KN Magazine: Articles
5 Tips to Understanding Genre in the Publishing Industry / Sydney Mathieu
Genre can be a tricky subject for authors. What categories of genre exist? Which one should I choose for my book? What if I’ve already decided on my book’s genre, but someone else disagrees? Does it even matter at all?
From most writers’ perspectives, the genre is secondary to writing the book they have in their head. Authors write books based on their ideas for character and plot—and that’s absolutely normal. However, genre becomes important when an author begins looking for an agent, finding a publisher, or starting a publicity campaign
Genre gives you a way to find an agent and gives agents a way to pitch books to publishers. Many publishers and divisions of publishers (imprints) specialize in publishing specific genres, and agents often have better connections with publishers in certain genres. Some agents specialize in children’s books, some mysteries, some romances. When you are trying to find an agent to work on your book, it’s helpful to know what kind of book you’ve written so that you can choose the best agent. When an agent specializing in your genre matches you with a publisher, you can be assured that the publisher will have a team of editors, publicists, and designers with a great understanding of how to produce a novel in your genre. This specialized approach ensures your title matches reader expectations.
Readers decide to read books based on their genre labels. Readers are used to books being categorized by genre, and each of those categories means something to a reader. For instance, a cozy mystery isn’t going to have gratuitous violence, and a thriller isn’t going to be a slow-paced character study. This makes it easy for readers who like certain types of books to easily decide if the book is right for them. This may seem like it simply narrows the audience and pushes people away, but it actually helps readers who will like your book find it, read it, and hopefully review it. There’s no benefit to having a reader who likes thrillers but hates cozy mysteries read a cozy mystery just to trash it on Goodreads because it wasn’t at all what they expected.
Your publicity and marketing teams can better target your market. There are plenty of publications (like Killer Nashville) that focus on single genres or groups of similar genres. If your book is incorrectly categorized or nebulously labeled “contemporary fiction” without further specificity (if further specificity is appropriate for your title), your publicity team may find it hard to convince niche genre outlets to cover the book, thereby missing a huge sector of your potential audience.
But my book is a “literary novel.” Some authors finish their books completely convinced they know the genre: literary. This may or may not be true, but more importantly, it’s typically not the complete truth. For instance, “Pride and Prejudice” is a literary novel, but it’s also a novel with a strong romance. “1984” is a literary novel, but it’s also a dystopian novel. These kinds of subcategorizations help your publicity team find readers. Unless you’re already established as a literary author, that label typically comes after one of your titles has gone through vetting by readers and publishing professionals who have declared your work “literary.” Most books and authors don’t start at that point; they grow to it.
Trust the professionals helping you. Sometimes authors write books, and they really just don’t know what genre it’s in. That’s 100 percent okay. That’s what your agent, editors, and publisher are for. They can help you either decide what genre it is or shape it into a genre that it’s already trending toward. Of course, not every book is going to perfectly fit into a single genre, and that’s okay. If you’re aware of how your book compares to similar titles, it can even be a unique distinction. It’s okay to write a “cozy mystery that’s a little edgier than usual” or a “dystopian novel with a private investigator–style mystery.”
At the end of the day, a genre isn’t “what your book is.” Instead, it’s a tool for editors, publicists, and readers to describe your book to others to ensure that the readers who will love the book find it, and that’s what every author wants!
Sydney Mathieu is a digital marketing expert who creates innovative campaigns for author and publisher clients for JKS Communications. She is a well-respected book publicist with a graphic design background that makes authors' visual promotions and social media pop. She focuses much of her time on promoting authors through social media, Amazon SEO, Goodreads support, and creatively getting promotional material into the hands of tastemakers.
(To become a Killer Nashville Guest Columnist, send a query to contact@killernashville.com. We’d love to hear from you.)
Thanks to Joseph Borden and publisher/editorial director Clay Stafford for their assistance in putting together this week’s editorial.
The Writer's Life: Coming Up with the Idea for Your Novel
As Killer Nashville Special Projects Coordinator, Beth Terrell has worked with many writers. She has calculated from their successes; she has avoided pitfalls by observing their failures. And through this association and her own tenacity, Beth Terrell (writing as Jaden Terrell) has also become a Killer Nashville success story, a story that is well deserved, and a story for which we at Killer Nashville are ecstatic. We could not be prouder.
Now, Beth is passing what she has learned to you.
In this monthly column, Beth will share her journey while also referencing the paths of different writers who have come into our Killer Nashville family. It is a journey worth learning from and it will save years – maybe decades – if you will only follow her along. From writing to promoting, a writer’s job never ends.
