I have an addiction to writing. In the back of my mind, I have to be writing if I’m to call myself a writer. It’s as simple as that.
I have recently finished writing Take You Home, the third book in my Detective Inspector Angelis Trilogy. As soon as I wrote the last words to the epilogue, I felt a familiar sense of loss. I am mourning the continuation of my characters’ stories. I often wonder where they are now. Perhaps they exist in a parallel universe somewhere that I have created with the power of my imagination. I like to think they do. So, now I have finished one story, that overwhelming desire to start another begins to swell within my whole body. Hence, the addiction must be satisfied.
So, what do I write? My interests include crime fiction (police procedural, of course), fantasy and fantastic fiction. The Angelis series combined all those genres, with a small pinch of romance thrown in. However, this time, I have decided to write crime fiction purely, with no supernatural fantasy element. The reason for this is to increase the reach of my novels. There is a lot of interest in police procedural crime fiction, but the supernatural element puts some people off. I want to broaden the appeal of my writing.
For me, the supernatural elements in the Angelis stories made it interesting. I wanted my detective protagonist to be compelling and mysterious. There are too many bland, grey detectives out there. We don’t have to like our protagonists personally, but we do have to make our readers care about what happens to them. For example, Colin Dexter’s Inspector Morse was cantankerous most of the time, but his death was mourned by many.
I’ve read some fictional detectives over the last year that I have very little interest in, but I have also met a few interesting ones that are new to me. I’ve just finished The Nesting Place by Jacqueline Harrett, where I met Detective Inspector Mandy Wilde. It’s Welsh fiction, introducing a compelling detective character who is literally larger-than-life. She’s grumpy, loves her family, and has an interesting personal backstory. The author has created a character you care about and want to follow in the future.
Authors rely on stereotypes to a certain extent in their writing because readers already have preconceived notions of what a police murder detective and their job should be like. They’ve watched Unforgotten, Broadchurch, Line of Duty, and even Midsomer Murders. If you show the absolute reality of a murder investigation, the reader will quickly lose interest as the detective spends hours writing at a computer terminal. There have been some true-life murder documentaries on TV recently, covering murder investigations as they happen. They fascinate many of us and give a good insight into police procedures. You still have to remember that even these documentaries are edited for entertainment value. They don’t always cover detectives’ hard, tedious slog in the background.
To make my next detective protagonist interesting enough for my readers to care about, I must rely on some stereotypes and create larger-than-life idiosyncrasies. I must create a backstory that has challenged and changed my detective. They must have a flaw that haunts them, threatens them and perhaps others. My favourite detective characters have some eccentric habits and behaviours. Agatha Christie’s Poirot (played definitively by David Suchet on TV) and Peter Falk’s Columbo are genuinely compelling characters. I love Columbo, including the reverse concept of knowing who the murderer is from the beginning and watching Columbo discover the clues. How he irritates those unfortunate suspects with “just one more thing” is genius.
In addition to starting this creative process, I have set myself a different goal this time. Whereas my first goal was to write a trilogy and self-publish, this time around, I am considering looking for an agent and publisher. I have three books under my belt now, which isn’t a bad CV to include in any pitch. I found the marketing side of self-publishing very tricky, and I know I need help in this area. Having an agent might be what I need. However, I will self-publish the new novel if this goal does not work out for me. So, I can’t lose either way.
So, I shall write away, right away with no delay, and come what may… I will succeed.