POOR COUSIN

I’ve just returned from a two-day meeting that brought together about 250 participants from the Canadian world of words. The idea behind the gathering was to take stock of where the Canadian publishing industry stands in order to see where it’s going. The participants were to consider new and innovative ways of supporting writing and writers, in all their forms.

I was excited at the prospect of being in a room full of people who love words as much as I do. I looked forward to learning from the experience of others and sharing my own as a hybrid (indie/traditional) writer.

We were assigned a table and stayed with the same eight to ten people for the two days, and while I got to learn about the people at my table, I didn’t meet any other writers. Looking at the participants list, there didn’t seem to be many writers. And while there were many (many, many, many) small literary publishers present, there was only one big publishing house represented. Where was Harlequin? Simon and Schuster? Penguin? And what of the smaller genre publishers like ChiZine?

Where were the organizations like SF Canada and Crime Writers of Canada?

Literary short fiction publishers abounded but there were no publishers of short genre fiction, like On Spec Magazine. And we have wonderful, well-published science fiction and mystery writers in this country—Robert Sawyer, Giles Blunt, Louise Penny, Guy Gavriel Kay—were they invited but didn’t come? Were they not invited?

I would have been interested in hearing what some of those folks had to say. I did hear the opinions of a number of writers and small publishers in the plenary sessions and at the microphones at the end of each session.

As it turns out, nobody was all that interested in my experience as an indie writer. In Canada, it seems, indie publishing may be the wave of the future but right now it’s still rather gauche.

I may be generalizing unfairly, but it seemed to me that there was a whiff of elitism in the room. I lost track of the number of times people spoke about the value of literary fiction and poetry (both of which I like just fine, thank you) in enriching the Canadian discourse. I actually considered going up to the microphone myself and making a point about the value of genre fiction in enriching pocketbooks as well, but I ran out of nerve. Besides, nobody actually said anything negative about genre fiction or indie publishing. It was more subtle than that. It was interrupting me when I brought up a point about indie publishing or corrected a misconception, and deflecting the discussion back to literary fiction and poetry. They were willing to be polite but really didn’t think what I wrote and published was important.

After a while, I felt like the poor cousin invited to the mansion for Christmas dinner: nice, until you realize you’re a charity case.

Am I being overly sensitive? Is this a chip-on-the-shoulder type of thing? If so, maybe I should just build a bridge and get over it. I am, however, interested in learning if other people experience this type of bias. Is it different in the U.S.?

My latest crass, commercial venture is a short story, “The Verdant Gene,” in the Fiction River anthology, Moonscapes.

 
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The problem with series

I don’t think of myself as a series reader, let alone a series writer. I tend to prefer the stand alone novel, starting fresh with every new story: new premise, setting, characters.

In spite of this, I have followed SaraParetsky’s private eye character, V.I. Warshawski, in many of her adventures. And I have loved following Louise Penny’s Chief Inspector Gamache in his quest to solve murders in Three Pines. Lately, I’ve been reading everything of Charles Todd’s that I can get my hands on, especially his Inspector Rutledge series. And I’ve certainly enjoyed the series penned by my NYUS colleagues.

Back in the day, I used to watch Jessica Fletcher solve murder after murder in Cabot Cove. Since then, I’ve followed the various CSI shows, the DCI Banks, the Midsomer Murders, the Poirots…

And then I found myself writing not one, but two series: the Mendenhall Mysteries and the A’lle Chronicles.

 

So really, with all these series, how can I say I don’t like them? Maybe it’s because I get tired of the same quirks that originally charmed me. Or maybe there isn’t enough growth in the characters from book to book. Or maybe I just get bored. I’ve lost interest in V.I., and the last Inspector Gamache story made me question my devotion. And frankly, Rutledge does way too much driving around in his little roadster. How can I avoid the same pitfalls in the series I’m writing?

I can’t speak for other writers, but I’ve discovered that writing a series can be challenging. Just keeping track of the recurring details like a character’s eye colour, type of car he or she drives, or admitted likes and dislikes within one story is hard enough. Trying to remember from one book to another while growing my characters, now that can be daunting. Tables become involved. Charts, even. You have to be organized.

Maybe I have a short attention span as a reader, and not so much as a writer. Maybe I’m fickle in my reading, or just can’t commit. Or maybe I just haven’t found the right series. What are your favourite mystery series? And what is it about them that keeps you coming back?

Welcome to the New Year!

And a lovely one it is, too. Don't you just love a brand spanking new year? It's all shiny and clean, and you haven't had time to blow your resolutions yet...

I spent most of New Year's Eve day finishing the first draft of my latest mystery. On New Year's Day, while recovering from my excesses (of writing!), I found myself wondering why I like the genre so much. I write fantasy, as well, and even the odd science fiction short story. But I do *love* a good mystery.

The fabulous Kristine Kathryn Rusch, who writes the Smokey Dalton mysteries under the pen name Kris Nelscott, has given a lot of thought to why mystery novels appeal to so many readers. She believes it's because a mystery brings order to chaos. And she's right, of course. By the end of the mystery, the bad guy has been caught (or at least identified) and it's safe to resume our normal lives.

Rusch taught a course on the mystery genre last year that broke down all the sub-genres of mystery and looked at the factors within each sub-genre (character, setting, tone, voice, etc.), and I realized what was important to me.

Character, character, character.

Now, I'm partial to setting, too, but setting isn't enough to keep me reading. However, if the protagonist is interesting, I will follow her or him to the end of the book to find out how they restore order to chaos. Years later, I may not remember the storyline, but I WILL remember the character, and I WILL be interested in reading more about said character.

Some of my favourite recent fictional characters are Kris Nelscott's Smokey Dalton, Louise Penny's Inspector Gamache and Christy Evans' Georgiana Neverall.

Now, how about you? Who are some of your favourite fictional mystery protagonists?