Where is the best place to start this series? At the beginning: with The Idea.
The Writer's Life Coming Up with the Idea for Your Novel
By Beth Terrell
SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A NOVEL?
So, you want to write a novel? Specifically, you want to write a mystery, thriller, or other type if crime fiction. Maybe you've always dreamed of being a writer. Maybe you've pursued other dreams and are just now coming to the realization that writing a book is something you'd really like to do.
Good for you!
Most people secretly dream of writing a book; yet, most never even finish a first draft.
This series of upcoming articles is designed to take you from the seed of an idea through your first draft, the revision process, publishing, and marketing your novel. I’m not going to tell you the “right” way to write a book. There is no one right way, only the way that works for you. But I can show you one way to write a novel, and then help you tailor it to your individual needs.
Somerset Maugham said, "There are three rules for writing a great novel. Unfortunately, nobody knows what they are." So you won’t find any ironclad rules here, only processes that can help you clarify your ideas and organize them into a coherent, and eventually, a polished story.
Much of the process involves asking yourself questions.
WHAT DO YOU KNOW RIGHT NOW?
The first one is, what do you already know about your book? Maybe you already have a main character. Maybe you know you want to write a cozy, a thriller, or police procedural. Maybe you already have a plot sketched out, or maybe you just have an image, like the one of a little girl in muddy underpants that gave birth to William Faulkner’s The Sound and the Fury.
However much or little you know about your book, you’ll answer subsequent questions within the context of what you’ve already decided. If you make a choice that doesn’t mesh with your previous decisions, you’ll either need to change one or more of your earlier choices, or figure out a way to make the incompatibility work in your favor.
Let’s say you want to write a gritty, high-tech thriller with lots of violence and explosions. A frail, near-sighted beekeeper with sciatica whose hobby is stamp-collecting and who is so technologically challenged he doesn’t even own a computer or a cell phone would be an unlikely protagonist.
But what if you’re married to both these ideas?
First, you’ll need to give your beekeeper a reason to get involved in your thriller plot (maybe he saw something he shouldn’t), a motivation to continue (now his life or the life of a loved one is in danger), and a believable means of overcoming his physical limitations (perhaps with the help of a secondary character who does possess the necessary skills). He should find a way to use his knowledge of bees, stamps, or sciatica to overcome or outwit the villains. He’ll need to have strengths he never knew he possessed. And the reader will need to see a hint of those strengths early in the story.
You can write a great book by going against expectations, but you have to do some work to make it believable.
What questions you ask yourself and the order in which you ask them depends on what you already know about your story, but since we have to start somewhere, let’s start at the very beginning: what kind of book do you want to write?
WRITE WHAT YOU READ
There’s a good chance the book you should write is like the ones you like to read. If you love romantic suspense, that might be a good genre for you to start with. If you despise romantic novels, but think you could just dash one off and make a bushel of money because they sell like hotcakes, maybe you should consider another genre. It's almost impossible to write well in a genre for which you feel contempt; readers who love the genre will sense your disdain and resent it. (Bigfoot porn seems to be an exception to this rule. You might be able to haul in a boatload with money with some dashed-off Bigfoot porn.)
There are no bad genres. The best of any genre is just as literary as the best literary novel. Think The Big Sleep, In Cold Blood, and To Kill a Mockingbird. These are considered great literature, but what are they, if not crime novels?
Pick a genre or subgenre you like and feel comfortable writing in, and don’t worry about whether it’s “literary” or not. It should be the kind you like to read, but also one you can write knowledgeably about—or one that you can (and want to) research well enough to write knowledgeably about.
Sometimes the amount or kind of research you're willing and able to do influences your decision about what book to write. Maybe you like books set in ancient Egypt, but you know nothing about ancient Egypt and don't particularly want to do the intensive study it would take to find out. Then by all means, keep reading mysteries set in ancient Egypt, but choose something different to write about.
But what if you're not even sure if you're writing a detective novel, a police procedural, or a novel with an amateur sleuth? What if you're not sure what kind of book you're most drawn to? Or what if you're an eclectic reader and love all sorts of books?
Let's try an exercise.
GET OUT A PAPER AND PEN
Write down the titles of your ten favorite crime novels. Ask yourself what you like about each one and what they have in common. Do you see any patterns?
Let's say you have on your list: Janet Evanovitch, Parnell Hall, Donna Andrews, and Agatha Christie. You might be more comfortable writing a cozy mystery, possibly humorous with little graphic sex or violence, because those are the kinds of books you like to read.
