Agatha Christie with added mayhem - The Ratcatcher

by 

Tim Steven

Like many thriller readers and writers, particularly of the male variety, I grew up on the novels of Alistair Maclean. What appealed to me about his books wasn’t just the exciting adventure plots, but also how they nearly always contained a ‘whodunit’ element. The best of them had a disparate group of people trapped in a life-threatening situation, and you always knew from early on that one of them was a traitor or a saboteur of some kind; part of the fun was trying to work out which of them it was. It was like Agatha Christie with military weapons.

In my début thriller Ratcatcher I wanted to do something similar. A group of disaffected former soldiers are planning to assassinate the Russian president at a summit meeting in Estonia on the Baltic Sea. Which of the three British MI6 agents trying to foil the plot is actually working with the terrorists? To complicate matters, I made the treacherous MI6 agent one of the point-of-view characters. To complicate them further still, I included both women and men among the suspects, so the sex of the traitor was in doubt.

I got round the problem of hiding his/her identity in the point-of-view scenes by referring to our rogue agent throughout as ‘the Jacobin’, a nickname allocated by one of the other characters. Trickier was the task of disguising the person’s sex, and it involved a fair amount of stylistic and grammatical gymnastics to avoid all reference to ‘he’ or ‘she’. Not that this has any bearing on the finished product – readers want to enjoy a good story, not marvel at how cleverly the author has wielded the language, unless they’re fans of Martin Amis – but I actually found this quite a stimulating exercise as a writer.

The other element of mystery in my novel was the method of assassination chosen by the terrorists. In an odd way, it was like one of the central puzzles in a country-house murder mystery, except the question wasn’t, ‘How could the murderer possibly have done it when the room was locked from the inside?’ but ‘How are the terrorists going to kill the president when every point of access to him has been anticipated and closed?’ This posed a serious problem. I had an idea how to pull it off, but it took extensive (and admittedly very haphazard) research online to find out if a particular piece of technology existed that might serve my purposes. And I did want to stay within the bounds of plausibility; I wasn’t writing science fiction.

Once I’d discovered that the technology needed by my terrorists did in fact exist, I needed to find out more about it. And everywhere I looked, I found the same basic information, but not the in-depth, down-and-dirty detail I wanted. I asked a couple of ex-soldiers I knew, but it was beyond them. I joined a few online forums to pick the brains of the military eggheads there, but had no luck. One person even emailed me with a friendly warning that I had to be careful about asking questions like this online, as they might come to the attention of shadowy outfits monitoring the web for signs of terrorist activity.

In the end, I decided it didn’t matter. If detailed information about a particular weapons system was so secret that only the manufacturers and their military sponsors were aware of it, then I could safely speculate about the nuts and bolts in my book without worrying about looking sloppy in my research to the average reader. This works as a general principle for writers of fiction, I think: do your research, but don’t be so terrified you might get a few details wrong that it takes your focus away from writing a good story.

Oh, and if anyone reading this is an insider in the armed forces or intelligence services of a certain Middle Eastern country and decides to read my novel, I’d welcome your feedback and corrections. With not a little trepidation, I should add.

Present day, alternate world, different rules

by

Alison Morton

Writing crime and thrillers with an alternate history setting throws up twin challenges – to tell a tense, fast-paced story with a punchy ending plus get the historical background right. Historical? Well, yes. Unless a writer knows their history, they can’t alternate it. Knowledgeable readers out there will be disappointed if a writer makes a serious blooper when projecting history in a different direction. And disappointing the reader is a writing crime.

Alternate history stories, whether packed with every last piece of information about their world or lighter where the alternative world is used as a setting with bare detail released only when crucial, need to follow three ‘rules’: nail the point of divergence from the real time line that has carried on in our world; show how the alternate world looks and works; and flesh out the consequences of the split. Writing crime, mystery and thrillers in this environment ain’t easy, but it’s fun!

Readers can take cops being gentle or tough, enthusiastic, intellectual or world-weary. Law enforcers are all genders, classes, races and ages and stand in various places along the personal morality ruler. But whether corrupt or clean, they must act like a recognisable form of cop. They catch criminals, arrest and charge them and operate within a judicial system.

