Cozy Mystery Writer Support

Fictional Cowboy

Life is short. Live with purpose.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 11, 2014
Messages
248
Reaction score
23
Location
A forgotten time
Now that I've begun calling writers of cozy mysteries out of the woodwork and a small group is coming together, I wanted to start a special thread specifically to help us in our genre. If you're a cozy mystery reader but not a cozy writer, you're still invaluable to this thread because you know cozies and can give insight as a reader of the genre.

I know there are some informative threads here about cozies and they're bursting with great information and resources, but I wanted to have one specifically for those of us writing cozies to gather for support and advice. Unlike some other genres, cozies writers do have rules that are expected to be followed, not only by publishers but fans of cozies as well.

So, writers, if you have questions about plot, clues, set-up, environment, story, characterization, etc., this is the place to ask them! If we don't know the answer, we'll help you find it! If you're a cozy reader with questions, advice, or comments, let's hear them!

What are you currently writing and where are you at in the process?
 

Fictional Cowboy

Life is short. Live with purpose.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 11, 2014
Messages
248
Reaction score
23
Location
A forgotten time
I'll start.

I'm not new to cozies but I'm new to writing them. Nine months ago I quit a decent paying job because I got fed up being everyone's Go To person for fixing everything. (See this post for the story if you're interested in details.)

I've always wanted to be a writer and have dabbled in it. I've even written a few articles. But I've always wanted to write a novel, especially a cozy. Well, this is my time to do it and I'm grabbing the bull by the horns. I've read everything I can find about cozies. I've read articles and blogs by cozy authors. I've written to some cozy authors and have become friends with three of them. Information on cozies I have. Now I'm going to write them.

The first chapter came to me very suddenly so I outlined it. The murder happens at the end of the first chapter and it left my options open for how the victim died. I started researching poisons and their effects but I didn't find anything that really fit.

Then I realized that I needed more information before I could write the story.

Who is my protagonist? (Male or female?)
What's their story?
What is my theme? (Hobby or career?)
Where does it take place?
What's the setting?
What's the atmosphere like?

These things are really important to take time on and get right because your first book in the series (and publishers and readers prefer series when it comes to cozies) sets the groundwork for all the rest. One thing I've learned in life is to build your foundation on solid rock and it will stand. Build it on sand and it will topple over when trouble comes.

I wanted a male protagonist since there are fewer of them. But, if I stick with the first chapter outline I have, I realized my amateur sleuth is a woman in her 40's. I need to get to know her and her story.

So, right now I'm in the process of creating my fictional town. I had ideas of things I wanted to incorporate into my town so fleshing it out on paper helps me the most. I started with the terrain of the area. Are there mountains? Rivers? Lakes? Forests? Then I planned the town to fit in that area. I figured out what businesses and amenities the town would have. A few elements of important backstory got worked into it. I planned the population size and types of characters that live there.

That's where I'm at right now. I'm finishing this step and getting a map drawn so I'll have a visual. This process has helped me get to know, and see, my story's setting. I can see it in my mind now. I know where the cafe is and how to get to the fire station from there. I know which part of town my characters live in and who is neighbors with whom.

World building has been a lot of fun! It's going to help so much when it comes time to plot my mystery and write the story.

QUESTION: How did you get into writing cozies and where are you at in the process?
 
Last edited:

djunamod

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 25, 2010
Messages
179
Reaction score
5
Location
West Texas
Thank you for starting this thread. It couldn't have come at a better time for me :). I've always loved cozy mysteries (though it's been some time since I've read the classics, so I'm rereading some now) but I never considered writing one until NaNo last year. I come from a literary fiction background, so writing genre fiction, and especially a mystery, is totally new to me. I'm still researching and trying to figure out how to build a mystery and make it interesting and not predictable. I also have to admit that I am fighting my own prejudices against writing cozy mysteries. I've read some cozy mysteries that I put down because I felt the writing was very poor and "hack" writing. I know there are many quality cozies out there but I'm having a hard time shaking the feeling that I'm writing something that won't be respected (though I plan on self-publishing rather than going the traditional publishing route).

