Mayra Calvani's Blog - Posts Tagged "mystery-series"
Meet Kindle-Bestselling Author Aaron Paul Lazar
Aaron Paul Lazar writes to soothe his soul. The author of LeGarde Mysteries, Moore Mysteries, and Tall Pines Mysteries enjoys the Genesee Valley countryside in upstate New York, where his characters embrace life, play with their dogs and grandkids, grow sumptuous gardens, and chase bad guys. Visit his website at www.legardemysteries.com and watch for his upcoming Twilight Times Books releases, FIRESONG(2011), TERROR COMES KNOCKING (2011), FOR THE BIRDS(2011), ESSENTIALLY YOURS (2012) and DON’T LET THE WIND CATCH YOU (2012).
[image error]Q: When did you start writing mysteries?
A: During my late teens and twenties I always knew I wanted to write a mystery series some day. It’s odd, because the writing bug hadn’t really hit me at that point. But in the back of my mind I just assumed I’d do it some day. I pictured it happening later, maybe in retirement. (I still had to finish college, get a job, get a house, raise my kids in a safe environment, etc.) As I matured through my thirties, I continued to devour all of the series mysteries I could read. These writers were my teachers, so to speak.
I didn’t commit to the LeGarde series until my father died, in 1997. The agony of the loss sent me into a tailspin. I’d lost eight family members and friends in the previous five years, and his death was the final straw. I needed something to help me release the pain, and decided that a series dedicated to my dad would be just the ticket. After writing Double Forté, I was completely bitten by the writing bug. And it hasn’t stopped pestering me since.
Q: I understand the latest instalment in the LeGarde mystery series, FireSong, has just been released. What is your protagonist, Gus LeGarde, up to this time?
A: Gus juggles more troubles at one time in this book than he has in his entire series. Here’s a blurb:
What would you do if your country church was hit by a rogue tornado during services? What if the shrieking winds unearthed the bones of a missing parishioner in a nearby wheat field? Now add the discovery of heroin in your elderly minister’s bloodstream. When Gus LeGarde is thrown into the middle of the mess, he knows life’s finally gone berserk in East Goodland, New York.
The Genesee Valley is in chaos. Strangers drive panel vans through the countryside at weird hours of the night. A new batch of drugs is on the street, endangering local. The local salt mine collapses due to illegal mining practices. Gas fires burn in wells. Watering holes turn to brine. Crops are dying. Tempers are short. To top it off, the new salt mine lies directly over ancient Indian burial grounds, bringing anguish to local tribes.
While Gus faces ordeals delivered by nature and man, his wife Camille discovers a hidden room in their house. She digs through historical archives to learn that the 1811 original homeowner, Mary Hill, may have had connections with the Underground Railroad. When local grave robbers begin to loot historic coffins, they find an empty coffin. Who killed Mary? How did she die? Where is her body? And where will this two-hundred-year-old mystery lead?
Join Gus as he’s lured into a bizarre network of underground tunnels to expose the most shocking discovery ever to rock the Genesee Valley.
Q: Besides being an amateur sleuth, Gus is a music professor. He also loves gardening, cooking, and is a big family man. How did you create this character?
A: Gus LeGarde is based partially on my father, and partially on me. He’s a strange amalgam of us both, and has also grown into a unique person all his own at the same time. My father was an avid musician, gardener, cook, animal lover, and family man. Of course, so am I. People who read the series see “me” in it, but I see my father. It’s rather fun.
I always say “Gus LeGarde is a better man than me.” That’s because he can run through the woods to chase villains without getting out of breath, hold his own in a nasty fist fight, play a superb Chopin etude (I’m hopeless), garden, teach, inspire his students, and he juggles all of these adventures while still caring for his family. I admire his stamina!
Q: How important is plotting a mystery in advance for mystery writers?
A: Some folks plot in advance with great detail. I admire that. And I’m a little jealous of them! In my case it ends up not being all that important. The story comes as it wants to, flying out of my head without much advance notice. I simply document the process by keeping my fingers moving. ;o)
Q: What would you say are the main elements of a great mystery story?
