The next stop on our Writer’s Journey is a guest post by award-winning mystery and suspense author John Lutz, whom I’ve had the privilege to know over the past ten years or so. We visited at his local book events and at Bouchercon World Mystery Convention, where he was recognized as a Special Guest, a local living legend, at Bouchercon 2011 in St. Louis.. His novel Single White Female was the basis for the 1992 film starring Bridget Fonda. He appeared at a special screening for St. Louis Writers Guild.
New York Times best selling author John Lutz captivated suspense enthusiasts for over four decades with more than 50 novels, several of which have been adapted to film. He is a multiple Edgar and Shamus Award winner including the Shamus Lifetime Achievement Award.
His mystery and suspense work includes political suspense, private eye novels, urban suspense, humor, occult, crime caper, police procedural, espionage, historical, futuristic, amateur detective, thriller; virtually every mystery sub-genre.
We are privileged to have his mystery and suspense writing advice in his own words and sad to report his passing, a friend to writers, Jan 9, 2021
1/ The idea
When asked how I get ideas, I reply that they get me. This is not a joke. If you’re the novel-writing sort, ideas for stories will be popping into your head frequently. It’s the one that won’t let you go that you want to develop into a novel. There are at least two reasons not to hurry to start writing. First, an idea benefits from being turned around and around in your head. Second, this may be the most enjoyable phase of the whole writing process.
2/ Outline or not?
Some outline, others wing it. You can go either way and come up with good results. I do write an outline of sorts. But I don’t feel bound to it. For me the outline is a scouting mission into unknown territory. Once I’m actually writing, a better idea may come to me.
3/ POV–Point of View
I prefer the third person. First person is tempting: it seems like the natural way, to have your main character tell the story him- or herself. But it’s limiting, and it can get you into trouble later on. I like the flexibility of third person.
4/ Characterization
This is probably the area where individual writers vary the most. Some write notes and even biographies of the characters, trying to get to know them before starting the book. My characters come to life in the writing of the book. They develop a physical presence, a past, an individuality, a sense of humor (very important for me) as I write about them.
If you’re writing a mystery, the victim (or Victim #1) is going to be one of your most important characters. Even if he is found dead on p. 1, he’s got to be alive for you, because his character and previous actions determine a lot of your story.
If you’re writing a thriller, there’s a tendency to think you’ve got to make your villain as scary and evil as possible in order to generate suspense. I disagree. It would be news to my villains that they’re villains. They think they’re just doing what they have to, or that others have done worse to them. The truly scary villains are the recognizably human ones.
5/ Exposition
Just plunge in. Get the ball rolling on p. 1. Burden the reader with only enough background info to understand what’s going on now.
6/ Pacing
Reading novels by beginners, I find again and again that they start out with a big scene of violence and peril, then the book gets slower and slower as they go along. These writers have gotten the idea from TV and movies that you have to “hook” the reader with a slam-bang beginning. I prefer to trust in my characters and story and let the tale unfold naturally. Better to start a little slow and have the pace steadily picking up than start fast and sag later.
7/ The Ending
Not to belabor the obvious, but mystery and suspense readers have high expectations of the ending. It’s the solution to the mystery or the “big bang” that the thriller has been building up to. Starting early in the process, I’m building up to a big finish.
Ready for Nonfiction? Continue to the the next topic: Pub 1.2 A reason to care: Mainstream your memoir