But the cozy I'm writing now is the first of a historical cozy series and I am really enjoying the characters and the setting and the story.

Djuna
 

Fictional Cowboy

Life is short. Live with purpose.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 11, 2014
Messages
248
Reaction score
23
Location
A forgotten time
Cozy writers get their own support thread? What about us Noir writers? We need love too. :tongue

All it takes is someone in noir to start one! I wanted to start a cozy support thread because cozies have a few rules to abide by. I've noticed in past threads when cozy writers have asked for help, all of the really great folks who write mysteries responded but it wasn't exactly usable advice because of the rules of cozies. Especially the no sex, violence or vulgar language. Murders are bloodless. Etc.,

My intention isn't to leave others out. Just to have a specific place for a specific sub-genre to go for help!
 

Nancyleeny

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 17, 2014
Messages
183
Reaction score
11
I'm a bit stuck

Hi,
I have my setting, the Jersey shore, my MC is an ex-alcoholic teacher who makes custom cakes and does triathlons. Her best friend is a crazy teacher who doesn't follow social mores, she is working on her marriage, has 3 kids, one in college. I'm thinking she will hold up to a series, but some people who read it found her not likable, too obsessed with her past issues right after bumping into the victim, and found her crazy friend a lot more interesting. And that was just the first 5000 words! Ha!! So i reworked a bit of the beginning to make her more sympathetic and less self-obsessed. I brought in that she used to do dog rescue until it pushed her and her drinking almost over the edge, and did it against her husband's wishes, to show that she is kind, and also strong willed and obsessive.

The victim was a dirtbag - a disbarred lawyer who has made his fortune developing the pristine parts of the island. He has enemies - the Waterkeeper, the hippie, do-gooder wife he cheated on and is leaving, the much younger girlfriend who is upset he's taking so long to leave his wife, the ex-partner he totally screwed out of their real estate development business. I may add an environmentalist as another suspect.

The part that I worry about with the cozy aspect is that there are a number of these people in a "swingers" group - my real life friend was telling me of this group of very average people where I used to live that were in a group like this, and I thought it was interesting, the secret lives people live. And also for motives.

There is nothing explicit, no swinger scenes, just vague references to it and that it is mostly just naming people who were in it and got too involved emotionally with another. Is this too much for cosy? It wasn't in my original plan, but it gave me some motives - the dirtbag got too involved with another woman, whose husband was angry, and was unaccounted for during the murder of the victim. And some confused women, one of whom is comically dopey.

There is a second murder in which one of the suspects is killed, obviously taking him out of consideration, and the murderer tries to take out my MC by running her off the bridge at night. Too much? Not enough?

I have been getting some great advice about planting clues and red herrings. For me, the people are easy and fun to bring to life, I like the dialogue. Creating suspense takes more effort, but the clues are the hardest part. Would love to talk about this! And also any feedback about the "swingers"!

Love this idea! Thanks,
Nancy

BTW, I have about 30,000 words so far.
 

Nancyleeny

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 17, 2014
Messages
183
Reaction score
11
Thank you for starting this thread. It couldn't have come at a better time for me :). I've always loved cozy mysteries (though it's been some time since I've read the classics, so I'm rereading some now) but I never considered writing one until NaNo last year. I come from a literary fiction background, so writing genre fiction, and especially a mystery, is totally new to me. I'm still researching and trying to figure out how to build a mystery and make it interesting and not predictable. I also have to admit that I am fighting my own prejudices against writing cozy mysteries. I've read some cozy mysteries that I put down because I felt the writing was very poor and "hack" writing. I know there are many quality cozies out there but I'm having a hard time shaking the feeling that I'm writing something that won't be respected (though I plan on self-publishing rather than going the traditional publishing route).

