YOU GOTTA HAVE HEART

While speaking to a library literature/reading group a few weeks ago, I was asked a very integral question. One which applies to anyone attempting to compose not only a mystery novel, but any work of fiction: “What’s the magic formula for writing a great story — is it plot or great characters?”

At the risk of sounding flippant, I gave the politically correct grammar school answer: “Both.” But after the chuckles and groans died down, I realized that this question is one every writer should have a ready answer to BEFORE he/she dives into writing any story, regardless of genre. Allow me to elaborate.

Writing instructors often break authors down into two different camps: those who write popular fiction (e.g. mystery, horror, suspense, crime fiction, SF, adventure, romance); and those who compose true “literature.” Quite often the difference is the simple divide between a “plot” driven story, versus a “character” driven story. And most writers seem to possess in their DNA a tilt toward one over the other. So how do we determine which is which? Simple. CHARACTER driven stories are centered around the people on the pages, and the events that happen to them. PLOT driven novels are exemplified by one major inciting event, and the characters (akin to actors) are propelled forward as a result.

While every plot-driven novel requires compelling characters to move the story forward, and vice versa for character-driven tomes (i.e. they require some plot) certain genres simply lend themselves to emphasizing one over the other. Suspense requires a compelling plot; drama is based upon character interaction.

“All great works of literature are character driven.” (Anonymous)

No one’s sure who gave us this exact quote, but with regards to many literary reviewers, it sure seems to ring true. When we think of classic literature through the ages it certainly is the case. National book awards constantly pepper their winning listings with CHARACTER driven novels. Popular crime/suspense writers like Stephen King, James Patterson, Patricia Cornwell, Michael Connelly, et all, though raking in millions in sales, still play second fiddle to “literary” writers. I’m sure they’re crying all the way to the bank.

Regardless of what you choose to write, every story needs a theme, a solid structure, a poignant plot, twists and turns, and compelling character arcs. Season it with tension, emotion, a dash of adventure, and a touch of romance. . . . Finally — and here’s the key — you must add heart. Heart is the gut-wrenching passion that seeps from the soul of the writer; it’s the single ingredient that turns an average story into a positively wonderful tale.

And thus lies the formula for a compelling read. Whether your story relies on a roller-coaster-ride of a plot, or a unique cast of charming characters, this formula is a surefire way to keep your readers turning the pages well after the church bells chime midnight.

SO YOU WANT TO WRITE A MURDER MYSTERY: HERE’S SOME ADVICE

The above was the question posed to me for the purpose of this blog. Instead, I’ve decided to move “off script.” After the journey I’ve taken exploring the writing field since 2006 (agent/publisher searches, POD, e-books, et cetera) I felt it more pertinent — and far more interesting — to render my thoughts on the nature of writing a fiction novel in today’s turbulent world of book publishing.

First off, before you even venture into what will prove to be (at the very least) a year-long task, you have to ask yourself the primary question: Am I doing this for fun or for profit?

If writing for fun, it is far easier – and less stressful – simply to keep a journal or a creative diary. If you’re in it for the sheer pleasure of putting your thoughts and ideas on paper, then blogging offers today’s writers a unique and personal creative outlet. On the other hand, let’s say you’ve decided to attempt writing a novel. Your desire, of course, will be that as many people as possible read your work.

I won’t bore you with statistics here, but during my research I uncovered a few surprising facts: in the U.S. last year, 190,000 new titles were printed. This is a combination of traditional and digital POD (print on demand). Non-fiction (self-help, memoirs, historical, biographical) far outsells fiction these days. 90% of books published by traditional publishing houses (major New York publishers and independents) either break even or (more likely) lose money. What this means is that the days of large advances to authors are essentially over. A whimsical thing of the past.

(* I understand there are exceptions, but I’m talking in generalities for the sake of this blog.)