In alternate history, writers draw on history before the point of divergence as C J Sansom does in Dominion. But he then goes on to stretch and distort the functions of the Special Branch we know into a Gestapo-like force and the Special Constabulary into the Auxiliaries similar to the French Second World War milice. In my own earliest story in the series set in the mid-twentieth century in a country founded sixteen hundred years ago by Roman refugees, the town cops are still called ‘vigiles’ after the ancient Roman ones; then, they caught thieves and robbers, put out fires and captured runaway slaves. They were supported by the Urban Cohorts who acted as a heavy-duty anti-riot force and the even the Praetorian Guard if necessary. The modern vigiles in my earliest alternate story carry out the functions of a police force that anybody would recognise today. And there is still a Praetorian Guard, but a very modern one. Both services have to deal with the criminal mind whether rational, completely disconnected from societal norms, opportunistic or terrorist.

Something to remember, especially when writing a series, is to let organisations develop. My vigiles are disbanded then re-formed as ‘custodes’ in the three later stories following a catastrophic civil war. They evolve in a similar way that London Bow Street runners gave way to Sir Robert Peel’s Bobbies who in turn developed into the modern Metropolitan Police.

Legal practicalities in alternate history stories can be quite different to those in our real timeline, but they must be consistent with history of that society while remaining plausible for the reader. My alternate world has examining magistrates (echoing ancient Roman practice) and a twenty-eight day post-arrest, pre-charge detention period which police services in our timeline would probably love! Questioning is robust, but there’s no gratuitous physical brutality – things have moved on since ancient Roman times when the punishment officer would take a criminal off into the corner and beat him into a pulp. In the 21st century, the approach is more psychological, wearing the detainee down, but the odd slap creeps in.

If writing in any foreign language environment, whether in this world, off-planet or in a different time, using local words for police, e.g. ‘Schupo’, ‘carabinieri’ or ‘custodes’ enriches the setting. But the writer has to explain in a non-obvious way. An example from my earliest book:

He handed me his card. “Kriminalpolizeikommissar Huber – GDKA/OK”. Juno, he was one of the German Federated States organised crime investigators. We were in the big time here. I glanced up at him, but he looked even grimmer, if it was possible. I decided to play safe.

The same applies for slang, which naturally peppers any thriller with police and military characters:

‘Dear me,’ he murmured, ‘you are a cross little scarab, aren’t you?’

I knew he was winding me up by using scarab, the derogatory word for the custodes. I might deal with a lot of shit in my job, but I was no dung-beetle.

Getting professional help? Do your research first! If writing a contemporary police thriller, writers should at least read around the basics; detection and arrest procedures, forensics, interviewing and case development. For political or military thrillers, the same applies for structures, chain of command, intelligence procedures and weaponry. Apart from watching television and movies and reading other writers’ books, I find Wikipedia is an excellent place to start if researching a specific force, police service or weapon. After that, most libraries and bookstores will have real life accounts written by former members of those services. For legal background, you could start with the lawyers’ associations and see if they have any public education programmes, similarly the probation and social services. If you ask reasonably intelligent, specific questions (make a list!), serving and retired professionals will usually be delighted to help you, especially if you mention them in the acknowledgements.

If you’re writing in a historical whodunit or thriller, then as well as the reading, you are probably going to become good friends with your county archivist and possibly the British Library staff. As you have no living professional to consult, you should find at least two preferably three sources for your information. Law enforcement officers’ roles, powers and practices varied hugely in the past and if policing existed at all in some past eras, it was often carried out by the military. You soon get to know your Tacitus from your Pliny or Caesar!

Crime, mystery and thrillers are one of the most popular genres in our bookshops, whether online or bricks and mortar. Whether you have a historical, contemporary or alternative setting, research and meticulous accuracy are the watchwords for keeping on the right side of the writing law.

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Author Alison Morton

Alison Morton has a master's degree in history, has served time as a translator and soldier, and is a deep-steeped ‘Roman nut'. 

Currently living in France, she writes Roman-themed alternate history thrillers and her first novel, INCEPTIO, will be published by SilverWood Books in March 2013.

Watch this space!

The Biggest Block to an Indie Writer's Success

by

Clyo Beck

When you first conceived of your book, it was so exciting. In the creative flow, you probably told yourself that you would have no trouble getting it published because what was coming through was so darned good. It would be a gift to the world.

