The Book of Screed - June 18th, 2007

I haven't even tried to write a novel for over a year, but today, I started a new one, titled "Share the Pain".

It's not a fantasy book. It's not a science fiction novel.

It's a mystery/thriller.

I was going to write a little essay explaining why I decided to do this, but I decided to present it instead in convenient Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) format.

Why are you writing a mystery/thriller?

It's my sister's fault.

How is it your sister's fault? That doesn't make any sense!

For years, literally years, she has been after me to write something that doesn't have "sorcery or any of that weird stuff". Back in 02 I wrote a supernatural thriller that remains (sadly) unpublished. She enjoyed it right until the supernatural elements developed.

Surely you won't write a mystery novel simply because your sister said to?

Well, no.

Since I seem to be making examples of family members, let's talk about my mom. She mostly reads mystery/thriller novels, checked out from the library. She'll read a fantasy or sf novel if I tell her it's really, really good, but not all that often.* (She likes Neil Gaiman, but then, everybody likes Neil Gaiman.) My aunt and uncle read lots of mysteries. Both my grandmothers will read mysteries. Even my late grandfather was fond of legal dramas. 

And people do say you should write to the market.

So you're going to write a mystery novel based on the literary tastes of your immediate family? That doesn't seem like a good decision!

Only in part.

Truth is, when Demonsouled came out, I noticed an interesting thing. I gained a mild level of notoriety in my old town, which led, repeatedly, to the following conversation:

Random Person: "So, you wrote that book. What's it about?"

Myself: "It's a fantasy novel."

Random Person: "Oh. I don't read those. I like more contemporary stuff."

At first I wondered why people had no taste. Then I realized that people like what they like, and that's that. Who am I to dictate?

And then I thought, heck, why not write what they want?

So you want to sell out, then?

That would I imply I sold something. It's not like this project is guaranteed to sell. That is the magic of writing on spec.

Look, I like mysteries.** It's not like I'm approaching this with condescension.*** When you get down to it, a good story's a good story, whatever genre outfit it's wearing. It just has to follow (or bend) different rules. And the modern world makes for a marvelous setting. I've often said that no fantasy world can ever be as bizarre, wondrous, and horrifying as 21st century Earth, and I mean it.

This is also something I've thought about doing for several years. Sometimes I'd start writing an outline, or jot down some ideas, but I'd never start. The time is finally right for it.

Besides, I can always do fantasy/sf short fiction when I see something interesting turn up on Ralan's.

What if it doesn't sell? What if you waste months and months writing this and it sits forever unread in the stygian vaults of your hard drive!?

Well. Life is risk.****

-JM

*Harry Potter is enough of a transcendent cultural phenomenon that it doesn't really count.

**When I read A Scandal in Bohemia, I thought A Study in Scarlet and The Sign of Four were part of Sherlock Holmes's backstory, and was delighted when I discovered that they were in fact actual novels.

***If I wanted to do that, I'd write romance novels.

****And it's not like it would lack for company.