I’ve always enjoyed the classic mysteries like Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple series and Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes adventures. Every now and again though, something new comes along and I think “Wow. I wish I’d written that.”I’ve just seen the trailer for the new series of Dexter, due to air in the US in October (we Brits will have to wait). The premise behind Dexter is simple. A blood splatter analyst with the Miami Metro Police Department just happens to be a serial killer in his spare time. The idea might sound simple but there are many wonderful twists to the stories and the character of Dexter Morgan. I’m an addict. I’m a fan of the books by Jeff Lindsay and by the TV shows, despite the fact that they’re almost unrelated these days.
A few nights ago, I watched the film Crash. I’ve seen it several times and will no doubt watch it again. If you haven’t seen it, this film is about racial tensions in Los Angeles. One of the things I love most is that there isn’t a stereotype to be found in a cast that includes (among others) detectives and criminals, a district attorney and his spoilt wife, a Hollywood director and his wife who fall foul of a racist police officer, a wonderful Persian-immigrant shopkeeper and Hispanic locksmith. The way these characters interact and the seemingly unrelated events unfold is little short of genius. The film deservedly won three Oscars.
At the moment, I’m deep in edits for Silent Witness which releases in March 2012. While I’m working on those, I’ll be aiming to produce a book about which a writer says “Wow. I wish I’d written that.”
What about you? Is there anything you wish you’d written? Do share. I'd love to know!
13 comments:
I wish I wrote JAWS. Actually, Peter Benchley lived one town up from me.
Of course, there is not much contemporary romantic suspense in JAWS, and I do have a brand to uphold, right? :)
It is amazing what editors pick up. They must just sit there and laugh at us. Keep up the good work, Miss Shirley.
I LOVE Dexter. It is brilliantly twisted. I wish I could write all the stories bouncing around my brain. Got maybe two hours sleep last night because of characters talking to me. Ugg!
Mysteries--I love the complexities Colin Dexter's characters reveal. Romance--Edna Ferber's Show Boat. If there is another life I'd like to come back and write The Great American Novel.
Maureen - Oh yes, Jaws would be a great one to write. But um, yes, mustn't forget the brand. :)
Rita - Dexter is amazing, isn't it? Love it. What I don't love is lying awake half the night concocting stories. I often do that and then I'm too exhausted to function at all in the morning.
Elise - Colin Dexter's characters are wonderful, aren't they? And CD is such a lovely, unassuming man who has no idea of his own brilliance.
I want to write The Great American Novel too. Can it be written by a Brit? I don't see why not...
I wish I'd written THE GOOD WIFE. I love that show. So clever. As for stories--Tami Hoag's ASHES TO ASHES. To me this is the quintessential romantic suspense story.
And I love CRASH. I also really like Southland, cop show set in LA. I haven't watched much Dexter. Always worried the kids will come downstairs and be traumatized for life.
Do I ever say I wish I'd written that? Only all the time, not so much with films or tv but when I pick up a good book and am hooked from the first chapter. Then comes the self-doubt. I'll never be that good. Why do I bother?
I bother because I can't think of another way I'd prefer to fill my time and perhaps, one day, someone will pick up one of mine and wish they'd written it. Well, a girl can dream, can't she.
I wish I'd written IDENTITY. Great, great movie with some fabulous twisted twists. And I love all things psychological, so it really appealed to me. Anytime an epic film with an interesting band of characters who would never be brought together in everyday life must band together to face things bigger than themselves, well, I love those! LORD OF THE RINGS, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, etc.
Toni - I agree about Ashes to Ashes. Wonderful!
Probably a wise move not watching too much Dexter. ;)
Wendy - I'm exactly the same. I can be crippled with self-doubt when I pick up a really good book.
Anne Marie - I'd forgotten Identity. Love that. As you say, great twists!
Hilary Mantel, Cormac McCarthy, with a dash of James Lee Burke - oh and a killer plot. That's what I want to write :)
Mike - Me too. Maybe we can buy the formula at Tesco's. :)
'Every little helps'
Post a Comment