What you didn't tell yourself was that editing and preparing it for publication would be easy. Or fun. Or cheap. You didn't affirm that you would connect with the perfect publishing platform because you weren't at all sure that you would. Neither did you jump up and down with joy at the thought of marketing your book.

In fact, as you recall the process you went through, you may realize that, at times, you felt almost apologetic about writing a book. Sometimes you couldn't tell if your writing was brilliant or a bunch of poop. Doubts about yourself and the value of your writing kicked in. Who were you to be so audacious? Who were you to expect to be published? Who were you to make money when so many other writers don't make a dime?   

Yet, we're in an Indie revolution; so you decided that you would self-publish. After all, who has time to deal with the endless submissions and rejections associated with traditional publishing? Who wants to play the Catch-22 game of "you must have an agent to get published, but you must be published to get an agent." Besides, how hard could it be to publish a book yourself?

With the desire to write so fervent within your soul, you had no choice but to keep writing, and it was exhilarating. As idea after idea came to you, and as the pieces of the puzzle that was your book came together, you felt on fire. This had to be your higher guidance kicking in, right? You had to be writing for an audience who really needed—and would love—what you offered…right? Your book would just have to sell…right?

But then that inner doubter—the one embedded in you when you were a little kid—started circling you, like a vulture. While it couldn't stop the flow of inspiration coming through, it started to sabotage you. The result is that you started to doubt yourself and everything about your process. Then things started to snowball. You signed a contract with a print-on-demand publisher before your book was finished. You found yourself facing a deadline you had to meet or you'd forfeit your deposit.

As a result, you didn't have time to take your chapters to a critique group or read through your book out loud. Tired of trying to figure out whether your writing was good enough or not—and in a panic to get your book up and just be done with it so you could try and recoup the money you were investing in self-publishing—you decided you could do without a professional edit.

After all, what could it hurt? You can write, right? And, besides, these are your words. Why do they have to be edited? Why can't they stand as you first wrote them? Isn't that what will make your book unique? What can anyone else possibly add to what has emerged from you? And how dare they think to subtract anything? Besides, editors are too darn expensive.

So you rushed yourself into self-publishing with a print-on-demand publisher. The bad news is that your book isn't selling. So you feel sick, and like a failure. You don't even tell people you wrote a book. You're afraid they'll read it and think less of you because, secretly, you're afraid your book is junk and doesn't measure up, especially since you discovered a couple of typos in it. Worse, you are afraid to try again. You are afraid to write another book.

So, what's happening? Wasn't the Indie movement supposed to empower you? Weren't you supposed to be earning your living as an author by now? What's going on?

EDITING – SELF OR OTHERWISE

by

Larry Ivkovich

Editing one’s work, whether it’s for flash fiction, a short story, a novella, or a novel, can be frustrating and time-consuming. But, it’s a necessary evil for all those who want to get their work as polished and professional as possible. And, oftentimes, a much better story will be the result of it.

During my thirty years of serious fiction writing and my tenures in a number of writing/critique groups, an old discussion often comes up. It’s one which I believe has no really right answer although the two schools of thought often clash. That is, should a writer finish whatever he or she is writing and edit afterwards or self-edit as he or she writes?

It seems most writers I talk to and most writing “how-tos” I’ve read favor the former--edit after completing the work. I subscribe to the latter--I edit while I’m writing. The advice I give to beginning writers is to do whatever is comfortable and natural for them. Everyone’s different and has different methods and styles of working. There’s really no right or wrong way to self-edit.

I’ve tried to finish a work and then go back and edit but I just can’t do it. It’s not that I’m compulsive about it or a Type A personality in that regard. I just like to play with what I’ve written previously, to try and improve it or completely change it based on ideas I come up with after I’ve finished writing a particular passage. I don’t outline but I do take notes and jot things down when I think of them but it’s just more fun for me to try an idea out on what I’ve written right away. Writer and editor Anne Lesley Groell remarked at a writers’ conference I attended that this was how she also worked on her writing. So I feel like I’m in good company!