But the cozy I'm writing now is the first of a historical cozy series and I am really enjoying the characters and the setting and the story.

Djuna

Djuna,
I loved reading cozies, especially Diane Mott Davidson, but they did get formulaic and boring. I think Romance has the same issue, but I think mysteries are a LOT harder to wrote!

I, too, am trying to bring something a bit extra, but still keep it in the cozy genre, a book a person (mostly a woman) wouldn't be embarrassed to read in front of grandkids, with characters the readers like and care about, and not the gore that would make them uncomfortable. Also, humor. Not mean or crude, just funny, observant, ironic humor.

Cowboy,
Are you going to write this woman MC in 1st or 3rd person. I think it's challenging to get into the head of the opposite sex. I read some advice from a writer, I can't remember who, that said create boards of what your character wears, her house, her car. I started a Pinterest board for the MCs in each of my books. I can send you guys the link if you want to see.

Both my characters love clothes, but are on budgets, so they go to trunk sales and consignment shops for used designer clothes. I feel they are coming alive and it's weird - I almost feel like when my Barbies were "alive," or I have this imaginary life adults aren't supposed to have. I even had a dream about one of them last night! I feel like this is odd for an adult, to have these imaginary people I bring to life with words and Pinterest boards! Regardless, until they start chasing me with the butterfly net, I'm really enjoying this process!

Nancy
 

Fictional Cowboy

Life is short. Live with purpose.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 11, 2014
Messages
248
Reaction score
23
Location
A forgotten time
Thank you for starting this thread. It couldn't have come at a better time for me :). I've always loved cozy mysteries (though it's been some time since I've read the classics, so I'm rereading some now) but I never considered writing one until NaNo last year. I come from a literary fiction background, so writing genre fiction, and especially a mystery, is totally new to me. I'm still researching and trying to figure out how to build a mystery and make it interesting and not predictable. I also have to admit that I am fighting my own prejudices against writing cozy mysteries. I've read some cozy mysteries that I put down because I felt the writing was very poor and "hack" writing. I know there are many quality cozies out there but I'm having a hard time shaking the feeling that I'm writing something that won't be respected (though I plan on self-publishing rather than going the traditional publishing route).

But the cozy I'm writing now is the first of a historical cozy series and I am really enjoying the characters and the setting and the story.

Djuna

Hi Djuna! Historical cozies are definitely popular. If you're going to go the self-published route, I would recommend finding as much information as you can from published cozy authors online who give advice.

Nancy J. Cohen is a great author for this! She has a 42 page book called Writing the Cozy Mystery I can't recommend it highly enough for new cozy writers. It's a fast and easy read with no fluff.

iTunes has it $.99
Amazon has it for $.99 (Kindle) and $6.29 paperback price.
Original cover price is $6.99

It's a great place to start for new cozy writers. If you do an internet search for her, you can find some of her online articles that are really helpful, too. Here are two of them:

On the How To Write Shop site.
After reading that one, read this article called Discovering Story on The Kill Zone website.

And, of course, spending time on what's generally considered to be the best cozy mystery site on the internet (run by a fan of cozy mysteries) can only help. Browse. Read the blog posts. Read the comments from dedicated cozy readers. All very helpful. Cozy Mystery

And, of course, there will be this thread to come to for help from other cozy writers that come out of the woodwork. And, of course, cozy readers who are kind enough to give some input and opinions!
 

GinJones

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 7, 2013
Messages
2,175
Reaction score
2,521
One of the keys to a cozy series, which hasn't been mentioned yet, is the quirky community (the people, not just the geography and architecture). These are the people around the protagonist, who will recur over the series. Donna Andrews is brilliant at this, with her extended family for Meg Langslow and assorted neighbors and the local police chief. Or take a look at MC Beaton's Agatha Raisin mysteries, and how she rotates her supporting cast, calling in one then another to help her in her investigations.

