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!

I'm not a fan of endless descriptive narrative
Eg..." As he approached the gnarled, heavy oak door, he noticed the twisting tendrils of ivy poking, finger like through the weathered trellis, reminding him of that day he ...."

Also not a fan of the suddenly discovered old photograph/film/newspaper cutting showing a link from the past.
In fact, so many times have I come across the old scrap book of old newspaper cuttings that I think it's an easy cop out when trying to link protagonists.

@HollowTalk

Any other crime writers on here who are thinking "tough crowd"?!

Really bored of unreliable narrators, a ‘shocking twist’, middle class women with wine and children.

Hate abduction and murder of children and women, and any sexual violence. Or animals.

Love a psychological thriller which doesn’t involve a murder! And preferably no cops. It’s just so overdone. Much more interested in unnerving relationships, psychological dynamics, realistic threats that people actually exist with.

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.

This is interesting. I can’t think of even one crime novel or thriller where the main plot is not concluded within one book. Wish I knew who you wrote as, in this case!

Even something like Thomas Harris’s Hannibal series the main plot is standalone in each book, although the books build on/draw from others in the series.

I can think of hundreds where the series characters have ongoing storylines and relationship issues that aren’t resolved and develop arcs across the series. But that’s different to splitting a plot into two books - which is MUCH more frequent in fantasy, for instance.

Intriguing!

Anyway, everyone who’s saying ‘why all the middle-class characters?’ It’s because crime writers write what they know and publishers buy what they know and they’re all predominantly middle class (making a living from writing and traditional publishing is overwhelmingly only possible for those already well off!) and lots of reasons related to this e.g. concerns around stereotyping lower classes as violent/criminal; crime being more ‘shocking’ in ‘respectable’ settings etc. It’s pretty well established - golden age crime was all focused on upper classes etc.

Please for the love of God have a female character who doesn't drink wine.

Also bored of the 'person suddenly goes missing without a trace and then gradually a whole (completely impossible) other life emerges' storyline. See also people who were involved in a traumatic experience but somehow manage to spend the next twenty years showing absolutely no signs of the trauma.

I do admire you; I would love to write a novel! And crime & thriller novels are some of my favourites reads :)

But must admit I am very, very bored of:

• Unreliable narrators, usually women, who drink too much wine
• Characters, usually women, who refuse to call the police about major events for a pointless reason - 'someone broke into your house and left a threatening letter, but best not tell the police in case the investigation reveals you accidentally forgot to scan the broccoli at the self-checkout yesterday...'.
• Byronic hero police officers
• Murderers who 'take on' a specific police officer and kill randomly because 'it's all a game'
• Murderers who have the upper hand in the final pages, but then spend 10 pages gloating so that the backup has time to arrive.
• Absurd prologues
• Really weak supporting characters, so the murderer is obvious from the beginning simply because the author never introduced anyone else

That was quite cathartic and a bit ranty... sorry, OP!

I hate it when sex scenes are shoved in for no apparent reason. I read a thriller recently in which there seemed to be one every second page, none of which were relevant to the story. I ended up skipping half the book.

It's also irritating when ‘gender’ is used instead of ‘sex’.

What do people mean by unreliable narrators?

@LottyD32

What do people mean by unreliable narrators?

The narrator can't be relied upon to be telling the truth. E.g. they might think they killed someone and their narration is based on this, but it transpires in a 'twist' later on that they didn't in fact do it. Unreliable narrators might be alcoholics or on medication or mentally unwell etc.

Ah OK thanks. None of the books I've read have been like that. Maybe 'behind her eyes', but that wasn't really by the end.

It’s usually a kind of lazy way to hide a ‘twist’ from the reader and rarely done well. It will always be ‘yes the narrator said they had a twin but it was actually them! Haha! I have dropped no hints because the narrator is mentally ill that’s why I could just lie the whole way through.’

So rather than the truth being cleverly shrouded by circumstances, the narrator is just allowed to lie all the way through. It is sometimes done to great effect but it’s generally overdone now I think.

@nuffinimlazyatthemoment

I hate when there’s a ‘huge secret’ that’s just hinted at through the book as if it’s something really big and it’s always that they left their friend behind on the beach when they were 9 and that’s why the friend got kidnapped. Or they were molested. Basically it’s always something quite cheap for a ‘twist’ that basically seems like to doesn’t add anything so it feels really lazy

I HATE that.

End of first chapter: 'She could never let anyone know what had happened to her'. Cuts to next chapter without saying what the secret is.

End of chapter 2: 'Nobody could ever find out what had happened to her'. Cuts to chapter 3.

End of chapter 3: 'What would he do if ever found out what had happened to her'. Cuts to chapter 4.

Etc. Etc til the end of the book 🙄 It's so irritating. Just tell us the damned secret.

Yes 😂 clearly you’ve been reading the same nonsense I have! And the secret is rarely plot relevant and never worth the build up.

Hate anything where children are murdered.

I like to be able to work it out for myself, rather than a totally unrelated villain pops up at the end.

So many poncey prologues lately! They just shout "look at me, I've read a bit of Balzac, Hegel, or whoever" really off-putting.
And can a detective be happily married for a change? Without a "thing" like alcoholism, adhd, bipolar disorder or guilt about a case 20 years ago when they did or didn't do something. A non "tortured" detective is what I'd like, I guess.

I hate sex scenes and would love a move back to Agatha Christie Style murder mystery! I hate gritty, too. I'm in it for the escapism.

@LottyD32

What do people mean by unreliable narrators?

An unreliable narrator tells the truth, but not all of the truth, either because they can't face it or because they're deliberately misleading someone. Always look at what they're saying (can be a lie or information can be withheld) and compare it to what they're thinking.

Ok thanks

My own personal favourites are when someone writes about their own experiences when young (Suzannah Dunn, Blood Sugar and Venus Flaring). Martina Evans' first two books, The Glass Mountain and Midnight Feast I also loved too. All about teen/young adult friendships but written about very well.

Suzannah Dunn then veered off into historical writing and to be honest was rubbish at that! Martina Evans now just does poetry.

I love Colm Toibin's books like Norah Webster and William Trevor's books.

I can see you're a crime writer though so you're probably not on my wavelength at all!

Please, no more tortured detectives - past history of broken relationships / marriage break-down, drinking too much, or just in a bleak place.

Prefer the Agatha Christie approach where the detective's story is more of an aside rather than a main detail.

I’m over female non-target/ response murderers. I get it - shocker! - but it doesn’t ring true. I like crime novels to reflect a fair amount of the authentic social landscape in order to resonate.

@CantStandMeCow yes I said the same, the last 3 books I’ve read had a female murderer as well as the last 2 tv series!

Why are you all reading such formulaic, lazy stuff, then?

@PleaseBeSeated did you mean to be so rude? Perhaps because that's all there is?