat our fans with respect and admiration.

Without our readers behind us, much like a team playing a championship game, we are nothing. So, it is a two way street. We must be our fans biggest fans.

Guest Blogger: James M. Jackson – The Allure of a Mystery Series

The Allure of a Mystery Series by James M. Jackson
One of my great pleasures of mystery fan conferences such as Malice Domestic and Left Coast Crime is the opportunity to talk with a wide variety of readers. When I get to chatting with a reader I usually ask about favorite authors to compare notes. After a while I’ll ask about how they approach series.
Writers and publishers like series because of the long-tail effect: if someone reads one book in the series and enjoys it, chances are good they’ll read another in the series, and another and another. Each new addition to the series not only has the potential to sell to fans, but bring in new readers who will ultimately want to read the entire series.

A couple of years ago my better half, Jan, and I were attending Malice Domestic. We wanted to read all of the books nominated for Best Contemporary Novel. Jan discovered that Julia Spencer-Fleming’s Through the Evil Days was part of a series. Rather than just read that book, Jan wanted to read the entire eight books in order. So she blitz read her way through the series in about two months’ time (while reading the other new-to-her books as well).

It turns out Jan is not alone. A significant percentage of people I’ve talked are like her. (I wish I had kept an accurate account so I could tell you the exact percentage.) They strongly prefer to read series novels in order—some so much so that they will not read a series out-of-order! Can you imagine how long it would take a reader new to Sue Grafton to catch up on Kinsey Milhone and the now twenty-four alphabet books starting with A is for Alibi and ending currently ending with X? Not going to happen, right?

Well consider these Kindle Book rankings for Grafton’s series (early morning 9/4/15):
X — #19
W is for Wasted — #1,603
V is for Vengeance — #4,603
U is for Undertow — #8,886
T is for Trespass — #9,164
C is for Corpse – #7,685
B is for Burglar — #6,760
A is for Alibi — #3,137
Not only does Grafton have a top twenty hit two and a half weeks after its release, she has seven other books in the top 10,000 Kindle sellers: the previous three and the first three. People are catching up if they’ve missed a few books, and people are starting at the beginning. This long tail is why publishers like successful series.
To allow that piling on effect, publishing contracts were (and often still are) for three books.

And the three-book contracts are, I suspect, why I have found another phenomena amongst many mystery readers. They won’t start reading a series unless there are a sufficient number of books published. The oft-stated reason goes something like “I don’t want to fall in love with an author and then have to wait a year for the next book.”

When presented with the Catch 22 situation that if no one buys the first books in a series, there won’t be more books, the next response is something like, “I want to make sure the series will be there.” Particularly with small presses and self-publishing they don’t want to invest in a character for only one or two books. From my sampling of folks I’ve met, those with this attitude often require a minimum of three books, and preferably four or five in a series, before they will become interested.
So, two questions for you, dear readers:
(1) Do you prefer reading series in order? If so, must you start at the beginning, or do you read the most recent and then if you enjoyed it go back and start from the beginning?
(2) Do you have a required minimum number of published books before you’ll start reading a series, and if so how many?

For those of you who want at least three, my Seamus McCree novels are now eligible for your consideration. You can read them in order: Ant Farm, Bad Policy, and Cabin Fever. (Notice I subtly stole the alphabet idea from Sue Grafton?) For those who want at least four, I promise Doubtful Relations will be published in 2016.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

James M. Jackson authors the Seamus McCree mystery series. ANT FARM (2015), a prequel to BAD POLICY (2013) and CABIN FEVER (2014), recently won a Kindle Scout nomination. BAD POLICY won the Evan Marshall Fiction Makeover Contest whose criteria were the freshness and commerciality of the story and quality of the writing. Jim has also published an acclaimed book on contract bridge, as well as numerous short stories and essays. For more information: http://jamesmjackson.com

Go Set A Watchman – a Draft Not a Sequel

Go Set A Watchman – a Draft Not a Sequel by Debra H. Goldstein

Once upon a time, a book by Harper Lee titled To Kill a Mockingbird was published. The book was tightly written, had beautiful descriptions of the people living in a small southern town, and provided a moral compass for generations of readers. Despite the awards the book won and the adoration of the public, Ms. Lee said she wouldn’t publish another book and she held true to her word until 2015 when, after the death of her sister, who also was her personal lawyer, a manuscript “discovered” in Harper Lee’s sister’s lockbox was published.