These days, a writer is expected not only to write their book, but to get out in the trenches and “market the hell” out of it. “But I don’t have the time to do all this marketing,” you might protest. “I’m too busy working on my second book.” Here I’m chuckling, because that’s exactly how I thought. My friends, the days of Stephen King are history. After SK wrote “Carrie” he immediately began writing his second, third, and fourth books. Now days his publisher would demand he set up a “Carrie” website. It would be strongly suggested that he begin blogging about “Carrie” on Facebook, and other social networking sites. In essence, he’d be required to spend his next year marketing and promoting to increase “Carrie” sales. 

Brian Freeman, noted bestseller of mystery/suspense novels, reveals his profit margins on his web/blog. (Thank you, Brian.) He indicates that he makes approximately $2/hardcover and $.50/mass market paperback. This from a noted and successful author. Thus with many new author’s sales hovering at less than 2000 copies, novice writers expecting to “break into the field” have to ask themselves: Is the time/energy/stress of a year of my life worth the end result of $2 – 4000 in profit?

I stated the primary question above: Are you in it for the love of writing, or the money? In my own case, my stories are a labor of love. But every writer, novice or seasoned professional, must search his/her own soul for the answer.

GREEN BAY? LAND OF SPOOKY CHILLS AND KILLINGS?

Frank Sinatra famously sang that Chicago was “His kind of town.” To borrow on that theme from Ol’ Blue
Eyes, Green Bay, Wisconsin is my kind of town. It’s my hometown, born and raised; lived here all my life, save for my years of schooling in Chicago. Therefore, when I was recently asked the question: “Why did you choose Green Bay for the setting of ‘The Chemist,’” some illuminating thoughts came to mind.

Writing’s oldest adage is: “Write what you know.” And I know my hometown. I know the streets, the attitude of the citizenry, the dark nooks and crannies, the frightening woods on the outskirts of the city. I also know the people, what’s in their hearts, their likes, their dislikes, their tolerances.

As it happened, I wanted a mid-sized city as the location for my story. I needed to understand the geography in order to be accurate with locales and descriptions. I also desired a mixed ethnic population for my characters — this aids in developing their backstory. In a city where the district attorney, the police chief, investigations captain, and multiple homicide detectives and policemen can be counted on as personal friends, it made the most sense. Not to mention also knowing numerous defense attorneys. Such being the case, if I ever encountered a question or needed to fact-check, a simple phone call was all that was required. A perfect fit for any crime writer.

But I still had one troubling question to resolve, and that was addressing the story’s premise: Can a mid-sized city of 120,000 inhabitants lend itself credibly to a plot filled with serial kidnapping and human trafficking? The answer was simple: Why not? Are we not constantly surprised when we learn that some serial whack-job comes from Small Town, USA? The fact is, many of our most notorious monsters commit their deviant acts in small-to-mid-sized cities. Examples are easy to find: Dennis Rader, Wichita, Kansas; John Wayne Gacy, Des Plaines, Illinois; Arthur Gary Bishop, Cedar Fort, Utah …. Even Ed Gein, from little old Plainfield, Wisconsin.

Crime happens just as easily in small cities as it does in large metropolitan areas. Knowing the area, as well as how the citizenry of Green Bay would react to a rampant serial criminal operating in their midst, gave me the green light to proceed. I feel that choosing the proper setting for telling a story is integral to the plot; the location sits like a silent brooding character, overseeing all, yet breathing life into the story. Thus setting my crime story in Green Bay was no great stretch.

Sadistic killers, it seems, regardless of the degree or level of deviance, can pop up anywhere. Even in your kind of town.

THE FUN OF WRITING A MYSTERY

When I do bookstore or library presentations, one of the questions that comes up is: “What’s the difference between a mystery novel versus a thriller/suspense story?” Along with the inevitable follow-up, “Is either more difficult or fun to write?” Here’s the answer:

The classic mystery plot — think Agatha Christie (the seamstress did it in the library with a knitting needle), and her countless protégés — unveils the workings of a crime, and gives hints and clues along the way as to who the perpetrator is. The key is to not reveal the identity of the bad guy/gal, or the crime’s motive, until the very end.