The community is one of the major things that I work on when setting up a series, along with the other things that have been mentioned. Sometimes those community members are suspects, and if they're not, then I also set up a list of suspects before I do much writing, or else I don't have enough of them and the killer is too obvious. For one series, the geography did matter quite a bit, and I ended up drawing a map, based on a real town, but then changing what I needed changed. It really helped me to figure out the logistics for various scenes.

I'm currently working on the Helen Binney Mysteries (to be published by Gemma Halliday Publishing, with the first one coming out on June 10th, A Dose of Death). They feature a protagonist who's been forced into early retirement because of a medical condition, and she hates being limited by that medical condition, which leads her to investigate the murder of her visiting nurse in the first book of the series.

I've got some other series in the works, but they're not ready for prime time yet, and now I've got to get the next two Helen Binney books written!
 

Gringa

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 1, 2014
Messages
3,787
Reaction score
1,738
Might be perfect timing for me too. Seems like real time. Fate.

My MC has sleuth written all over her.

Thanks for starting this thread, Cowboy. Will be following it.
 

Fictional Cowboy

Life is short. Live with purpose.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 11, 2014
Messages
248
Reaction score
23
Location
A forgotten time
One of the keys to a cozy series, which hasn't been mentioned yet, is the quirky community (the people, not just the geography and architecture). These are the people around the protagonist, who will recur over the series. Donna Andrews is brilliant at this, with her extended family for Meg Langslow and assorted neighbors and the local police chief. Or take a look at MC Beaton's Agatha Raisin mysteries, and how she rotates her supporting cast, calling in one then another to help her in her investigations.

Absolutely. Once I'm done fleshing out the town and the MC, the other cast of characters comes next. It's the collection of characters that can make or break a cozy. They're not to be taken lightly by any means. If I don't like the people who inhabit the town in a cozy, I can't read the series. And readers won't either. The likability of your characters can easily be the deciding factor whether your series is going to be three, seven or seventeen books long. Personally, I want mine to be people I want to spend time with book after book. If I can do that with my characters, and the public likes them, I want to write the same series for a very long time.

The community is one of the major things that I work on when setting up a series, along with the other things that have been mentioned. Sometimes those community members are suspects, and if they're not, then I also set up a list of suspects before I do much writing, or else I don't have enough of them and the killer is too obvious. For one series, the geography did matter quite a bit, and I ended up drawing a map, based on a real town, but then changing what I needed changed. It really helped me to figure out the logistics for various scenes.

Once the setting and the cast are fleshed out, it's time to plot the mystery. I use an outline something like this:

SUSPECT #1:
LINK TO CRIME:
MOTIVE:
CLUES:
RED HERRINGS:

SUSPECT #2:
LINK TO CRIME:
MOTIVE:
CLUES:
RED HERRINGS:

etc.,

THE PATH TO THE KILLER:

I'm currently working on the Helen Binney Mysteries (to be published by Gemma Halliday Publishing, with the first one coming out on June 10th, A Dose of Death). They feature a protagonist who's been forced into early retirement because of a medical condition, and she hates being limited by that medical condition, which leads her to investigate the murder of her visiting nurse in the first book of the series.

That sounds like a series I can get into. I love older sleuths. I prefer them to the 20-somethings. Congrats on getting them published! Will they be available at all major booksellers? Count me in for buying one!

I've got some other series in the works, but they're not ready for prime time yet, and now I've got to get the next two Helen Binney books written!

How many books do you have planned for your Helen Binney series? Can I ask a question in advance to have something to look forward to when I read it? Who is your favorite character in the book?

And welcome to the thread! I'm sure your advice and offerings here will be very much appreciated!
 

Fictional Cowboy

Life is short. Live with purpose.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 11, 2014
Messages
248
Reaction score
23
Location
A forgotten time
Might be perfect timing for me too. Seems like real time. Fate.

My MC has sleuth written all over her.

Thanks for starting this thread, Cowboy. Will be following it.