A: In any genre, my firm opinion is that you need to have strong, memorable characters firmly rooted in a great setting with a plot that rings true. Or close to true! Providing clues that are reasonable up front is essential, but they shouldn’t be so obvious that they give away the ending. Twists and turns are a lovely addition – I particularly like to use this ploy. In addition, mysteries need to establish right off the bat some aching need in their readers to discover what happened, who killed whom, or what is going to happen as a result of it. There must be a burning question that needs resolution. I also believe a mystery needs a good setting, with a very strong sense of place. And it goes without saying that the writing must be smooth and polished, and that the dialogue must be real.
Q: How long does it take you to write a novel?
A: On average, it takes me about two to three months working an hour or two per day. That doesn’t include the post-edits that come when we get closer to publication, of course. Those may require another month or so of intense work.
Q: Do you suffer from writer’s block at times? What do you do to ‘cure’ it?
A: Sometimes I feel a little burned out, and when that happens, I just put away the laptop and live life for a while. I submerge myself in all things around me, listen to conversations at the grocery store, cook family feasts, garden in the sun, watch some great movies, play with my grandkids. Usually it takes less than a week to stir up the juices and get the stories percolating again.
Q: Who are your favourite mystery authors?
A: Here are a few: John D. McDonald, Dean Koontz, James Patterson, Dick Francis, Clive Cussler, Laurie R. King, Rex Stout, Peter Mayle, and Tony Hillerman.
Q: How do you balance writing and editing your novels with marketing and promotion?
A: This is the toughest part of my career right now, Mayra. In the beginning, I just wrote. I was hardly online at all, and I lived for the next book. I wrote 5 books in row before I even thought about getting published. But now – many years later – I go through phases of massive creation following by months of promotion. I don’t like this at all, and am trying to get more uniform and balanced with both. I write an article each week for my collaborative blog, Murderby4.blogspot.com. I try to twitter multiple times per day all week (pre-scheduled with Twuffer.com). I respond to fan mail and help young authors get started. And when a new book is coming out, I try to create a buzz in advance with virtual book tours, etc. Frankly, I wish I could go back to those early days when it was all pure fun. But then again, I’d have no readers, would I?
Q: What tips would you give aspiring mystery writers?
A: Here are a few tips: Less is more. Avoid adverbs and use stronger verbs. Avoid a bunch of useless phrases that are not needed but commonly used. Also, expect and welcome rejection. If you aren’t receiving lots of rejection notices, you aren’t submitting enough. Eventually one of them will pan out. Keep writing. The more you write, the more your skills develop. And one day it will all come together with your first book deal! (I’ve posted many of these tips on my website www.legardemysteries.com in the “Free articles and essays” section with detailed examples, etc.)
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers?
A: I often encourage writers (and everyone!) to “take pleasure in the little things”. No matter what’s happening in your life, if you appreciate the gifts that God has given us, all will be okay.
Open your eyes. Reel it all in. Absorb the beauty around you, whether it is the flash of love in an old woman’s eye, the ping of a cooling woodstove, the touch of a child’s hand, or the fragile petal of a white violet. Allow yourself to be in that moment, record it in your soul, and play it back for your readers for the ultimate connection.
Thanks, Mayra, for having me here today. It’s been so much fun! Following is a list of my books, blogs, and awards. If anyone needs to contact me, you can email me at aaron dot lazar at yahoo dot com.
