The Magic of a Mashup
by Julie, already wearing green in Somerville
This past Monday Liz Mugavero and I went to Porter Square Books to see Elle Cosimano. She’s celebrating the fourth book in her Finlay Donovan series, Finlay Donovan Rolls the Dice. Hers is a fun series, and she was a wonderful speaker. As a writer, I was grateful that she talked about her writing journey a bit. How Finlay came to be. The importance of her critique group. How little authors have control over covers and titles when traditionally published. She also referred to the Finlay Donovan series as genre bending.
She’s right on that front. The series (about a writer and single mom who gets mistaken as a hitman, and then shenanigans ensue) isn’t cozy, but it isn’t hard boiled either. The suspense is intense (so well done), but there’s also mystery. And romance. And humor.
I’ve come to think of these sorts of books as mashups. We’re taught, as writers, that agents and editors don’t love mashups. They need to know which shelf to put the book on. I get it. But at the same time, I love it when writers embrace the genre of crime writing fully. And maybe add a dash of romance, a twist of paranormal and a smidgeon of magical realism. The delight of reading these books is because of the unexpected.
Some books are by their nature mashups. Historical mysteries are a great example. Part historical fiction, part mystery. More and more I’m hearing about writers taking even that mashup and adding more. Maybe fantasy, or horror.
Young adult novels embrace the mashup more than adult fiction. I’ve been reading YA lately, enjoying the worlds these books suck me into. I can’t help but think that the people growing up reading these books will want adult fiction that offers the some opportunities of creative mashups.
The publishing business is tricky. Rather than following trends, writers need to create their own while at the same time understanding the business, and what will sell if they are pursuing the traditional route. Indie published books have more freedom, while at the same time face some of the same marketing challenges.
I enjoyed reading about Finlay Donovan’s adventures over the past couple of weeks. And I am grateful that I went to hear from her creator. The idea of bending the genre intrigues me, and I’ve been thinking about the opportunities ever since.
Readers, what books do you love that mash things up?