I can't wait to hear about what you're working on!
 

Fictional Cowboy

Life is short. Live with purpose.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 11, 2014
Messages
248
Reaction score
23
Location
A forgotten time
I have a question for anyone who wants to answer it, even if you're reading this thread and aren't a cozy reader or writer.

When you're creating your characters, what's your process?

Do you base them off of yourself? People you know? A combination of people? Do you have an actor or actress that you picture when you think of a specific character? Or maybe a character in a movie or TV show? Or are your characters completely of your own imagination?
 

Fictional Cowboy

Life is short. Live with purpose.
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 11, 2014
Messages
248
Reaction score
23
Location
A forgotten time
Given my situation and the circumstances that led to my recent head-first dive into novel writing, I learned some pretty huge lessons about myself and about life in general.

For example. It's never too late to change your life, do what you love or fulfill your dreams. It really isn't. And, contrary to a popular saying, time is on our side. It just takes a little work and creative thinking to manage it.

Sometimes, when we've been doing something for awhile, we can become dulled to it. The passion slips away and it becomes work. It's possible to get so wrapped-up in something that you forget why you wanted to do it in the first place. Even writing.

All is not lost. Take it from me, there is always hope! You can change it. If you're getting frustrated with your WIPs, or you're blocked, or losing your steam for writing, there are things you can do to bring back your enthusiasm for what you once loved. If this is you, I want to give you some practical things you can do to accomplish that.

First. Take a break. Step back for a while and give yourself time to really think about your life. Not enough people do this and it's really important. It is, after all, your life. Who said we have to accept our present circumstances and not try to change them? Taking time to stop, be silent, and listen is not easy for everyone. Silence scares a lot of people. Most people will have the radio or TV on for background noise because they're afraid of silence. It's confronting. The very nature of silence causes us to think about our lives and that makes a lot of people very uncomfortable. It brings up past and present hurts and fears people have stuffed down deep because they don't want to face them. They're stumbling blocks to moving forward.

Finding the time can be hard, too. The world has so many demands on our time. But that's usually the problem. Maybe you're overly committed to things or people and it's time to re-examine your personal boundaries. If you're like me, maybe you don't even have any. It's time to set some and stick to them. "No" is a perfectly acceptable answer to give other people. Think about it. How many times do you hear it from others like bosses, coworkers, friends or even family? If they all have their own priorities and boundaries, why can't you? It's okay to consider your own feelings and, let's get really radical... your dreams!

What things in your life do you want to change that you can change? We all have big things we'd like to change but what about the little things have piled up? If your overly committed, what can you let go of? Let them go without guilt. Many people are guilted into commitments in the first place. If you're so busy doing for others the things they should/could be doing for themselves, maybe it's time to hand over the reins of responsibility to the people they belong to. I meet overly committed people daily but they're too afraid to say no. You only get one life. Take responsibility for it and don't let other people manage it for you. I promise, "No" really is an acceptable answer. If people don't like it, that's something they need to deal with. It's not your job to appease them and make life easier for them.

What is it about writing that made you want to do it in the first place? When you first started writing, what excited you to get to your desk and start creating? Think back on these things and grab hold of them again. And be honest with yourself. Are the things holding you back real or are they just excuses you've come up with to feel better about not writing? I've known people who have continued writing solely because they talked about writing so much to other people. They feel obligated to continue so they aren't embarrassed or think they'll look foolish if they quit. Sometimes, after you've tried something for awhile, you realize it's not for you. If that's the case, don't torture yourself. Stop caring about what anyone else thinks and stop writing. Find a new dream. It's okay to let go of past dreams that you no longer want.