The found manuscript, Go Set A Watchman, was explained as being the original Harper Lee version that after a year of rewriting under the guidance of her editor became the To Kill a Mockingbird published in 1960. Supposedly, her then editor felt the draft manuscript was flawed but believed the parts dealing with the main character as a child with the story told from the child’s perspective were strong enough to build a book around.

The editor was right.

My disclaimer at this point: since I began writing novels and short stories, I read differently. Rather than reading simply for enjoyment, I can’t help taking books apart structurally. Although Go Set A Watchman deals with events and characters after the time of To Kill a Mockingbird with flashbacks to the main character’s childhood, it is not a sequel. It is a draft.

Repetitive passages, instances of showing not telling, point of view shifts, and even a nickname reference without establishing a set-up for it are problematic – especially since readers are so familiar with To Kill a Mockingbird. The book isn’t bad, but it isn’t the story or even the characters associated with Mockingbird unless it is a passage dealing with the children. Those passages are engaging. A careful reader will find many full paragraphs and partial references made to events or actions that are fleshed out in the final To Kill a Mockingbird manuscript. Some characters are left out, others added and there are major differences between the arthritic Atticus of Watchman and his dignified characterization in Mockingbird. Most importantly, some of the points that Harper Lee subtlety made in lines readers recall after closing the last page of To Kill a Mockingbird can only be found in long speeches or between the lines in Go Set A Watchman.

If there had been no To Kill a Mockingbird, Watchman would have been read as a first novel with little to no lasting impact. Although Scout is a young woman in this book, to call it a sequel is a shame. It should be read and perhaps even taught in schools as what it is — a draft that with revision eventually became a masterpiece.

This blog originally was posted on The Stiletto Gang http://thestilettogang.blogspot.com/ on August 14, 2015. The Stiletto Gang blogspot is written by eight mystery and romance writers. I blog for The Stiletto Gang on the second and fourth Fridays of each month and post a personal or guest blog on It’s Not Always a Mystery every other Monday.  This is the first time I have ever reposted a piece from the other blog, but living in Alabama and reading the local and national media controversy respecting the publication of Go Set A Watchman, I can’t resist sharing my opinion in this venue, too.  Debra

Guest Blogger: Jayne Ormerod – Everything You’ve Always Wanted to Know About Genres…But Were Afraid to Ask

Jayne Ormerod

EVERYTHING YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT GENRES…But Were Afraid to Ask
By Jayne Ormerod

(Whispered conversation between two young ladies recently overheard in a library bathroom…)
“Do you know anything about, you know…what they’re talking about in there?”
“No. I’m pretty inexperience when it comes to that kind of stuff.”
“Me too.”
“Is there some sort of book or something that would explain everything?”
“You mean like an illustrated how-to manual?”
“Yeah.”
“Not that I know of. But I’ve heard some of the older girls talking.”
“And?”
“I think they’re talking like they know, but they really don’t know.”
“So how do you learn?”
“I guess you just learn by doing it…”

No, these young ladies were not talking about the facts of life. They were aspiring authors attending their first mystery writers’ meeting. Words like genre and sub-genre and novella had been bandied about like bits of gossip dropped at a high-society cocktail party, all followed by a knowing look and responded to with an I’ll-pretend-I-know-what-you’re-talking-about-even-though-I’m-clueless nod. It might surprise you to learn that these two seemingly unrelated topics do have a lot in common.

Think back to your sixth-grade sex-education class. Remember that old (keep in mind that age is relative) lady who stood at the front of the class and droned on in a clinical, unemotional, rather boring litany of how a baby is conceived? At the end, everyone had lots of questions but were too afraid to ask. Instead, they resorted to learning bout the real facts of life from their equally uniformed friends who had older sibling who had real life experiences—while fooling around under the stadium bleachers.

The topic of genres is as whispered abut in the writing world as sex is in middle school. Many new writers rely on crumbs of information dropped by those older and more experienced. This often leads to misinformation and confusion. As a professional writer, it’s important to know just where your historical thriller with romantic and paranormal undertones fits into the grand scheme of things. You’ll need to know this for when you query an agent, or when position your book in the self-publishing arena.

