Have you ever thought up a good crime plot and fancied getting it down on the page? I'm delighted to be joined today by author Val Penny who discusses the very subject - writing crime! Sit back and enjoy! :)
Reasons to
Write a Crime Novel
People like crime, at least in novels! Often, I meet
dentists and bank managers with clever plot ideas, or nurses who read every
crime novel they can lay their hands on. If I visit a writing group, there are
always members keenly producing new murderous plots. Lawyers and convicts show
equal enthusiasm for this genre. For those who want to write a crime novel,
there are several reasons to want to do so. Here are a few of them.
Emotional Release
Often, those who write crime novels find an emotional
release in their craft. Crime novelists deal with the dark things that people
usually push to the side of their minds in order to get on with every day life.
The cathartic attraction of writing can be decisive.
Some crime authors tell of poor sleep patterns, punctured
by night-mares that are repaired when they start to write. Others panic,
constantly scanning doorways for signs of danger. The stiffening fear that
afflicts them resolves when they are busy writing crime.
The Story-Telling Urge
The sources for crime novels are many and varied. Ideas
can spring from the news and current affairs; memories from the past and
historical events or things that puzzle or fascinate the writer. Once an author
begins to exercise their creative muscles, they often find that they run into
stories demanding to be told. The stories demand to be told and will not stop
coming.
For Companionship
It is often said that writers can be difficult people:
gloomy, competitive and quarrelsome. However, for the most part, I have found
crime writers to be an inclusive and convivial bunch. They are certainly
hard-working. The pressure of producing a book a year is intense, yet they
never seem to turn their backs on fun. If you have a chance to go to a
crime-writers' convention, do take it. They are exhausting, exhilarating and
irresistible.
An Outlet for Aggression
Most crime-writers will tell you that they are good
company because they channel all their belligerent thoughts into their stories,
so in real life, the authors are meek and mild. It is not always true, but I
can confirm that a crime novel is an excellent place to park your rage! The
prospect of giving vent to righteous anger in a safe form can be a particularly
pleasing device. When characters require to act in a violent way or commit
violence the reader is willing to witness this on the page but they would shy
from it in real life. Crime writers can let rip on the page in a way they avoid
doing in the real world.
The Thrill of Research
I can personally confirm that the research you do for
crime novels and for academic purposes are equally satisfying. It is also
extremely diverse. It may involve visiting prisons, refuges, police stations or
drug dens. Police are often very willing to be of assistance to crime writers,
even if it is just to avoid being irritated when otherwise the writers would
get police procedures wrong. This information is most useful and helpful.
Indeed, when you are writing a novel, no information or experience is wasted! ~ Val Penny
Hunter by name –
Hunter by nature: DI Hunter Wilson will not rest until Edinburgh is safe.
DI Hunter Wilson knows there is a
new supply of cocaine flooding his city and he needs to find the source but his
attention is transferred to murder when a corpse is discovered in the grounds
of a golf course. Shortly after the post-mortem, Hunter witnesses a second
murder but that is not the end of the slaughter. With a young woman's life also
hanging in the balance, the last thing Hunter needs is a new man on his team:
the son of his nemesis, the former Chief Constable. Hunter's perseverance and
patience are put to the test time after time in this taught crime
thriller.
www.authorvalpenny.com
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