I learned to quilt from the senior citizens in my life during my younger years and I was gung-ho about it. I even bought a $2,000 sewing machine and tons of fabric. You know what? I never got a single quilt made. I was embarrassed! It turns out that I loved the idea, and the end product, of quilting. It wasn't the actual act of creating one. It was tedious to me. Everyone thought I was nuts for spending wasting all that money and not doing anything with it. But, you know what? Oh, well! Life lesson learned and I moved on. No one died so why beat myself up about it? Writing is a lot like quilting. Some people love the idea of writing and even have some great ideas. But the actual act of writing is tedious to them. So why keep doing it?

If you're struggling with your novel, remember this: You're on your own schedule. You're in control. Take the time to step back, take a break and examine your life. Change what you can and manage the rest of it. Get your passion for writing back by remembering what it was that made you want to be a writer in the first place. It's supposed to be fun as well as hard work. And, if you've tried writing and learned that it's not for you anymore. Have the courage to stop. Life lesson learned! And then move on to another dream. Let me be the first to tell you - you deserve it.
 

GinJones

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jan 7, 2013
Messages
2,175
Reaction score
2,521
How many books do you have planned for your Helen Binney series? Can I ask a question in advance to have something to look forward to when I read it? Who is your favorite character in the book?

At the moment, it's three books: A Dose of Death, A Dash of Death and A Deal of Death. Second one is in second draft (of three), and third one just has a vague premise.

For a favorite character, I honestly don't have one. Something I learned from reading Terry Pratchett, and that I try to put into effect when I write, is how important it is to love all my characters, even the killer, even the annoying soon-to-be-corpse. (Someone once pointed out to me just how much Terry Pratchett seems to love all his characters, so even when he's making fun of someone, like the Igors with their lisps, it doesn't come across as mean, but as coming from a place of love.) I don't know who first said it, but every character is the protagonist in his/her head, and it helps to remember that when it comes to making them well-rounded.

And that also explains how I approach creating characters. I start with knowing the role they need to play in the mystery or its investigation (because I do a lot of pre-writing and outlining), and then give them some small trait (positive or negative) that I myself possess (because we're all narcissists to some degree, so it helps me to bond with the character), sort of like how therapists say that everyone in our dreams is some facet of ourselves, and after that, much as my logical legal brain hates to admit it, how the characters come to life is kind of just magic. I can't explain it. They just start talking, and I know who they are from what they say and do.

One thing I don't do is character sheets (in advance of writing; I create a cast list as I write); they make me freeze. Way back when I first started writing fiction, I went to a conference where I was overwhelmed by how much I didn't know about writing, and the final straw was a workshop that purported to teach us how to create characters, and we were given a five-page hand-out of things every author needed to know about their protagonists. One of the first things on the list was "what jewelry does he/she wear," and I totally panicked, because I don't wear jewelry, never have, and the thought of even going into a jewelry store for research made me hyperventilate, and how the heck was I going to know that when I hadn't met the characters in action yet, which is where I found out who they were.

These days, I do have some characters who wear jewelry, but at the time, the idea of HAVING to know, right up front, before they'd introduced themselves to me in the story context, what their jewelry preferences were completely freaked me out. I stopped writing for at least a year. Seriously. It was painful. Don't let this happen to you!

Bottom line: however you create your characters, however you create your stories, if it works for you, then don't let anyone else tell you different. I do think it's good to hear how others do it so you can try different methods -- I started as an outliner, went to pantsing and came back to outlining, but using a variation on the snowflake method, rather than what I did at first, which was to go straight to the outline -- because you don't know what will work (and what will make you hyperventilate and stop writing) until you try it.

Oh, and just as an aside, one of the other series that I'm working on features a quilt appraiser who solves murders related to quilts. I'm not an appraiser, but I'm an award-winning quiltmaker with one quilt owned by the Museum of American Folk Art in NYC. My fabric stash can beat up anyone else's fabric stash.
 

Gringa

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Mar 1, 2014
Messages
3,787
Reaction score
1,738
Step back for a while and give yourself time to really think about your life.

Silence scares a lot of people.

It's okay to consider your own feelings and, let's get really radical... your dreams!

You only get one life.

It's not your job to appease them and make life easier for them.