Twilight Times Books by Kindle bestselling author Aaron Lazar:
LEGARDE MYSTERIES
DOUBLE FORTE' (2004, new version coming 2012)
UPSTAGED (2005, new version coming 2012)
TREMOLO: CRY OF THE LOON (2007)
MAZURKA (2009)
FIRESONG (COMING SOON! JULY 2011)
DON’T LET THE WIND CATCH YOU (COMING SOON! APRIL 2012)
MOORE MYSTERIES
HEALEY'S CAVE (2010)
TERROR COMES KNOCKING (2011)
FOR KEEPS (2012)
TALL PINES MYSTERIES
FOR THE BIRDS (COMING SOON! OCTOBER 2011)
ESSENTIALLY YOURS (COMING SOON! MARCH 2012)
Awards:
Preditors & Editors Readers Choice Award – 2nd place 2011* Winner of Carolyn Howard Johnsons’ 9th Annual Noble (Not Nobel!) Prize for Literature 2011 * Finalist Allbooks Editors Choice Awards 2011 * Preditors&Editors Top 10 Finalist * Yolanda Renee's Top Ten Books 2008 * MYSHELF Top Ten Reads 2008 * Writers' Digest Top 101 Website Award 2009 & 2010
www.legardemysteries.com
www.mooremysteries.com
www.murderby4.blogspot.com
www.aaronlazar.blogspot.com
Talking Craft with Mystery Author Rosie Claverton
Rosie Claverton, December 2013[/caption]Rosie Claverton is a screenwriter and novelist. She grew up in Devon, daughter to a Sri Lankan father and a Norfolk mother, surrounded by folk mythology and surly sheep. She moved to Cardiff to study Medicine and adopted Wales as her home, where she lives with her journalist husband and pet hedgehog.
Q: Congratulations on the release of your latest book, Captcha Thief. To begin with, can you gives us a brief summary of what the story is about and what compelled you to write it?
A: Captcha Thief is the third novel of The Amy Lane Mysteries, which features agoraphobic hacker Amy Lane and streetwise ex-con Jason Carr as they fight crime in Cardiff. In this book, they are investigating a break-in at the National Museum of Wales, where a security guard has been murdered and a priceless Impressionist painting stolen.
Q: What do you think makes a good mystery? Could you narrow it down to the three most important elements? Is it even possible to narrow it down?
A: For me, there is only one thing that is sacrosanct – a good mystery must be solvable by the reader. I hate to have a surprise murderer introduced right at the end. It can be extremely difficult to solve, but it should be possible.
Apart from that, I look for great characters, people I want to spend time with – even if only because I love to hate them! If they have the sticking power for several books, even better. I also hate to be blinded by science. All the computer wizardry Amy works is theoretically possible, but I've been recently burned by purported mysteries where advanced too-futuristic science, time travel and the supernatural have come out of nowhere to explain the ending. If that's going to be a feature of the book, I want to know from the blurb, not in Chapter 50.
Q: How did you go about plotting your story? Or did you discover it as you worked on the book?A: With Captcha Thief, I had planned out the bare bones of the plot and figured out the murderer and their motivations – but something wasn't hanging together properly at the midpoint. I was getting bored with the story, and I couldn't work out why. So I rejigged some of the characters, changed the culprit's characteristics and gave them an entirely different motive. Once that was all in place, the writing of the book flowed much better towards its conclusion.
Q: Tell us something interesting about your protagonist and how you developed him or her. Did you do any character interviews or sketches prior to the actual writing?
A: Before I wrote Binary Witness, I wrote some brief character biographies for both Amy and Jason to get a feel for them – everything from favourite TV shows and best friends to their worst fear and how they react in a crisis.
For Amy, it was also important to be clear about her mental health problems and how they affected her. As a psychiatrist, I also wanted to be certain in my mind about things like diagnosis and what it would take to change things for her – if that was even possible. With Jason, it was more about getting the prison particulars right, and how that experience had forged him. I also knew family would be really vital to both of them, with Amy's difficult relationships and Jason's strong ones.
Q: In the same light, how did you create your antagonist or villain? What steps did you take to make him or her realistic?
A: The most important thing for an antagonist is motivation. Just like a protagonist, they have to pursue goals and act in a way that they think is the best thing to do, for whatever gain. In Binary Witness, my serial killer was fuelled by delusional love, yet in Code Runner, I had a character who wanted to build a criminal empire, but also just enjoyed playing with people. I spend as much time constructing a new antagonist as I did with my protagonists originally.
Q: How did you keep your narrative exciting throughout the novel? Could you offer some practical, specific tips?
A: I come from a screenwriting background, so I've developed a good understanding of pacing and story beats. When I'm planning the plot, I know how the character arcs have to swing – from a false victory to an “all is lost” moment. I used Save the Cat, a practical screenwriting book, as a guide to the basic Hollywood story structure and it's also served me well in novels.
