This article was first published in Writer’s Guide to 2012.
People like to know the answers, but they also love a
mystery. Mystery books allows readers to ponder options, follow clues, test
their wits – and ultimately learn the answers.
The mystery category contains many sub-genres, from gritty
Hard-Boiled to light and humorous Cozies. Some fans read across sub-genres, but
many have favorites. Claire Eddy, Senior Editor at Tor/Forge Books, says, “I am
a sucker for a well crafted noir tale. Also historical mysteries, but only if
the author has really done their research.”
Robert Kresge wrote Murder
for Greenhorns, about a young schoolteacher and a Texas cowboy who join
forces to solve a murder in 1870 Wyoming. “They say ‘write what you know.’ So
with 30 years in the CIA, should I be writing spy novels? It can also mean ‘write
what you read the most of.’ I found myself reading or listening to [historical
mystery heroes] Brother Cadfael, Marcus Didius Falco, Amelia Peabody, and Phryne
Fisher.”
Mystery or Suspense?
Whether historical or modern day, mysteries can feature
heroes ranging from police officers and private eyes to nosy amateurs or
innocent victims who get swept into trouble. Thrillers and suspense novels may also
be considered mysteries, even if the hero isn’t trying to solve a crime in the
traditional sense.
For example, my Southwestern adventure The Mad Monk's Treasure features the heroine and hero trying to
elude villains while they hunt for a long-lost treasure. Romantic suspense
novels like these find favor with many mystery fans if they have enough action.
Each sub-genre has its particular challenges. “Dealing with
romantic suspense means fitting a mystery or a suspense into the romance reader’s
expectations,” says Terry Odell, author of Where
Danger Hides. “In mystery series, relationships can develop over the course
of many books; in romantic suspense, it’s one.”
Aspiring authors better know the genre’s traditions. Cozies
tend to avoid sex or on-stage violence. Hard-boiled mysteries delve into the
seamy side of life. Police procedurals must get the police work right.
Techno-thrillers focus on the latest technology. Reading widely in one’s chosen
sub-genre is the best way to identify these differences.
But genres, like rules, are made to be broken. Pari Noskin
Taichert calls her Agatha Award-nominated Sasha Solomon series, “Whodunits – with
a humorous New Mexican flair. They’re not your standard cozies because they
have an edge to them. Some of my readers think they’re beach reads while others
find the deeper themes. I’m happy to satisfy both ends of the spectrum.”
Mixing genres can be fun for the writer and the audience,
but may also make it harder to sell the manuscript. Kresge received about 200
rejections for Murder for Greenhorns,
often hearing, “This is just a Western and we don’t publish Westerns.” He was
about to give up, when he found a small local publisher that shared his vision.
Murder for Greenhorns became a
finalist for the 2011 Bruce Alexander Award for Best Historical Mystery of the
Year.
Putting It All Together
A solid mystery requires a clever and believable puzzle.
Noskin Taichert says, “For me, with traditional mystery series, there are three
big challenges: telling a really good story; making the puzzle interesting and
believable enough that the reader wants to work with my amateur-sleuth
protagonist to figure out the crime; and not giving too much away with the
hints I put in the story.”
Odell lists the keys to a good mystery as “Providing clues,
being fair to the readers with red herrings, and, for anything current, keeping
on top of the latest technology. Things are out of date before you finish
writing, and the public has a skewed perception of reality based on television.”
But a good puzzle is not enough. Editors judges mysteries by
the same standards as other books. “What I’ve seen a lot lately is a great
premise, a terrific pitch, and then a mediocre manuscript,” says Brian Farrey,
Flux Acquisitions editor. “Having that great premise is meaningless if the
writing is phoned in and reads like anyone could have written it. I look for
authors who have a pronounced sense of voice.”
At Kane Press, Senior Editor Juliana Hanford says, “We
always look for great characters. And when authors can balance humor with
nail-biting, on-the-edge-of-your-seat suspense, and can come up with a final twist
that surprises even the readers who think they know everything, then we’re
sold!”
Libby Sternberg, Editor-in-Chief of IstoriaBooks, says, “We
look for the same thing we want in all submissions: a good story, well-told. Do
I want to keep turning or clicking through the pages, and do I want to keep
hearing this author tell me the story? I know that seems simple, but you’d be
surprised how hard it is to write a page-turning story that has a great ‘voice’
attached to it.”
Playing Fair
Sternberg notes, “With mystery, I’d also add this requirement
– the mystery itself must be well-constructed with a resolution that does not
rely on a deus ex machina, or anything similar – I hate reading mysteries
where, suddenly, a strange character, never encountered in the story
previously, shows up and turns out to be the criminal. The reader should be
able to reread the story and see how the clues add up to the denouement.”
“In writing mysteries, one has to come up with a crime,
figure out who did it, create a sympathetic sleuth or sleuths, manage subplots,
plant clues, play fair with your readers, and – usually – come to a satisfying
conclusion,” Kresge says. That’s in addition to the challenges present in all
types of fiction: “Creating and sustaining believable characters, plotting,
pacing, setting, research. Piece of cake juggling all those elements, right?”
How does a writer deal with all these challenges? Noskin
Taichert says, “I’ve written all my life. That’s part of the way I’ve developed
it. Reading voraciously is another. Studying writers – the popular ones who
tell stories really well – makes a difference in my own writing. I’ve also
taken a few workshops here and there, but the biggest result has come from
committing to writing, every single day.”
Writing a great mystery that is also a great book isn’t easy,
but it has its rewards. Sternberg says, “I’ve read various reports that
indicate the mystery market remains strong. Certainly, its fans are loyal and
intelligent, always willing to look at new authors and material. Well-written
mysteries take a tremendous amount of talent, and what I love about mystery
fans is that they appreciate the skill level of mystery writers.”
Finding an Audience
Mystery fans show great loyalty to favorite authors, but
reaching potential fans can be a challenge for newcomers. E-publishing is
providing new opportunities. Eddy has noticed a jump in e-books sales for genre
fiction, especially science fiction, fantasy, and mysteries. “As the devices
proliferate I think we will see this continue,” she says. “People love to read
about murder and mayhem – the way they read them might change; the desire for
the genre will still be there.”
“It also gives authors a way to keep [out-of-print] books
alive,” Odell notes, “and to get things published that straddle or cross
genres, or don’t fit into the narrower confines of traditional publishers.”
“I’m launching an original e-book mystery soon,” Noskin
Taichert says. “More and more writers are taking this chance partly because of
economics, but for me it’s mostly about artistic freedom and control. If I
write a protagonist who editors at the major publishers say mystery readers
aren’t ready for – like my new one who can communicate with insects and other
non-humans – I have the freedom to give her life even though she may not fit
the mold that New York City houses are looking for right now.”
The time has never been better for mysteries, whether for
children or adults, traditionally or independently published, and in whatever
subgenre. As Hanford says, “Good mysteries never go out of style!”
Kris
Bock writes action-packed romantic suspense involving outdoor adventures and
Southwestern landscapes. In Counterfeits, stolen Rembrandt paintings
bring danger to a small New Mexico town. Whispers
in the Dark features archaeology and intrigue among ancient Southwest
ruins. What We Found is a mystery
with strong romantic elements about a young woman who finds a murder victim in
the woods. The Mad Monk’s Treasure
follows the hunt for a long-lost treasure in the New Mexico desert. In The Dead Man’s Treasure, estranged
relatives compete to reach a buried treasure by following a series of complex
clues. Read excerpts at
www.krisbock.com or visit her Amazon page.
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