But imagine you have on your list: John Sandford, John Connolly, Thomas Harris, and James Lee Burke. There's a good chance you’re going to want to write a darker, grittier story.
What if you have an equal mix of both? Then you might feel comfortable writing several different kinds of books, and other concerns, such as characters and theme (which we’ll address later in this series), will help you decide what kind of book you should write now.
My list included writers from both of the above lists, but more from the second. I noticed that my favorite books had a serious tone and complex characters I wanted to re-visit: Jonathan Kellerman's Alex Delaware, William Kent Krueger’s Cork O’Connor, Robert Crais’ Joe Pike and Elvis Cole. I may not remember the plot of A is for Alibi, but I do remember that Sue Grafton’s Kinsey Milhone was orphaned at a young age and was raised by her aunt, that she likes small, enclosed spaces, and that she was once married to a gorgeous but irresponsible musician. I read Grafton's books because I like Kinsey. I read Janet Evanovitch's books, even though they’re lighter than I usually read, because I like Stephanie Plum. (Joe Morelli and Ranger have nothing to do with it. No, really... )
What this tells me is that I like books with multi-dimensional characters with deep connections and relationships. Based on my reading habits, this is what I would expect to enjoy writing, and if you look at my Jared McKean series, it turned out to be true. Jared has complex relationships with his brother, his ex-wife, his ex-wife's new husband, and his roommate (a gay man with AIDS). These relationships drive the story and provide a unifying thread through all the books in the series.
SERIES OR STAND-ALONE?
Another question to consider is whether your novel is part of a series or a stand-alone. If you plan to kill off your protagonist, you're probably not writing a series, unless your genre is paranormal.
A stand-alone novel has a story arc, in which the protagonist changes or grows in some way over the course of the story. You’re writing about the single most life-changing event in your character’s life. When it’s over, life goes on in an ordinary way, though his or her circumstances or perceptions may have changed considerably.
A series character might (and should) also undergo changes, but within a single book, these changes may be relatively small. Instead, although each book stands alone, there’s a greater story arc that covers the entire series. Think of Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder. While Scudder reacts to the events of each book, the major changes of his life take place over the course of the series. He acknowledges his alcoholism, joins AA, and learns to control his urge to drink. He dates a series of women, falls in love with a former prostitute, marries her, and begins to reconcile (after a fashion) with the adult sons of his first marriage. If all that happened in a single book, where would he have left to go?
SERIES OR STANDALONE?
If you envision a series, your main character needs to be a multi-faceted character with enough complications and entanglements to sustain a reader's interest for the long haul. If your series contains twenty-six novels (A is for Alibi to Z is for...Ziggurat?), your character had better be up to the task.
In a series, it's especially important that your protagonist is someone you like well enough to invest a hefty chunk of time with. If you don't enjoy your character’s company, how can you expect anyone else to? And what if you should be fortunate enough to write a bestseller? With a million readers clamoring for more, will you like this character enough to live with him or her for a decade or longer?
Again, look to your reading habits. Do you like to follow a favorite character through a series of books? Or do you prefer a stand-alone novel, where you meet a character for the first and last time in a single, self-contained story?
YOU CAN ALWAYS CHANGE YOUR MIND
Think about it.
Make your list.
It doesn't have to be ten writers. It could be two. It could be twenty.
As long as it helps you understand something about what draws you to a story--and what keeps you coming back for more--it's fine.
And remember, nothing is carved in stone. You can always change your mind later, if a better idea comes to you.
That’s the beauty of writing.
See you next month.
Jaden Terrell (Beth Terrell) is a Shamus Award finalist, a contributor to Now Write! Mysteries (a collection of writing exercises by Tarcher/Penguin), and the author of the Jared McKean private detective novels Racing The Devil, A Cup Full of Midnight, and River of Glass. Terrell is the special programs coordinator for the Killer Nashville conference and the winner of the 2009 Magnolia Award for service to the Southeastern Chapter of Mystery Writers of America (SEMWA). A former special education teacher, Terrell is now a writing coach and developmental editor whose leisure activities include ballroom dancing and equine massage therapy. www.jadenterrell.com.
Thrills and Chills: Teaching the Art of Suspense Writing to Kids / Author Kimberly Dana
There is a line in the rock opera “Evita” where the narrator Che’ says with equal parts accusation and admiration, “Get them while they’re young, Evita. Get them while they’re young,” which is to say grow your ranks. In this week’s guest blog, author Kimberly Dana isn’t building a dictatorship; she’s growing young minds to become book lovers and writers with the art of suspense. I was fascinated with her technique…and learned a great deal myself.