It's okay to let go of past dreams that you no longer want.

No one died so why beat myself up about it?

You're on your own schedule.

You're in control.

Let me be the first to tell you - you deserve it.

Wisdom. Your words go to the heart. Thank you.
 
Last edited:

WeaselFire

Benefactor Member
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 17, 2012
Messages
3,539
Reaction score
429
Location
Floral City, FL
Cozy writers get their own support thread? What about us Noir writers? We need love too. :tongue
Somebody still writes Noir? :)

I'm a potential cozy writer. I have a character who figures into one of my currently unwritten plots for my series who would make a great spinoff for cozy mysteries. I'll mostly be hanging around and watching this develop, but wanted to say thanks.

Jeff
 

Nancyleeny

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 17, 2014
Messages
183
Reaction score
11
Hi,
I put part of my first chapter up for review and, interestingly, there seem to be different opinions on whether it would be a cozy mystery or not. I really hadn't seen it as gory or explicit, but would appreciate more help defining what cozy means now, and if that has changed in the past few years?

Take Diane Mott Davidson - she isn't snarky, but her best friend Marla definitely is. And bodies do show up regularly. Where's the line? Is there one? I'm not writing in an Evanovich genre, I'm not writing any explicit sex or violence. So I'm not sure where I am here,
Thanks,
Nancy
 

Jim Riley

Louisiana: Sportsman's Paradise
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Feb 22, 2013
Messages
296
Reaction score
6
I love cozy mysteries. I've contracted with the publisher for three more in the Evergreen series along with a couple of short stories. I agree wholeheartedly with GinJones. A quirky support cast is vital to the success of a series. In the Evergreen series, a pair of twins do some outrageous things, but it is part of their "normal" behavior. They provide most of the humor in the second book and the remainder of the series. I wish I had introduced them in the first book, but they didn't seem to fit in it.
 

jeseymour

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 5, 2008
Messages
1,098
Reaction score
127
Age
61
Location
seacoast New Hampshire
Website
jeseymour.com
Somebody still writes Noir? :)



Jeff

Yeah. You wanna make something of it? ;)

Over the ten years that I've been doing this, I've watched multitudes of friends get contracts for cozy series. I couldn't write a cozy if I tried. I can't get my head into that happy place. I'm more of an Eeyore type. Noir is my game. I'm hoping someday, maybe when the economy is better, people will want to read Noir again.
 

sheadakota

part of the human equation
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Jul 4, 2007
Messages
3,956
Reaction score
1,151
Location
The Void
I have a question for anyone who wants to answer it, even if you're reading this thread and aren't a cozy reader or writer.

When you're creating your characters, what's your process?

Do you base them off of yourself? People you know? A combination of people? Do you have an actor or actress that you picture when you think of a specific character? Or maybe a character in a movie or TV show? Or are your characters completely of your own imagination?

I'm not a cozy writer- strictly thriller for me maybe with a wee touch of the paranormal thrown in. But I'll answer your question.

First let me say I'm an organic write which is just a fancy way of saying I pants it, my characters are created like my stories, they are born first with a great name and then I have to develop then to grow into that name. I never- never base them on an actor or a character- I feel like thats cheating(for me) my characters are all me. any way- I put my character who now has this great name and decide what he needs to do and then as weird as it sounds they pretty much surprise me with who they are as I write them. For example my current MC is blind. I didn't plan that, it just happened. Its been interesting to say the least, particularly when I found out his father tried to kill him when he was 14 and then his twin brother, who he thought died twenty years ago turned up alive. he started out all mellow and now he's kind of got this angry young man thing going on. So yeah that's how I create my characters.:tongue
 

WeaselFire

Benefactor Member
Kind Benefactor
Super Member
Registered
Joined
May 17, 2012
Messages
3,539
Reaction score
429
Location
Floral City, FL
I really hadn't seen it as gory or explicit, but would appreciate more help defining what cozy means now, and if that has changed in the past few years?
In a cozy, the body never shows up on screen. There is no sex and no violence, though some of it can be implied. But mostly what determines a book not to be a cozy is it's missing the interaction between characters that isn't related to the mystery. There's always a lovable cast that somehow helps solve the mystery.

