Repeat Offender: Jennifer Shaw Wolf, on Writing Mystery #2!

While we generally let our Interrogation Room suspects off easy, this season we're hauling a few back in to talk about the perils -- and joys -- of writing a SECOND mystery. Many authors talk about the challenge of writing novel #2 - the psychological hurdles, the new pressures of deadlines and readers' expectations. But we have a theory that mystery/thriller writers may have additional challenges writing a second book. How do they keep clues and red herrings fresh? How do they keep surprising the readers with new plot twists and reveals, without revealing all the tricks they used in book 1?

To help us answer these questions, we're bringing in writers who are publishing or writing their second novels to talk about their process and how they got through. Kicking off our "Repeat Offenders" series today is Jennifer Shaw Wolf. Jennifer is the author of the YA mystery novel Breaking Beautiful (Walker Books for Young Readers, 2012), which received high praise from Publishers Weekly, School Library Journal, VOYA, and others. Her new mystery, Dead Girls Don't Lie, comes out tomorrow, also from Walker. Jennifer has a degree in Broadcast Communications and lives in Washington State with her husband and four kids. You can read (or reread!) her previous Interrogation Room interview with us here.

Before we haul her in . . . here's a bit about Jennifer's new novel!

Rachel died at two a.m . . . Three hours after Skyler kissed me for the first time. Forty-five minutes after she sent me her last text. 
 
Jaycee and Rachel were best friends. But that was before. . .before that terrible night at the old house. Before Rachel shut Jaycee out. Before Jaycee chose Skyler over Rachel. Then Rachel is found dead. The police blame a growing gang problem in their small town, but Jaycee is sure it has to do with that night at the old house. Rachel’s text is the first clue—starting Jaycee on a search that leads to a shocking secret. Rachel’s death was no random crime, and Jaycee must figure out who to trust before she can expose the truth.
In the follow-up to her powerful debut, Jennifer Shaw Wolf keeps readers on their toes in another dark, romantic story of murder and secrets.



 And now . . . here's the transcript of our first Repeat Offender interrogation!




Is your second mystery part of a series or is it a standalone?
Standalone.

What compelled you to write a second mystery novel, as opposed to working in another genre?
I kind of stumbled into writing mysteries, but I’ve found that I love it. I love creating twists and turns that keep the reader guessing and I love the “who” and “whydunnitt” that you build when you write a mystery.

What did you find most challenging about writing this novel? How did you overcome this challenge?

I sold this one on proposal so I knew from the get-go that this was going to be a mystery. My biggest problem was that I doubted my ability to write another good mystery. When you write a mystery you have to work in clues and red herrings and plot twists, and all of that takes advance planning and brainpower. When I wrote BREAKING BEAUTIFUL, I pantsed the whole thing and let the story just come out (although it was heavily revised.)With a deadline, I didn’t feel like I could do that. My solution was to outline, throw out the outline, revise, outline some more, revise, revise, revise, and a VERY patient and supportive editor. It was hard, but I really like how it came out.

What did you find easiest about writing this novel?
The setting was very familiar to me. I didn’t grow up in Eastern Washington, but Lake Ridge has a lot of similarities to the place where I grew up. I felt like the characters are people I could have known when I grew up. The situations are different, but the people and places felt familiar to me, a little like being at home.

Do you think second mystery novels present unique challenges to writers? Or are the challenges the same that any second-time novelist might face?
I think second time novels are just hard no matter what they are. You have your previous story to live up to, as well as the reviewers’ and critics voices constantly in your head as you write. I think that can block even the most seasoned author. As far as writing a second mystery, I think the challenge is to not use the same clues or situations—to make it unique and keep the ending a surprise.

What are you most proud of in this book? 
That it was a struggle, but I made it work. Often this was not a joy or a labor of love, it was just a labor. There were times when I was swept up in the story and the characters and I was loving the process, but it was harder than the first book and I’m proud that I stuck it out. I really think it’s a better book because I had to push to make it work.