In an attempt to bring enlightenment to this taboo subject, I’ll be the Old Lady at the Front of the Classroom, sharing with you, in a clinical and unemotional way, the Facts of Genres

Novels (works of fiction in excess of 50,000 words) are broken down into two categories: literary and commercial/mainstream.
Literary novels are often character or emotional based, and called “serious fiction” because their style and technique are often as important as subject matter. Think Steinbeck, Hemingway, or the more contemporary Amy Tan.
Commercial books are so named for their broad appeal. They are typically predictable, often driven by a compelling plot, and are usually read solely for their entertainment value. Authors like Nora Roberts or Stephen King fall into this category.
Commercial novels are further broken down into (and you don’t have to whisper it…) genres. The clinical definition, according to Webster’s Dictionary is “a category of artistic, musical or literary composition characterized by a particular style, form or content.” The most recognized genres in literature are: romance, westerns, mysteries, horror, suspense/thriller, science fiction/fantasy.

Genres are further broken down into sub-genres. In the interest of time and space, we’ll limit our discussion on sub-genres of mysteries—a novel whose central theme is the solving of a puzzle. Mystery sub-genres include (but are in no way limited to): classic whodunit; courtroom drama, cozy; forensic; historical; medical; police procedural; or private detective.

It used to be easy to categorize a book based on its primary theme. No more, as the lines between the genres are blurring. Many popular fiction writers intertwine elements into one novel with the same subtlety of a chef might sweeten a pot of chili with a square of chocolate. It’s a main dish with underlying elements of dessert—two unrelated ingredients combined to create one satisfying entrée.

So, be you a sub-genre purist or one who likes a little chocolate stirred in, at least now you know everything about genres, but were afraid to ask.

Disclaimer: The proceeding information was compiled on the best authority from a friend of a friend as relayed by her older and more experience sister, who learned everything she knows via experience—under the stadium bleachers.

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Jayne Ormerod grew up in a small Ohio town then went on to a small-town Ohio college. Upon earning her degree in accountancy she became a CIA (that’s not a sexy spy thing, but a Certified Internal Auditor.) She married a naval officer and they off they sailed to see the world. After fifteen moves she realized she needed a more transportable vocation, so turned to writing cozy mysteries. Her recent releases include two short stories, “Secrets” and “The Sniper Sisters,” in the anthology titled By the Bay: East Beach Stories. For more information on Jayne’s published works, please visit her website at www.JayneOrmerod.com.

Guest Blogger Sherry Harris – Openings

Sherry Harris

Openings by Sherry Harris

Oh, the pressure of writing the perfect first line, the perfect first paragraph. I’ve heard over and over if you don’t grab readers in the beginning you can just forget about it. (Me? As a reader I’m a bit more patient with a story.) So you would think when I was writing my first published book, Tagged for Death, I would have been a wreck but I wasn’t. Why? Because my first few lines came from a conversation I overheard in an airport while I was waiting for a flight.

Like most writers I’m constantly listening to other peoples’ conversations. On that particular day I noticed a twenty-something guy pacing around, talking on his cellphone. His conversation would fade in and out as he went by. But my ears perked up when I heard him say, “gunshot.” I would have loved to follow him back and forth but that seemed a bit obvious. Fortunately he paused long enough for me to hear some really interesting and twisted things. All I thought was: Wow. I’d love to use that in a book some day. (My next thought was: Wow. I hope you aren’t on my flight.)

When I had the opportunity to write a proposal for the garage sale series the opening was ready. And the rest of the overheard conversation became part of the plot. Here’s the opening of Tagged for Death: A gunshot sounded. I jerked the phone away from my ear. This time I hung up first. That had been the pattern–one gunshot then the caller disconnected.

I like the opening. Something happens right away and we know it’s not the first time it has happened. I hope it makes a reader react with an “Ooohhh, I want to know what this is about.” But this opening didn’t have an easy journey. When I submitted my proposal I had to include the first three chapters. My agent didn’t think the gunshot was cozy enough. Following his advice I changed the gunshot to a threatening phone call.

This is what I changed it to: “Leave,” a voice said. This time I hung up first. One word and then the caller disconnected. That had been the pattern.

