Book: Writing Crime & Suspense Fiction
Author: Lesley Grant-Adamson
Publisher: Teach Yourself/NTC Publications/Hodder & Stoughton
Year: 1996
There are many books on my writing bookshelf that are basically 'How to Write Genre X', with a number of genres to choose from. But even though 2014 is the first year I've thought seriously of writing a mystery, this book stands out for me among all the genre guides in all the genres.
The reason is that this book, in addition to the usual introduce-the-genre stuff, has writing exercises which are not the usual writing-book busywork exercises. The exercises in this book take you through the steps of planning out and writing your novel, from the early vague idea stage to writing the chapters.
It's a little like having an experienced writer hold your hand through the noveling process, which is great both for young/first time writers and also for insecure writers with low self-esteem and a history of 'failure' in writing (like me.)
What if you are not a mystery writer? I do think the exercises can be adapted by writers in other genres. There is mystery in every fiction story, if only the mystery of what will happen next.
One thing the prospective reader of this book should keep in mind is that the author is from England and writes in terms of the UK mystery fiction scene. She also mentions some aspects of American mystery writing. While the book is still of much use to the Australian, New Zealander, South African and other English-speaking writer, or other writers from Germany to Outer Mongolia, there is the chance that taking this book too much to heart might trigger the British is Better syndrome.
The British is Better syndrome is what you see when the US elite/liberal class touts even rather vulgar British sitcoms as being 'quality television' unlike anything the US could produce and worthy of being enshrined on their PBS network.
British is Better syndrome can also be see when American and other non-British writers assume that the fiction produced by British writers is automatically of higher literary quality, and may lead to misguided attempts to write attempted-British fiction rather than the fiction of one's own nation. Remember that your own nationality and locality is part of what will make your fiction unique, and writers should not be ashamed of coming from a 'wrong' or 'unliterary' country.
One section of the book I found of particular interest, when she writes of mysteries by 'Feminists and Other Axe Grinders'--- what you might call 'message fiction'. She is very much against such fiction getting too preachy, with characters stopping the action to deliver rants against 'the patriarchy' or capitalism or rainforest destruction or what have you. She talks about getting your message across much more subtly--- which is something that Christian writers, among others, can use. (Or atheist writers, for that matter.)
To sum up, I very much recommend this book as an addition to any writer's writing bookshelf. It has a great many useful sections and the writing exercises alone can be worth it for many of us.
Writing Crime & Suspense Fiction: And Getting Published (Teach Yourself Series)
Have you read this book? If so, what is your opinion about it? Or do you have other great genre-writing books you would recommend? Let us know in a comment!
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