Formula

There is a formula for writing books and you ignore it at your peril. Depending upon the genre, there are certain reader expectations, the lack of which will bring your book down.

It is possible to deviate from the formula (and create a new formula in the process) but you run the risk of disappointing your readers. And without them you are nothing.

Horror has to be horrifying. Mysteries have to be mysterious. Thrillers have to thrill. Romance has to be... romantic. In fact all books benefit from a level of romance because love and relationships is a major theme in everyday life.

An ingredient which is often missing is humour. An unexpected quip or observation from a normally serious protagonist is a nice surprise in any type of book and yet it seems that, particularly in police procedurals, everything has to be very downbeat. This is particularly noticeable when a decent crime thriller is adapted for TV. When was the last time someone told a joke, smiled or enjoyed a normal relationship with his or her family?

Instead, we get twisted back stories of alcohol addiction, gambling debts, anger, rejection and failure. It's overdone and unbearable. When I see a new, 'Tense crime thriller' advertised on TV, I decide there and then not to watch it. The unsustainable anger and confrontation doesn't reflect true life at all... but it is part of the formula.