Of course, this is more involved than just line-editing although that, too, is important. Spellcheck and grammar-check are good tools in your word processing software but aren’t always completely successful. My wife told me a story about an old boss of hers who was looking for another job. His office assistant typed up his resume for him on her PC and ran the spellcheck. Now, sometimes, you can misspell a word into a different word that’s completely legitimate. This particular incident happened in the eighties where a style of resume writing allowed you to put down what you did in your spare time. My wife’s boss told his assistant to put down “white water rafting,” as a hobby, which he’d done only once or twice. The assistant transposed the “r” and “f” in the word “rafting,” which the spell check didn’t catch because “farting” is a real word. Well, needless to say, the guy didn’t get the job! But everyone in my wife’s office, after hearing about this through the grapevine, had a good laugh.

So, it’s important for someone else to take a look at your work, whether that person is a professional editor or a fellow writer or a friend. A fresh set of eyes always helps. This is where a writing/critique group comes in handy or someone you trust to be honest with you about the work.

Still--mistakes can happen. An example from my début novel, THE SIXTH PRECEPT, is a pretty glaring one. Despite my own editing and that of my publisher’s editor, we both let a few misspelled words and phrases slip through the cracks, which I discovered after the book had come out. One of my characters is talking about “cruisin’ the Wet.” Say what? It should have been “cruisin’ the net (small case also)”. I still don’t know how that one got by. The mistakes have been corrected in subsequent printings and downloads but it was pretty embarrassing.

One thing that’s helpful to do (whether you self-edit while you write or after) is to put the story, book, article aside for a couple of months (depending on your submission deadline, if any) and then come back to it after you’ve gained some distance. It’s easier to pick out mistakes in both line-editing, plot, structure, etc. once you’re not so close to it.

I recently heard a story of an author who had left the small publishing company who had published his first book because he didn’t like to be edited. That’s a pretty extreme and, ultimately, self-defeating reaction. Writers have to develop a thick skin and be prepared to take criticism. Such comments, no matter how much you may disagree with them, will help your work to become that much better (although, if you feel very strongly the proffered advice isn’t right, then it’s absolutely your prerogative to ignore it). Though writing is often referred to as a “solitary profession,” working with other writers and editors can be a very positive experience and one necessary for future growth.

So, edit yourself any way you want! It’s important but remember you may not catch everything that can drag your work down. Trust in yourself but also in other people to help you in bringing your creative vision to life.

NOTES YOU MAY WANT TO IGNORE

by

Hy Conrad 

Every writer is different.  But, if I may be allowed, I’m a little “differenter”.  That’s not to say better.  I’m just warning you, my advice may be of no help.

You’re welcome.

Throughout my career, my work has been divided into two distinct groups; TV (writing for Monk and White Collar) and books, each with its own demons.  And though my ideas about editing may not apply to anyone else, there may be a kernel in here – something you haven’t heard before.  Let’s start with TV.

In television, everyone gives you notes.  I mean everyone, from the star to the network head to the lady in wardrobe.  It’s also a rule that every note has to be addressed, not necessarily followed, but addressed.  This is infuriating but instructive.  It gives you a chance to think about your choices and defend them – or change them.

My biggest insight into TV editing is that stupid notes can be worthwhile.  For example, I once got a note saying a script was too funny.  My first reaction was, “Hey, stupid!  It’s a comedy.”

Enter the cafe (VBT)

But when I read it again, I figured out what she meant.  As you got halfway through my script, the comedy started becoming less and less grounded.  So I inserted a quiet moment, where all of the characters reassessed their situation.  Not a joke in the scene.  But it added a sense of normalcy and made the funny parts funnier.

So just because a note sounds ridiculous doesn’t mean it’s unfounded.  Just figure out what it means.

In writing books, I’m a proponent of self-editing.  That’s mainly because I have an over-developed sense of structure and can usually tell when the story is going off the rails.  When my editors do take over, it’s usually to work on the small things, some insights into character perhaps, or to tell me to put the quotation mark after the period, even if it doesn’t look “right.”  (Does that look right to you?  Well, it doesn’t to me.)

Once a month during the writing process, I’ll set aside a day and review the book so far.  I also hang a big note above my computer asking, “Why is this important?  Why should I care?”  (I don’t really; but you get the drift.)