My novel The Chemist, on the other hand, is a classic suspense-thriller. In this type of story the identity of the criminal is revealed fairly early in the story. The thrill of the chase, as it were, comes from the cat-and-mouse game involving the detectives attempting to capture the evil doer. Another thriller technique is to put the story’s hero (him or her) in immediate danger, chased page after page throughout the story (think Jason Bourne) by a mysterious group of enemies or bad guys.

For the purists out there, while these are genre definitions, I understand that many crime fiction novels have been written which overlap both plot techniques. As a rule of thumb, however, the structure of the story usually works best when the writer chooses one method of telling the tale and sticks to it. In my humble opinion, that is.

As to the question above, regarding which is easiest/hardest to plot out and write? There is no definitive answer. The best advice I can render is the cryptic: It depends on the storyteller. Many writers enjoy the game of keeping their readers guessing the bad guy’s identity. They love the challenge of dropping clues and hints along the way. Other writers (myself included) prefer to throw the deviant criminal right out there for the world to see. The plot revolves around the detectives’ ability to identify and stop him. 

If you enjoy writing/reading about subtle clues, plot twists and guessing games, then you can’t go wrong with the classic mystery formula. If you prefer entering the psychologically twisted mind of a criminal deviant, then the ramped-up tension of the thriller/suspense story is your cup of tea. Both methods of telling the story are enjoyable to write; and each plot is no more difficult to manage than the other.

Until next time, watch out for that seamstress lurking behind the curtains near the library.

THE CHEMIST

Imagine a radio interview, where the host asks, “What is The Chemist about?” The first five times, I stumbled over this simple question. “It’s about a relentless detective,” I blurted. “It’s about a deviant, psycho criminal.” “It’s about stressful relationships.” “It’s about kidnapping and human trafficking.” 

As writers, we know our plots and characters so intimately, that boiling our stories down to a quick “elevator pitch” description is often difficult. So in this message, I’ll try to clear up the Who? What? and Where? of the story. Plus reveal the reason Why I chose to write the novel.

First off, I culled the premise of the book from the newspaper headlines. In Green Bay some years back, there was a playboy tavern owner who was taking female patrons to his home after bar time. There he would slip date rape drugs into their drinks, then secretly photograph them. It took nearly a year for his crimes to be revealed, mostly because his victims had no knowledge of what he was actually doing to them.

Tom Clancy says that every work of fiction starts with one question, “What if ‘X’ happened?” And that’s how The Chemist was born. What would happen, I wondered, if a cool, calculating rich guy, with a background in chemistry, invented a date rape drug that worked in a matter of minutes? And further, what if he developed a unique method of administering his drug to unsuspecting victims in public places? Who would he chose to kidnap? What would he do with the victims? How would he avoid detection by law enforcement? In other words, how could he commit a near-perfect crime?

This individual, of course, had to be a bit of a sociopath to begin with. And Tobias Crenshaw certainly fit’s the bill. Thus a monster was born: a man willing to put his own successful life at risk, along with his entire family, all in order to wreak havoc on an unsuspecting public.

So how does law enforcement stop such an intelligent and mysterious criminal? Enter Green Bay detective Cale Van Waring, a seasoned and savvy investigator. But in order to unravel such an intricate crime (where no clues are left, no victims found), it has taken well over a year. As a result, Cale’s live-in girlfriend has had it with him. She is threatening to move out if he doesn‘t get serious, and this “relationship stressor” has them both of them frustrated and hovering close to a boiling point.

Mix in a series of surprise twists and turns, along with a cast of colorful supporting characters, and there you have it. The Chemist is really about crime and passion, love and social deviance. Now why couldn’t I have conveyed that so simply in those early radio interviews?