In the edit, I go through each chapter listing the main events, the character point-of-view, and the conflict. If the chapter is lacking in conflict or nothing really happens, I try to cut it or combine it with another to keep the narrative moving. An emotional scene without action can still have conflict, and can allow the reader space to breathe with the characters.
Q: Setting is also quite important and in many cases it becomes like a character itself. What tools of the trade did you use in your writing to bring the setting to life?
A: Cardiff is definitely the third protagonist in The Amy Lane Mysteries. When I started writing the series, I was living away from my beloved city, though I had been resident there for five years. That really helped me bring the place to life with words, because I missed it so much. Google Earth is also my best friend – I planned several chases and incredible journeys with that resource.
With Captcha Thief, I had the advantage of having taken that particular journey from Cardiff to Bangor and remembering a lot of features, such as stopping at the natural waypoint of Rhayader in mid-Wales and crossing the misty mountains beside beautiful, yet freezing lakes and reservoirs. Personal experience always enhances description. I've never visited Glasgow, so I asked my Glaswegian friend to describe for me the walk between two points – it gave the final sequence a very local and immersive flavour.
I have to work hard at description, as it doesn't come naturally to me. The way I work on it is to think of all five senses and then what they might invoke in the character. Does the smell of fried chicken remind Jason he's hungry, or of a very specific moment with his best friend and a stolen car?
Q: Did you know the theme(s) of your novel from the start or is this something you discovered after completing the first draft? Is this theme(s) recurrent in your other work?
A: My favourite theme to explore is identity. In Captcha Thief, this primarily came through with the villain of the piece. That person is fighting a number of conflicting pulls on them, trying to make something right that probably can't be fixed.
The other major theme of this novel, coming after “letting someone in” for Binary Witness and “the past is never over” for Code Runner, was definitely “pride comes before a fall”. Particularly for Amy, it was important to see her getting much stronger and capable as an independent person, and then starting to erode at those certainties.
Q: Where does craft end and art begin? Do you think editing can destroy the initial creative thrust of an author?
A: Having an editor you can trust is the most important part of the edit. I've had the same editor in Deb Nemeth throughout the series, and I know I can rely on her to give good notes. A good note resonates with you when you read it, twinging something that you suspected yourself but hadn't quite confronted in the first draft. I learned in screenwriting that you don't always have to take a note, but you do have to address the reason someone gave it – for example, “the plot loses pace here, so you should add an explosion”. You have to pick up the pace but things don't necessarily have to explode.
Q: What three things, in your opinion, make a successful novelist?
A: In the first instance, you have to define success for yourself. Is it selling 100,000 copies or is it receiving an email from one devout reader who really took your novel to heart? For series novelists, I think success is measured by how many people come back for more, or tell their friends, or eagerly Tweet at you asking when your next book is out. Of course, it's also nice to get good reviews and fat royalty cheques, but it's reader engagement that I love most of all.
Q: A famous writer once wrote that being an author is like having to do homework for the rest of your life. What do you think about that?
A: It's a job, at the end of the day. I bristle when people suggest my writing is a hobby, because it's definitely a career that involves development and investment as much as my parallel career in medicine. It gives pleasure and reward to the writer without making it any less like hard work!
Q: Are there any resources, books, workshops or sites about craft that you’ve found helpful during your writing career?
A: Apart from Save the Cat, which I think all storytellers should read – or the more in-depth Story by Robert McKee or The Hero With A Thousand Faces by Joseph Campbell – my number one recommendation would be to read voraciously. Read thoroughly within your genre, and expand your mind outside it. Read as many classics as you can stomach, and also watch television and movies. Expose yourself to as many varied ways of storytelling as you possibly can. This is by far the best education.
Q: Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers about the craft of writing?
A: Patience is your friend. The more novels you write, the better you will get at them. I won't say it gets easier, but you know yourself better. I've learned that I always get bogged down in the middle and hate the thing and want to throw my laptop out the window. Yet this too shall pass.
