I am embarking on a new genre for my next project. It is also my second book series. As you may know, I was persuaded to write a sequel to The Rython Kingdom by reader demand. This culminated in my writing Rython Legacy, a novella following the story of the initial sorceress’ granddaughter.
My next project will be a three book series in the crime/detective/thriller genre. The idea just seemed to pop into my head, when I was struggling with a concept for National Novel Writing Month. This is a global online writing challenge, where writers participant during November to write at least 50,000 words. Yep, only in the thirty days of November.
I have utilized this challenge since 2009 and have participated every year (except 2017 – I have no idea why not!) and it has enabled me to complete the initial drafts of all of my novels. Yes, some have not seen the light of day for years afterwards, but I am slowly returning to them to edit, revise and add to them. Case in point, Life in Slake Patch was my first NaNoWriMo project in 2009 and it wasn’t published until 2019. I revised it numerous times before I was happy with the story. I also learned, increased my skill and grew as a writer in the intervening years.
This new project has me excited and – unique for me – I find myself planning the plot arc, characters backstories, character descriptions and how I will link the three books narratives. I usually just let the story flow but this time I have to consider what clues are found and utilized and which ones carry over. It is a fun project and I hope when they are finished you will enjoy them.
QUESTIONS:
When you read detective crime – what entices you the most?
What particular story lines have you enjoyed the most in this genre?
Who are your favourite crime writers?
Mandy Eve-Barnett's Blog for Readers & Writers 