Read like they are burning books!
Clay Stafford,
Founder Killer Nashville,
Publisher Killer Nashville Magazine
Thrills and Chills:
Teaching the Art of Suspense Writing to Kids
By Kimberly Dana
Kids adore the adrenaline rush, so it is no surprise they have an innate attraction to the genre of suspense. The feelings of tension, uncertainty, doubt and apprehension all parallel the angst of adolescence, resulting in a familiar emotional connection. Additionally, the physiological response of the pounding beating heart, the spine-prickling shivers, and mind-buzzing thoughts serve up an intoxicating thrill ride kids thrive on.
Consequently, it makes perfect sense that kids make amazing suspense writers — if given the proper tools.
What are the benefits of teaching suspense writing to kids?
1) Adults want to be glued to the page and kids are no exception — only “the hook” is even more critical in their techno world of iPad, iPod, and iPhone instant gratification (Clearly, this is what the “i” must stand for)! So as teachers, we have our work cut out for us; however, if boredom is the archenemy of a love for literacy, then suspense is the antidote. Suspenseful stories have universal appeal and can magically pique the interest of even the most reluctant of readers, jarring them awake from their ill-fated K-12 “School-is-boring. Reading is stupid” stupor. A story whereby an ordinary person is thrown into extraordinary circumstances is irresistible. Throw in a ticking clock and a spooky setting, and you just made Jaded Johnny a lifetime reader. Talk about a best practices with synergistic effects!
2) To strengthen our resolve in making book buffs out of reluctant readers, suspenseful stories contain rich literary elements including dark, villainous characters; mysterious motifs of staircases, woods, graveyards, shadows, and confined spaces; and, thought-provoking thematic subjects, such as perception versus reality, good over evil, and isolation and imprisonment. Suspense stories are not only an entertaining vehicle, they surreptitiously breed critical thinking and deductive reasoning skills from students whom are not otherwise be engaged.
3) Finally, suspenseful stories empower kids by unmasking the cerebral tools and coping skills needed in order to tackle life’s enigmas. Through exposure to mysterious worlds of dark characters and thematic messages, kids learn to revere intelligence, sagacity, and fearlessness. Kids love to “get deep” as they debate and argue over the finer points of plot. Insulated by a safe, voyeuristic lens, kids can safely unravel intricate storylines as they earnestly judge the innocent versus the guilty, thereby refining their own sense of morality. What’s more, suspenseful stories generate rich discussion in literary analysis and are a perfect springboard for developing kids’ own unique writing craft and style.
So how do we teach suspense? The first thing we have to teach kids is what suspense is: A state or feeling of excited or anxious uncertainty about what may happen as opposed to what suspense is not: Suspense is not horror. The two are easily confused so when I introduce the concept, I always translate it into kid-speak. I tell my students, “Suspense is not Freddy Krueger or Michael Myers. It is much more refined than blood and gore. And therefore, even more terrifying.”
“What is the difference?” they ask with bated breath.
“It’s simple,” I tell them. “Horror shows. Suspense implies. And then I dim the lights, set match to a votive candle, and read Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Tell-Tale Heart.” And when the narrator tears up the planks and proclaims, “Villains…dissemble no more! I admit the deed! — tear up the planks! — here, here! — it is the beating of his hideous heart!” — I look out into their shiny eyes, burning brightly and begging for more. So later that week we read suspense-riddled tomes, such as “The Monkey’s Paw,” “Lamb to the Slaughter,” and “The Lottery.”
Once my students are feeling creatively juiced with sordid secrets, villainous vendettas, gothic graveyards, and are up to the task of writing their own stories, it is my modus operandi to get them past “It was a dark and stormy night..."
This is, of course, how most kids will begin their suspense story. Not that there is anything wrong with dark and stormy nights. Dark and stormy nights are a perfect setting when building a backdrop for suspense. But in the interest of avoiding clichés, I front-load my kid writers to a special acronymic formula for “writhe-in-your-seat-worthy” suspense writing: G.E.M. — Gothicism, Expansion of Time, and Magic of Three.
GOTHICISM: All suspense stories should express an element of the gothic genre, such as the supernatural; an eerie, mysterious setting; emotion over passion; or distinctive characters who are lonely, isolated, and/or oppressed. Throw in a tyrannical villain, a vendetta, or an illicit love affair — you've got Goth gold! Why Gothicism? It explores the tragic themes of life and the darker side of human nature. What’s more, kids innately are attracted to it. Just ask Stephenie Meyer.
