Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Inquiring Minds

I was recently at a mystery writers panel at the Virginia State Library in Richmond, Va. One of the questions we were asked by our moderator was about our craft—no not the craft of writing, but the craft we’re using in our books. Why did we choose it? It gave me pause.
I had never thought to write a “scrapbooking mystery” when I first started writing SCRAPBOOK OF SECRETS. In fact, when I first started writing it, I thought of it more as women’s fiction. But as I started down that path during National Novel Writing month a few years back, something didn’t feel right. But I kept writing.
I had disjointed narratives, characters coming and going, and a big bunch of adjectives and adverbs going nowhere. I mentioned it to my agent, who helped me place the mystery structure to it. She said, “It sounds like a mystery.” Hmph.
The next thing I knew I was on creative fire and couldn’t stop writing it. And wouldn’t you know it, my favorite hobby was front and center in the story line. Funny how that happens.
The thing about hobbies is that if you have one, it’s bound to find it’s way in to your writing. It’s not forced or strained—or just a marketing strategy. Well, for most of us, that is. And scrapbooking isn’t just about pretty paper. There’s also a puzzle quality to it, a social aspect, and a deeper meaning to it.
In the first book in my Cumberland Creek Series, the mystery is partially solved by the scrapbookers through scrapbooking. I wouldn’t have a plot without it. In my second book, the same scrapbookers are tearing apart a scrapbook of a mysterious nature to figure things out.
So I wonder about this subgenre of mystery. And I wonder about our readers. Do you read a book just because it includes a hobby you’re interested in? Or is the writer you follow? The mystery? What is it?
For the writers out there, what comes first when you get an idea for a novel—your craft? Your story? Your characters?
Sorry for being so full of questions today, but inquiring minds, dontchyaknow.

12 comments:

Mary Barton said...

I read books that include my hobbies and may even choose them for that reason Mary

Mollie Cox Bryan said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mollie Cox Bryan said...

Thanks, Mary for commenting. And that's really good to know. I sometimes pick up books that include my hobby. That's how I discovered Joanna and Kiki! Have a great day.

Linda O. Johnston said...

Fun post, Mollie. It's always interesting to hear how others find the direction of their writing. In my stories, the themes (not crafts but a lot of animals!), seem to appear in my subconscious along with a character who can best represent them.

Mollie Bryan said...

Thanks for posting, Linda. That's interesting. For me, it's about images that won't let go of me until I write them out! So sometimes giving them structure is a challenge.;-)

Chrystle Fiedler said...

Great post Mollie! For me, natural remedies came first and then I made the protagonist a naturopath because that is what they dispense (and an ND had never been in a cozy before). Those two themes/elements were key, the backbone to the series and everything evolved from there! :D Chrystle

Mollie Cox Bryan said...

Thanks, Chrystle. Can't wait to read that book of yours!

Monica Ferris said...

I am drawn to books that have plot elements about things I'm interested in: archaelogy, horses, medieval England, needlework, knitting, books (books about books - cool!), Thailand, the theater, publishing, police work, the U.S. Navy (not many of those around). Gee, just making that list showed me how diverse my interests are! Thanks for asking.

Linda said...

Enjoyable post, Mollie. I agree with Mary that my decision about reading a series depends highly on the amount of interest I have in that particular hobby. In some cases, I've been semi-interested in a topic, but didn't really know whether I would enjoy it, and I pick up a cozy mystery that includes the hobby in question. If it "grabs" me, then I may pick up the hobby...

Betty Hechtman said...

I have found that when I'm getting close to finishing a manuscript, the idea for the next in the series shows up. Usually the first scene kind of appears in my mind.

Mollie Bryan said...

Thanks for commenting, Betty and Monica. The creative process never ceases to amaze me.

Mollie Cox Bryan said...

Thanks, Linda, the same thing has happened to me. I love some of the knitting mysteries and have tried to knit, unsuccessfully! But it's good to try to learn new things.