The Origin of the Housetrap Chronicles
Looking for a break from writing mainly medieval-style novels I decided I wanted to try something shorter and lighter. I’d had two short stories published but wanted to try the novella length mystery. I thought of a gimmick to inspire me. I’d take the title of an existing murder mystery, mash it up, and create a plot out of the mess that followed. I’d seen Agatha Christie’s play “The Mousetrap” in London, so I decided on “The Housetrap” (Which became just plain “Housetrap”).
I had no idea what a housetrap was. After some head-scratching I created a detective, his mouthy secretary, a femme fatale to lead him astray, and a fantasy world for them to play around in. The story took me off-world, which made for some unusual fantasy characters, and murders on Mars.
An editor read and liked it but said the story was too long for his format. I soon discovered there was a limited magazine market for a 30,000 word tale.
I decided the only solution was to write two more mystery tales, come up with a book-length manuscript format, and try to get that accepted.
The next two episodes I wrote were “Dial M for Mudder,” and “The House on Hollow Hill.”
A pair of publishers showed interest in this completed manuscript, and then both sat on it for the next two years, still periodically expressing their interest.
I met a third publisher at a con, who was interested in my medieval fantasies, and then asked me, “What else do you have?”
Since then I've written ten Housetrap Chronicles novellas with eight published to date and two more completed and in editing.
Never give up!
I had no idea what a housetrap was. After some head-scratching I created a detective, his mouthy secretary, a femme fatale to lead him astray, and a fantasy world for them to play around in. The story took me off-world, which made for some unusual fantasy characters, and murders on Mars.
An editor read and liked it but said the story was too long for his format. I soon discovered there was a limited magazine market for a 30,000 word tale.
I decided the only solution was to write two more mystery tales, come up with a book-length manuscript format, and try to get that accepted.
The next two episodes I wrote were “Dial M for Mudder,” and “The House on Hollow Hill.”
A pair of publishers showed interest in this completed manuscript, and then both sat on it for the next two years, still periodically expressing their interest.
I met a third publisher at a con, who was interested in my medieval fantasies, and then asked me, “What else do you have?”
Since then I've written ten Housetrap Chronicles novellas with eight published to date and two more completed and in editing.
Never give up!
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