EXPANDING TIME: Next, I introduce the art of expanding time using foreshadowing, flashback, and implementing “well, um...maybe…let me see” dialogue.” Expanding time allows the writer to twist, turn, and tangle up the plot. “Tease your audience,” I tell my students. “Pile on the problems and trap your protagonist with a ticking clock. Every second counts with suspense!” There is an old writing adage that says to write slow scenes fast and fast scenes slow. By delaying the big reveal, we build tension and punch up the plot.
MAGIC OF THREE: Finally, the Magic of Three comes into play. The Magic of Three is a writer's trick where a series of three hints lead to a major discovery. During the first hint, the protagonist detects something is amiss. The second hint sparks a more intense reaction, but nothing is discovered — yet. And then — BANG! The third hint leads to a discovery or revelation. During the big reveal, I teach kids to use and manipulate red flags and phrases, such as Suddenly, Without warning, In a blink of an eye, Instantly, A moment later, Like a shot, To my shock, and To my horror.
Teaching suspense writing to kids breeds amazing results. Once they learn to tantalize their audience through the craft of anticipation with G.E.M., they recognize the power behind suspense and why audiences are drawn to the genre. More importantly, they appreciate suspense for what it is...the secret sauce of writing.
“So go mine your story, and find your G.E.M.,” I tell my students. “The clock is ticking...”
If you would like to read more about Kimberly Dana's books please click here.
Featured on NBC’s More at Midday and The Tennessean as a middle school tween expert, Kimberly Dana is a multi-award-winning young adult and children's author. She is published by the National Council of Teachers of English, Parenthood, Your Teen, About Families, SI Parent, Sonoma Family Life, and the recipient of several writing honors from Writers Digest, Reader Views, the Pacific Northwest Writer Association, and various international book festivals. Other affiliations include the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and EPIC, the Electronic Publishing Industry Coalition, where she serves as a judge for the annual eBook competition. Kimberly’s most recent books include her YA thriller, Cheerage Fearage, middle grade novel Lucy and CeCee’s How to Survive (and Thrive) in Middle School, Pretty Dolls, voted Best Children’s Book of the Year by Reader Views and Character Building Counts, and Buon Appetito, a children’s picture book that celebrates diversity and the English Language Learner published by Schoolwide Inc. Kimberly has been endorsed by Common Core News and a featured presenter at the Southern Festival of Books, The Carnegie Writers Group, Killer Nashville Writers Conference, and schools nationwide. A lover of photography and experimental cooking, Kimberly lives in Nashville with her husband and spoiled Shih Tzu. Visit her website at http://kimberlydana.blogspot.com
(Have an idea for our blog? Then share it with our Killer Nashville family. With over 24,000 visits monthly to the Killer Nashville website, over 300,000 reached through social media, and a potential outreach of over 22 million per press release, Killer Nashville provides another way for you to reach more people with your message. Send a query to contact@killernashville.com or call us at 615-599-4032. We’d love to hear from you. Thanks to Maria Giordano, Will Chessor and author Tom Wood for his volunteer assistance in coordinating our weekly blogs. For more writer resources, visit us at www.KillerNashville.com)
Blending Humor and Tension in a Traditional Mystery / Author Nancy J. Cohen
There’s nothing funny about murder. Or is there? Mystery, romance, and how-to author Nancy J. Cohen navigates the delicate balance between bloodshed and laughter in her guest blog, “Blending Humor and Tension in a Traditional Mystery.” Here’s a great way to laugh your way into the perfect crime. And for even more great tips from Nancy, check out her book “Writing the Cozy Mystery.”
Happy Reading! (And Happy Writing – using Nancy’s excellent advice).
