by Elizabeth S. Craig, @elizabethscraig
Whenever I talk to anyone about my writing, the question usually comes up: would I like to try writing anything other than mystery?
Then I explain that I actually have written something other than mystery. But it was a one-off, a ‘cozy zombie’ book (yes, I did make that genre up). But that was what’s called an ‘attack book.’ The story had been bothering me for years to write it, and finally I did to get the story to shut up.
What people seem most surprised about is that I don’t get bored writing my genre. That I’m not tired of writing the same types of stories.
I’ve always said that I found it a special creative challenge to work within the confines of genre and series.
In lots of ways, it’s much easier to write in a series. For one thing, it’s a good deal faster. You’ve already got your main/recurring characters. The setting will likely be the same. You put these characters into new situations in the same setting and have them respond.
In other ways, it’s that creative challenge I mentioned. Oh, it’s easy enough to come up with something shiny and different for the first few books. But then you usually run into a couple of problems. One, you need to take careful note of story details so you won’t contradict yourself with something you stated in a previous book in the series (just ask me about one character’s cat allergy. Or, rather, please don’t). A story bible is very useful for this.
For another, you’re trying to keep things interesting. Trying to allow the characters to grow but have them still be recognizable. Trying to keep the series fresh and not have it go stale or be too similar to the other books. At the same time, you can’t let things get too different, or readers likely won’t be happy.
And then there’s the genre strictures. For a cozy mystery (the subgenre I write), the stories have a particular pattern to them. I also need to adhere to the genre guidelines (amateur sleuth, no gore, focus on the puzzle not forensics, etc).
I came across a blog post recently by writer Wendy Paine Miller that linked over to an interesting TED talk by artist Phil Hansen. A tremendous setback forced him to change his art forever–but the change (as he calls it, “learning to be creative within the confines of our limitations”) made him successful. In fact, he states that limitations can be “a source of creativity.”
Although Hansen’s limitations were physical, I think we can find that same creative drive within a genre and find just as much satisfaction that way.
Not every writer wants to stick with one genre. Some receive their creative satisfaction by writing many different genres and types of stories. But I think that we don’t have to do that to obtain creative satisfaction. That it’s possible to get it from within the confines of our genre.
Do you see the creative challenges in series writing or in sticking with a particular genre? Have you seen this TED talk (and have you got any others to recommend? I love that stuff).
Sticking with a genre can provide satisfying creative challenges: Click To Tweet
Hi Elizabeth – I was pleased you’d written your cozy zombie story – it’s essential to clear the brain. I’m looking forward to listening to the Hansen TED talk … I’m sure it’ll have lots of ideas – over and above being relative to authors. My mind is always going off at tangents … I’m trying to hone the blog down a bit more … not sure I’ll be that successful – still the creativity can come out in other ways. Cheers Hilary
You know, Elizabeth, I know exactly what you mean. There are endless possibilities in the crime fiction genre, even if you focus on just cosy novels. So many characters, different sorts of plots, the whole thing. I’ve sometimes thought of writing something outside the genre, and I may at some point. But yes, I can see why a person could stay exclusively in genre.
Margot–That’s another good thing about mysteries–there’s a lot of latitude in the genre. We can go into research-heavy forensics with police procedurals, try our hand at a ‘whydunnit’ psychological thriller, or focus on the puzzles of the cozy/traditional.
Hi Elizabeth, fab post! Congrats on scratching that itch, btw. *wink*
I love writing a series and seeing the characters arc over time, and there’s no beating having a pre-built world. However, there are some definite challenges, esp. with the mystery genre. One is what I call the “new guy” phenomenon. If you have a set of established characters and one new guy and something bad happens, guess who the reader suspects? The new guy. And she would be right. Can’t make one of the beloved characters the murderer, unless you want a reader revolt on your hands. (Well, Louise Penny can get away with it, but I find it difficult). The only solution I’ve found so far is to have several “new guys” to deflect suspicion.
It was so much easier with book 1….
Kathy–Counting up, I get around this problem by having quite a few characters. But I only introduce 5-6 new ones. So I’ve got a body of regulars (maybe 7? 8?) and 5-6 (2 of whom will become victims after a while in the story). I always have at least 3 suspects, sometimes 4.
Louise Penny can get away with murder! Love her books.
I’m working on my 4th genre right now, so I guess I like the challenge of a variety of styles.
Diane–Variety can be good, too! It could be, also, that now writing mysteries comes so easily to me that I worry I don’t have the time to branch out and master a new genre.
Yeah, I’m dipping a toe into writing the cozy genre. Mysteries are very different from the fantasy I’ve written before–you have to construct a puzzle. I suddenly have a lot more respect for Agatha Christie and other genre giants who did this for years.
Kessie–In some ways, they’re very, very easy to write. But the clues are the tricky part. I spend a good deal of time on those and on figuring out ways to distract the readers from them. The problem is that mystery readers are so extraordinarily savvy. They’re always on the lookout for clues and I try hard for them not to guess the killer too early.
It all depends on what makes you happiest. If you’re driven to give yourself new challenges, even if you’re not necessarily having fun, then try new genres. But if you’re interested in telling stories, then do stick with a certain genre and have fun with what you enjoy doing.
Ken–Very true. If we’re miserable, we’re not going to be able to get the motivation to power through the project.
Genre choice is a business decision, but not necessarily an artistic one. The trick is knowing which choice matters the most to you. If you can overlap them, great. But the idea of genre was created more by distributors and retailers who needed to organize their stock in a logical fashion. But when Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol, nobody said, “Oh! He switched to horror!” It’s a relatively new idea to pigeon hole them, though readers don’t seem to migrate from one to the other when an author switches. So as long as you know why you’re doing it and know what to expect in sales, I say go for it.
BP–Good point. For me it was both, so I was lucky. My genre became very popular after the horrors of 9/11 (a safe escape) and so it was a commercial decision for me as well as something I enjoyed reading and writing.
When the 12-note musical scale we use today was codified in the late 16th century, it was followed by a monumental explosion of stupendous music.
Constraints fuel art. And, sometimes, we’re just best doing what we do best.
My books all lean the same direction, though occasionally I’m attacked by something else (my children’s book and my current scifi adventure.) I’ve done the same musically: almost all of my songs are Americana. Once in a while a raging rocker or soft jazz or Arabic trance piece worms its way in, but I don’t go looking for them, I’m happy to write like it was country radio in 1963.
Joel–Interesting comparison with musical history! It makes a lot of sense.
Those attack books!
How do you write a cozy zombie story? No gore would be a challenge!! Since my hero is long-lived, I have made my saga a fantasy Leatherstocking Saga with him changing down through the years from naive at the start to tragically alone at the end.
Limitations cause us to think outside the usual to experiment to grow. Great post.
Roland–I think the idea came when my sister-in-law and I were watching Walking Dead with my husband…through our fingers. I figured there had to be a market out there that liked zombie plots without zombie gore. So, the lights on stage sort of go dark when the zombies converge and I hastily shifted scenes and POVs. :) A complicated book. No desire to do that again!
I like your idea of a tragic solitude at the end…think many can relate to that.
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