Do you think your third book will also be a mystery? 
 Yes. I’m completely and totally in love with the genre, the process it takes to create a puzzle, and its ability to keep a reader (especially a reluctant reader) engaged while you talk about hard situations and hard things. The two books currently in my work in progress folder are both dark mysteries.

Okay, Jennifer . . . once again we're going to clear your name and send you back into the world to write more mysteries. Hope we don't see you -- er, I mean, we HOPE to see you here again next year  . . . when you'll be a three-book, triple threat writer!

PS . . . have you entered SLEUTHAPALOOZA, our biggest giveaway yet? Help us celebrate our two-year anniversary and enter to win, or help spread the word! 

Writing DNA #12

In yesterday's interview with debut author Jennifer Shaw Wolf, the subject of 'memory' came up while we interrogated her about her awesome novel BREAKING BEAUTIFUL. Allie, the novel's protagonist, is trying to reconstruct the memories of a tragic night. It occurred to me that, as writers, sometimes our stories can resemble reconstructed memories of events in our own lives.

The old edict is 'write what you know', but it might be better stated as 'write what you remember'. Or better still, 'write better than you remember'. I've noticed in my own writing that settings, people, and events might start out as close approximations to real-life inspirations from childhood and beyond. But, we're talking about fiction, so real-life is but a spark*. The resulting flame is so much brighter/hotter/dangerous than what came before it.

I wonder...do any of you have super vivid memories that could serve as inspiration for a story? If so, how can you make those memories even more fantastic (while changing names to protect the innocent...remember, fiction...fiction)?

While you think it over, be sure to checking out BREAKING BEAUTIFUL and our Interrogation Room interview with Jennifer Shaw Wolf.

*Real-life is also where the lawyers live. If I write about real people and places (particularly when it involves grisly fictional crimes), I might be looking at some lawsuits sooner than later. I don't want to look at lawsuits sooner than later, so I don't write about real people and places.

Interrogation Room Suspect #14: Jennifer Shaw Wolf

Today, debut author Jennifer Shaw Wolf faces the (somewhat muted) glare of The Interrogation Room spotlight. Her young adult mystery BREAKING BEAUTIFUL (Walker Books for Young Readers) hit shelves on April 24. The novel has received praise for its emotional tension, its romance storyline, and its heart-pounding mystery plot. We figure that makes Jennifer a triple-thread, and we've hauled her in today to find out some of her writing secrets.

 Here's the summary of BREAKING BEAUTIFUL:
Allie lost everything the night her boyfriend, Trip, died in a horrible car accident—including her memory of the event. As their small town mourns his death, Allie is afraid to remember because doing so means delving into what she’s kept hidden for so long: the horrible reality of their abusive relationship.

When the police reopen the investigation, it casts suspicion on Allie and her best friend, Blake, especially as their budding romance raises eyebrows around town. Allie knows she must tell the truth. Can she reach deep enough to remember that night so she can finally break free? Debut writer Jennifer Shaw Wolf takes readers on an emotional ride through the murky waters of love, shame, and, ultimately, forgiveness.

Jennifer grew up on a small farm in Idaho and now lives in Lacey, Washington with her husband and four children. She has a degree in Broadcast Communications and produces videos. Our sources tell us that she also started an underground newspaper back in sixth grade, which immediately put her at the top of our suspect list!

Here is the transcript of the interrogation:

Q: When you began writing BREAKING BEAUTIFUL, did you set out to write a mystery? 
A: Nope. I set out to write a story. It kind of evolved into a mystery. I fought it a couple of times, but that's the way it came out.

Q: What did you find most enjoyable about writing a mystery? Most challenging?
A: The most enjoyable thing about writing a mystery is when someone says to me, "You kept me guessing the whole time." Or, "I never saw that coming." The most challenging thing is keeping everything straight in my brain, especially when all sorts of new and exciting plot twists keep making me want to change the direction of the story.