Is your ms missing that, er, pear tree?

by

John Hudspith

On the first day of writing my true muse sent to me

– a partridge but NO pear tree

  

On the second day of writing my true muse sent to me

– two purple loves,

and a partridge but NO pear tree

On the third day of writing my true muse sent to me

- three gaping plot holes,

two purple loves,

and a partridge but NO pear tree

On the fourth day of writing my true muse sent to me

- four bad reviews,

three gaping plot holes,

two purple loves,

and a partridge but NO pear tree

On the fifth day of writing my true muse sent to me

- five go-lden clichés-

four bad reviews,

three gaping plot holes,

two purple loves,

and a partridge but NO pear tree

On the sixth day of writing my true muse sent to me

- six characters a-waffling,

- five go-lden clichés -

four bad reviews,

three gaping plot holes,

two purple loves,

and a partridge but NO pear tree

On the seventh day of writing my true muse sent to me

- seven sentences a-swimming (with distressingly unnecessary over-writing),

six characters a-waffling,

- five go-lden clichés -

four bad reviews,

three gaping plot holes,

two purple loves,

and a partridge but NO pear tree

On the eighth day of writing my true muse sent to me

- eight aunts a-milking it,

seven sentences a-swimming (with distressingly unnecessary over-writing),

six characters a-waffling,

- five go-lden clichés -

four bad reviews,

three gaping plot holes,

two purple loves,

and a partridge but NO pear tree

On the ninth day of writing my true muse sent to me

- nine adjectives dancing,

eight aunts a-milking it,

seven sentences a-swimming (with distressingly unnecessary over-writing),

six characters a-waffling,

- five go-lden clichés -

four bad reviews,

three gaping plot holes,

two purple loves,

and a partridge but NO pear tree

On the tenth day of writing my true muse sent to me

- ten wrong words a-leaping (from the page),

nine adjectives dancing,

eight aunts a-milking it,

seven sentences a-swimming (with distressingly unnecessary over-writing),

six characters a-waffling,

- five go-lden clichés -

four bad reviews,

three gaping plot holes,

two purple loves,

and a partridge but NO pear tree

On the eleventh day of writing my true muse sent to me

- eleven readers griping,

ten wrong words a-leaping (from the page),

nine adjectives dancing,

eight aunts a-milking it,

seven sentences a-swimming (with distressingly unnecessary over-writing),

six characters a-waffling,

- five go-lden clichés -

four bad reviews,

three gaping plot holes,

two purple loves,

and a partridge but NO pear tree

On the twelfth day of writing my true muse sent to me

twelve blasted rewrites,

eleven readers griping,

ten wrong words a-leaping (from the page),

nine adjectives dancing,

eight aunts a-milking it,

seven sentences a-swimming (with distressingly unnecessary over-writing),

six characters a-waffling,

- five go-lden clichés -

four bad reviews,

three gaping plot holes,

two purple loves,

and a partridge but NO pear tree

~}~

Wanted: guest bloggers/writers/munchins/and YOU...

for December.

I am looking for articles on the subject of crime/suspense/mystery writing. Talk us through your genre. How do you research the criminal mind? What legal (if any) practicalities do you have to abide by? What professionals (police, lawyers) do you talk with to help you with your research? Are they helpful? How do you keep the element of mystery in your novel? Why is there always a miserable/grumpy cop and a happy/naive rookie? How do you keep the villain a surprise in a whodunit?

If you're not a crime writer (or anything under that umbrella), doesn't matter. I also want guest posts on the subject of EDITING. Can you edit too much? Who is your editor? Want to name and credit them, or name and shame them? What is your editing process? Is it possible to self-edit? What do you think of authors who release their books without editing or those who shamelessly say they are waiting for sales before they can pay for an editor? Is there a quick way to edit? Any tips you want to share?

You get a byline, your book added to Book Junkies , and tweeted and retweeted on Twitter (Triberr) to thousands of followers. Click the contact button top left of screen and let me know you're interested, and I'll email you straight back.

I've a delightful line up already (but more the merrier!), who are, in no particular order:

Jeff Johnson and Hy Conrad
Larry Ivkovich
Shelly Frome
Aliza Mann
Anne R Allen
Naomi Rabinowitz
Clyo Beck
John Hudspith