Writing my next book

[ThisLifeSuxx]

Hi MumsNetters. I am still relatively new to this forum so please forgive me if I have posted this thread in the wrong category.

I am a published writer that specialises in crime and psychological thrillers. I have written two books so far that were relatively successful but for book number 3, I would like to reach for the stars.

I need to make it clear from the offset that I am NOT seeking any ideas for storylines or anything of the sort. Please do NOT post any storyline ideas as I could get in serious trouble with my publishers if so. Copyright issues and so on.

What I am in fact looking for are your opinions on what storylines in this particular category that you are fed up of seeing. Which storylines are boring or regurgitated if want for a better turn of phrase, for you?

I am very interested to hear what the people DON'T want so that I know which direction to take with this next book.

TIA!

Hi, Richard Osman. 👋

Considering the vast majority of murderers are men, I’m getting a bit sick of it being a very unlikely woman who’s either elderly or has a professional job for a twist.

I could not see any offset text there 🤣

The big twist is overdone.

I don't like the style of gone girl or girl on the train, it's incredibly boring.

I love psychological thrillers, if you send me a private message with your name I’ll buy your first two books.

The things that make me roll my eyes or stop reading are when the woman’s husband just will not believe anything she says ever! Like she’s being stalked, someone’s mugged her, sent her a dead cat, run her off the road and kidnapped her firstborn and her husband is like ‘mmm are you sure dear? You did have two glasses of wine so maybe you imagined it’ then he’s attacked, she’s kidnapped and when she’s finally rescued he’s all ‘oh yeah well maybe you were right’ and she falls into his arms. Can we have a supportive husband for once or an unsupportive husband who at least gets dumped for being a disbelieving arse!

I don’t like it when someone confesses to protect someone else, the last four books I’ve read all had that as a ‘twist’.

I’ll be back when I think of more!

@CornyAsACornyThing The big twist is overdone.

I completely agree with this. It's boring. Thank you!

@Karwomannghia

Considering the vast majority of murderers are men, I’m getting a bit sick of it being a very unlikely woman who’s either elderly or has a professional job for a twist.

Yep. Totally agree. Thank you!

@LottyD32

I don't like the style of gone girl or girl on the train, it's incredibly boring.

This! Thank you!

@Flowermouse

I love psychological thrillers, if you send me a private message with your name I’ll buy your first two books.

The things that make me roll my eyes or stop reading are when the woman’s husband just will not believe anything she says ever! Like she’s being stalked, someone’s mugged her, sent her a dead cat, run her off the road and kidnapped her firstborn and her husband is like ‘mmm are you sure dear? You did have two glasses of wine so maybe you imagined it’ then he’s attacked, she’s kidnapped and when she’s finally rescued he’s all ‘oh yeah well maybe you were right’ and she falls into his arms. Can we have a supportive husband for once or an unsupportive husband who at least gets dumped for being a disbelieving arse!

I don’t like it when someone confesses to protect someone else, the last four books I’ve read all had that as a ‘twist’.

I’ll be back when I think of more!

This made me laugh

I'm still new to MumsNet so I'm a bit apprehensive of revealing my identity, even if it is via PM. Please don't take this personally!

But thank you for your reply and I couldn't agree with you more about the whole unsupportive husband and then it all comes to light at the end and he's like "omg I'm so sorry darling". It's like "you what? The signs were there all along!"

Thanks again!

I dislike it when everything is miserable, so a crime has been committed obviously devastating for those involved but when everyone involved in the investigation is also miserable (alcoholic police, single parent with depression witness etc) it's too much.
Conversely I also think it's weird when the close family of a murder victim continue on in their normal routine such as being interviewed at work because of course you would be working the day after your spouse/sibling/parent was found dead!

I really hate not having all the facts, like you get to 3 pages before the end and there is a huge reveal of a piece of information without which you had no hope of working out what was happening, so all the energy you wasted thinking about it all feels bit pointless ....I find that really frustrating.

Conversely I also think it's weird when the close family of a murder victim continue on in their normal routine such as being interviewed at work because of course you would be working the day after your spouse/sibling/parent was found dead!

My God, this! Word for word! I couldn't agree more. I find a lot of psychological thrillers both books and movies/series with this particular element to it. It's so unrealistic and quite frankly, annoying. Thank you!

@Mama1980

I really hate not having all the facts, like you get to 3 pages before the end and there is a huge reveal of a piece of information without which you had no hope of working out what was happening, so all the energy you wasted thinking about it all feels bit pointless ....I find that really frustrating.