Q: Did you outline or use any organizing devices to keep track of your mystery plot and subplots?
A: With BREAKING BEAUTIFUL I didn't organize much at all until it came down to working with an editor and fixing my pacing issues. With my current mystery I've tried to keep track of everything by using Scrivener and putting important points and clues in little files and trying to keep everything straight. Honestly, it's kind of made me crazy. I think I prefer the "discovery" that happens when I just write and keep everything in my head. When I do it like that, sometimes the characters and the storyline surprise me. That's not always the most efficient way to go about it, but it is a lot more fun.

Q: Allie is a somewhat unconventional sleuth. She is searching not only the crime scene and surrounding area for clues to the murderer of her boyfriend, Trip, but also her own memory. Did this type of sleuth make the mystery plotting easier or harder? Did anything about Allie surprise you as you wrote?
A: The hard thing about Allie is it took a long time before she was sure she wanted to know the truth. As often as she was actively searching, she was actively trying to forget, or trying to pretend like everything was normal. Because she was keeping her own secrets, I had to keep that balance. In any mystery, there has to be a reason the main character isn't just taking things at face value. In Allie's case, she already knew more than almost anyone involved, but she couldn't be sure whether the truth would make things better or make them worse.

Q: Andrew, Allie's twin, is a really appealing character, and their strong sibling bond is a huge part of the story. Why did you want Allie to have a twin, and in particular a twin who has cerebral palsy? What do you hope readers might take away from Andrew's character?
A: I wanted Allie to have an intrinsic connection with someone (like a twin) but I wanted that person to kind of be the other side of her outward physical perfection. Everything seems wonderful on the outside for Allie, but inside she's a mess. Andrew's physical limitations are visible to anyone who looks at him, but inside, he has more together than she does.

Andrew is one of the main reasons I wrote the story. I worked with a little boy with cerebral palsy when I was in high school and he continually amazed me with what was inside; his personality and the joy he had in spite of his limitations. I really hope that Andrew helps readers think about what kind of personality might be hidden in a less-than-perfect body.


Q: The small town in Washington State where the story takes place feels so real to me. I could easily picture the dramatic cliffs, the rough water, the whole landscape; I could feel the mist and damp on my skin. What a great backdrop for mystery and suspense. Did you start with the setting in mind? 
A: The setting came after the idea was hatched, although from the beginning I knew something important would happen in a shadowy, green woods. I've always loved the ocean, and the foggy, harsh, yet beautiful northern Pacific coast just seemed like the perfect place for a mystery. I grew up in a small town, so I get that kind of wonderful and yet sometimes suffocating camaraderie that you find when you grow up where everyone knows you.

Q: Blake, Allie's loyal and artistic friend with a checkered past, is so richly drawn and complex. Did this character come to you early on, fully formed?
A: Actually, yes. Blake was very real from the beginning of this story. I keep searching my memory to see how much I based him on a real person, and yes, there are familiar elements to his character, but really he was just a character that was ready to be written.


Q: Your story taps into a larger issue: domestic violence. The novel shows how it can occur in teen relationships as well as adult ones, and Allie's awakening to this issue is a powerful part of the story. Did you have the issue in mind when you began, or did it evolve out of the characters?
A: The issue was there from the beginning. When the first seeds of this story came into my mind, I pictured a girl in an impossibly horrible situation, one that she didn't feel like she could get out of on her own. As soon as I sat down to write, I knew that was what was going on.


Q: What's next for you? Will your next books be mysteries too?
A: The book I'm working on now is another mystery. It is tentatively called SHARDS OF GLASS and is due to come out from Walker Books for Young Readers in September 2014. It's the story of a girl whose best friend is murdered. The night she's killed she leaves a message for her that says they're both in trouble and that she can't go to the police.

I really like the plotting involved in creating a mystery, so I see myself writing many more of them.


Q: What writing secret will you only reveal under the harsh light of this interrogation room?
A: There's always a point when I write a mystery when even I don't know who dun it. Sometimes I don't figure it out until the very end.

Thank you, Jennifer. Your name has been cleared, and you are free to go write more wonderful mysteries!


It's no mystery where Jennifer Shaw Wolf hangs out online:
Her website
Her blog
Facebook
Twitter: @jenniferswolf
The Class of 2k12