The proposal was accepted and I was off writing the rest of the book. But the new first line never sat well with me. Sarah Winston had a lot of people in her life that handled guns — military personnel and police men and women. The threatening phone call also created plot problems. Was it a man or woman? (And if Sarah knew it cut the suspect pool in half.) Why doesn’t she recognize the voice? Should I say the voice has been electronically altered? My problems seemed to grow from there.

In the end, before I submitted the full manuscript, I changed it back to the original opening. The story unfolded as it should. To my surprise, no one ever mentioned the change. I’m not sure I’d recommend doing this. Sometimes a suggestion makes the story better but in this case it just didn’t feel right or work as well. I’m glad I stuck to my guns and hope my readers are too.

Readers: Do you have a favorite opening?

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Sherry Harris started bargain hunting in second grade at her best friend’s yard sale. She honed her bartering skills as she moved around the country while her husband served in the Air Force. Sherry uses her love of garage sales, her life as a military spouse, and her time living in Massachusetts as inspiration for the Sarah Winston Garage Sale series. Tagged for Death the first in the series was nominated for an Agatha Award for Best First Novel. The Longest Yard Sale released on June 30, 2015.

Blog: Wickedcozyauthors.com Website: Sherryharrisauthor.com

Guest Blogger: Kay Kendall – Do Fictional Characters Make Demands? How Two Holocaust Survivors Entered My Book

Kay Kendall

Do Fictional Characters Make Demands? How Two Holocaust Survivors Entered My Book by Kay Kendall

Authors often assert that characters can take off on their own and run away with their stories. One writer said, “When Jim told me he was the killer, I had to change my plot.” But such remarks have made me dubious. Nothing like that happened when I wrote my first mystery, Desolation Row (2013). Yet, when I wrote the sequel, Rainy Day Women (July 2015), I experienced the phenomenon.

This realization hit me when someone asked why I—a Methodist—included two Holocaust survivors in my mystery set in 1969. My characters had simply demanded to be survivors because they had an important story to tell. After all, I grew up with versions of my characters Mr. and Mrs. Spektor in my head. As a child of the sixties, I cannot recall the first time I heard about the Holocaust. I have always known. Those horrors are as much a part of my upbringing as the Cold War and JFK’s assassination.

History fascinates me. I always want to know why things happened the way they did. What makes people behave irrationally? I recall clearly the moment I learned about Stalin’s blood purges in my Soviet history class. How were these atrocities allowed to happen? I quizzed my professor hard, and he smiled gently at my naiveté. Through years of studying Russian history and earning degrees in the subject, I learned to make sense of the plague that was Stalin.

However, try as I might—reading lots about the Holocaust and Jewish life back to Moses, plus watching documentaries and dramas—I still cannot understand the antisemitism that gave rise to Stalin’s contemporary, that other scourge called Hitler. I have gained some insight into how Hitler came to power, but the societal crush of the Holocaust remains beyond my comprehension. Yet today, despite discovery of the historical facts of the Holocaust, antisemitism again stalks the globe.

But back to my two characters, Mr. and Mrs. Spektor. They are the parents of Shona, the first murder victim in Rainy Day Women. I made them Jewish because European and American history tells us that many Jews were activists in progressive causes, and in my mystery Shona was a leader in the women’s liberation movement of 1969. Someone killed her. Her parents wonder if antisemitism had anything to do with it. Or, was it anti-feminism?

Historical mysteries provide a way for readers to refresh their knowledge of a time period, or learn about it in the first place. The 1960s gave rise to issues that are still relevant today, and in my books I seek not only to entertain but also to give gentle history lessons. I wrote my way through half of Rainy Day Women before, all of a sudden, the Spektors insisted they were Holocaust survivors. I paused only a moment and then agreed. I can only conclude that their demands sprang out of my subconscious.

All the history I studied combined with the outrage I feel over growing antisemitism. With the world becoming increasingly hateful, non-Jews like me also must speak up. Using my book as their conduit, Mr. and Mrs. Spektor step forward to remind us, “Never again.”
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Kay Kendall is a long-time fan of historical novels and writes atmospheric mysteries that capture the spirit and turbulence of the sixties. She is also an award-winning international PR executive who lives in Texas with her Canadian husband, three house rabbits, and spaniel Wills. Terribly allergic to her bunnies, she loves them anyway! Her book titles show she’s a Bob Dylan buff too. RAINY DAY WOMEN is the second in her Austin Starr Mystery series. Desolation Row is the first.
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