I am with you on this to some degree. Although it would not be conducive to equip the reader with certain facts at the beginning of the story. Otherwise it would take away from the story in it's entirety. But I do agree with not putting those facts 3 pages before the end of the book as I think that's an insult to the reader on the whole. To drip feed throughout the story is a much better approach. Thank you for your comment!

I hate the violence against women. I have become quite intolerant of fiction or screens opening stories with yet another woman's anonymous brutalised corpse.

There's three of a us a week. It's started to feel dehumanising, we're people, not plot fillers.

I've quite lost my enthusiasm for the genre, especially when the author is male.

@vivariumvivariumsvivaria

I hate the violence against women. I have become quite intolerant of fiction or screens opening stories with yet another woman's anonymous brutalised corpse.

There's three of a us a week. It's started to feel dehumanising, we're people, not plot fillers.

I've quite lost my enthusiasm for the genre, especially when the author is male.

Firstly, I would like to assure you that I am a female. Secondly, I agree with you. My first two books are actually female perpetrators. Again, I cannot state the titles as it would be outing and I don't want to get into trouble at work. But yes, I completely agree with you. It has been overdone in both written word and in film. We get it. Women get abducted and murdered every day in real life. We don't need a reminder of this in fiction. That's not to say that the subject matter is irrelevant because it definitely is not. But it's not my cup of tea nor is it what I aspire to write about. Thank you for your comment

The alcoholic tortured cop 🥱

I like when books are set in real places with real landmarks.

I don't like when a story just ends/cuts off. I like a proper ending where you know what happens to the ther characters/where they end up. Although I'm not sure that's true for me for this genre, actually.

Just to be clear, I will not be responding to comments such as the first pp's comment that are deliberately antagonistic or do not relate to the subject matter in question. It's petulant and juvenile. If you have nothing of substance or relevance to contribute, please find another thread to offload onto. Thank you.

@LottyD32 Gosh, the amount of books I've read with this description of the lead character is ridiculous. Totally agree. It's boring and overdone.

I don't like when a story just ends/cuts off. I like a proper ending where you know what happens to the ther characters/where they end up. Although I'm not sure that's true for me for this genre, actually.

Okay so, you don't like cliffhangers basically. That's fair enough. Although in this particular genre, I have to say that cliffhangers are quite rife.

Would you be open to cliffhangers if they had a sequel? As in, book one/part one, book two/part two, and so on? Thank you for your input

I don't like it when characters start investigating for themselves, stalking potential perpetrators, taking photos, getting the girls round for wine and discussion of 'whodunit' and generally engaging in behaviour that would get them arrested in real life.

I agree with the enormous piece of missing information supplied right at the end. Very annoying.

What would be really fantastic would be some humour if that’s even a possible thing in crime writing.

I’ve very much enjoyed the books by Caz Frear so far and also the Simon Serrailler excellent series by Susan Hill and also the Ellie Griffith series in Norfolk. I guess I really like the crime alongside building a relationship with the central characters.

Best of luck. May I ask how you learned to write novels?

I've had enough of unreliable narrators.

Also women called Kate who have a house in London mysteriously afforded by some niche hobby-job such as weaving lampshades out of yak fur.

Love the fact you're a published author. Congrats to you! Can't wait to pick up my next book in your genre and wonder if it's yours!

Re dislikes.

1. When a downtrodden wifey suddenly channels Miss Marple and solves the crime to ensure her horrible, innocent husband is freed after being falsely accused.

1. When women are objectified and/or dehumanised. Especially when they're often referred to as "the girl".

1. When plot twists are gratuitous and are shoe-horned in towards the end.

Hope this helps a bit.

Although in this particular genre, I have to say that cliffhangers are quite rife.

In crime thrillers? And psychological? Err - no. The whole point is a credible daysoftibg conclusion.

The only time you’d get cliffhangers is in self-published stuff where authors are hooking readers into another quick-fix novel.

Also women called Kate who have a house in London mysteriously afforded by some niche hobby-job such as weaving lampshades out of yak fur.

Just cackled at this!!

@NoSquirrels

Although in this particular genre, I have to say that cliffhangers are quite rife.

In crime thrillers? And psychological? Err - no. The whole point is a credible daysoftibg conclusion.

The only time you’d get cliffhangers is in self-published stuff where authors are hooking readers into another quick-fix novel.

In my experience, they are if there is a sequel or a series of books as opposed to just one story. I can only speak from experience here as both of my previous works have been one story split into two separate books. Otherwise, you are correct.