Clay Stafford,
Founder of Killer Nashville
Nancy J Cohen (Photo by Lasky)
How do you maintain tension in a humorous mystery? First, look at the source of humor. If it’s the sleuth’s wry attitude toward life, humor is inherent to how she’ll view things. It’s in her nature, and no matter the circumstances, her attitude will prevail. Or perhaps the humor is situational. This can be momentary, or it can relate to a subplot that lasts throughout the story. Regardless of the source of your story’s humor, it doesn’t negate the fact that a murder has taken place. Someone’s family is grieving. As the sleuth gets closer to the truth, the killer will increase his attempts to stop her. So tension builds toward a confrontation we know is coming. Foreshadowing can aid in this suspense as can other writing techniques. It’s a delicate balance between the two elements. If your readers expect a humorous story, you can’t kill off a favorite character or go serious with a child in jeopardy or a rape scene. You have to conform to reader expectations of the genre, especially in a cozy mystery. Your story can still be suspenseful. The sleuth has to uncover the clues before someone else gets hurt or killed. In my writing guide, Writing the Cozy Mystery, I detail some of the techniques a writer can use to raise tension. The trick is to blend these elements with the humor inherent in your story. For example, in Shear Murder, Marla—my hairdresser sleuth—discovers a dead body under the cake table at her friend’s wedding. She summons her fiancé, Detective Dalton Vail. Imagining the look on his face will elicit a smile from fans of my Bad Hair Day series. Here’s a brief excerpt:
Catching Dalton’s eye, she signaled frantically. He’d know what to do. When he reached her side, she sagged against him. “Don’t look now, but there’s a dead body under the table,” she murmured under her breath. “What?” “You heard me.” She smiled tremulously at a couple who strolled past. Could they tell she was sweating? That her face had lost its color? That she was about to lose her dinner? Dalton half bent, his dark hair falling forward, but then he straightened with a grin. “Good one, Marla. You almost got me.” She shuffled her feet. “I’m not kidding.” Any minute they’d call for the cake, or Jill would broaden the hunt for her sister. Chewing on her bottom lip, she lifted a portion of the drape so Dalton could see for himself. Her stomach heaved as she almost stepped on a trickle of congealing blood. “Holy Mother, you aren’t joking.” He gave her an incredulous glance that she read as, Not again.
But even funnier is the subsequent scene where Marla tries to keep the bride from discovering the murder until after the cake cutting ceremony. She has to prevent the bride and groom from coming over. So Marla decides to bring the cake to them. It was fun to write this scene where Marla and Dalton carry the heavy cake toward the newlyweds. They’re interrupted en route, and Marla sweats as the cake on its piece of cardboard gets heavier and heavier. This incident is a perfect example of humor blended with tension.
"Hanging By A Hair" by Nancy J. Cohen
Another example comes in Hanging By A Hair, #11 in the Bad Hair Day series. Dalton and Marla have wed and moved into a new neighborhood. At their first homeowners’ meeting, Dalton gets into an altercation with the president who happens to be their next-door neighbor. Cherry, the community’s treasurer, warns Marla and Dalton about the fellow.
“That man has secrets to hide. Better not push him. You don’t know what he’ll do.” Marla got an inkling of what Cherry meant when a plastic bag of dog poop showed up on their circular driveway the next day. She’d just stepped outside at seven o’clock on Friday morning with Lucky and Spooks—their golden retriever and cream-colored poodle— when she noticed the item lying on the asphalt. Hauling on the dogs’ leashes, she veered over to verify her observation. Then she rushed back inside to inform her husband. “I’ll bet it’s him,” Dalton said, rising from the breakfast table where he sat drinking coffee and watching the news. “Let me get my fingerprint kit. I can prove it.”
The absurdity of Dalton checking the plastic bag for fingerprints elicits a chuckle from readers who’ve already come to know these characters. And where did this scene spring from? Personal experience. We found the same thing on our driveway one day, a gift from a nasty neighbor. Lots of personal incidences make their way into my stories, but that’s fodder for another blog. As you can see, humor stems from your characters or the situation. Raising a chuckle while the tension rises works well in a traditional mystery. Let it evolve naturally, and readers will come back for more.
Nancy J. Cohen writes the Bad Hair Day mystery series featuring hairdresser Marla Shore, who solves crimes with wit and style under the sultry Florida sun. Several of these titles have made the IMBA bestseller list. Nancy is also the author of Writing the Cozy Mystery, a valuable instructional guide for mystery writers. Her imaginative romances have also proven popular with fans. Her titles in this genre have won the HOLT Medallion and Best Book in Romantic SciFi/Fantasy at The Romance Reviews. Active in the writing community and a featured speaker at libraries and conferences, Nancy is listed in Contemporary Authors, Poets & Writers, and Who’s Who in U.S. Writers, Editors, & Poets. Currently, she is serving as President of Florida Chapter, Mystery Writers of America. When not busy writing, she enjoys reading, fine dining, cruising, and outlet shopping. Visit her website at http://nancyjcohen.com.
(To be a part of the Killer Nashville Guest Blog, send a query to contact@killernashville.com. We’d love to hear from you.)
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