Jeff
 

Polenth

Mushroom
Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 27, 2007
Messages
5,017
Reaction score
735
Location
England
Website
www.polenthblake.com
Hi,
I put part of my first chapter up for review and, interestingly, there seem to be different opinions on whether it would be a cozy mystery or not. I really hadn't seen it as gory or explicit, but would appreciate more help defining what cozy means now, and if that has changed in the past few years?

Take Diane Mott Davidson - she isn't snarky, but her best friend Marla definitely is. And bodies do show up regularly. Where's the line? Is there one? I'm not writing in an Evanovich genre, I'm not writing any explicit sex or violence. So I'm not sure where I am here,

I'd say you're likely pushing it by having extended descriptions of the body and having a character prone to thinking she's one step away from being gang-raped. Violent acts aren't just those that are happening in the novel's present. They can be things described from the past, things imagined and things made obvious by describing the body. It's not that violence doesn't happen, but it's talked about in a more implied way, and not mentioned when it doesn't need to be.

It's hard to sum up what an implied way is, but for bodies, it tends to mean they're either not shown or only very briefly. There's no lingering on the injuries or the forensics.

There is an element of timing here too. The same description might get a negative reaction in the opening paragraph, but not raise any comment in chapter three. An immediate body can make it hard to build up the tone, as the reader knows nothing about the setting and characters at that point.
 

Nancyleeny

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Apr 17, 2014
Messages
183
Reaction score
11
Thanks, Polenth. I get what you are saying about the gang rape in prison remark - granny wouldn't like to read that remark! It was hyperbole, but doesn't fit in the genre.

I was just reworking the chapter to make it "lighter," more pleasant. I don't know, though - I am certainly not Patricia Cornwell dark, and Evanovich exhausts me with her forced zaniness, but I don't know if I'm "cozy" enough to spend so much time writing a "cozy." I started another mystery with a NYC detective as the MC and I'm finding that more intriguing to write. She is sharing more about herself, it's more psychological in nature, she isn't really funny, though, and I do like humor.

I don't think I have a clue what I'm doing. I'm groping in the dark here. I'm a lifelong reader who has devoured a book a day for 40 years, so much so that I can't read most fiction anymore. It's so formulaic. What grabs me now are characters who have something to say, I'm thinking cozy isn't my genre. Example: I tried to read "Owl's Well That Ends Well." No murder until pg. 54 and then she spent about 20 pages pulling herself up and down in the dumbwaiter, spying on the sheriff. Really? I put it down at that point and sent her other books back to the library.

I don't want to write cozies because I know they are popular. I thought I would enjoy writing in the genre.
N
 

jeseymour

Super Member
Registered
Joined
Dec 5, 2008
Messages
1,098
Reaction score
127
Age
61
Location
seacoast New Hampshire
Website
jeseymour.com
I don't think I have a clue what I'm doing. I'm groping in the dark here. I'm a lifelong reader who has devoured a book a day for 40 years, so much so that I can't read most fiction anymore. It's so formulaic. What grabs me now are characters who have something to say, I'm thinking cozy isn't my genre. Example: I tried to read "Owl's Well That Ends Well." No murder until pg. 54 and then she spent about 20 pages pulling herself up and down in the dumbwaiter, spying on the sheriff. Really? I put it down at that point and sent her other books back to the library.

I don't want to write cozies because I know they are popular. I thought I would enjoy writing in the genre.
N

Maybe you need to find a conference or do some workshops. Going to a writers conference where you can get some instruction and feedback would be very beneficial at this point in your writing career. I know our chapter of Sisters in Crime has workshops almost every month. Most of those offer direct feedback.