SSA Greatest Hits - At Home in the Dark

SSA has been around for over a year now, and the Sleuths having been digging in the crates, pulling out some Golden Oldies for all of you loyal readers out there. Here's one of my favs from last year...
 

I started out as a horror writer--I'm talking monsters, ghouls, and such--and I'm very much at home writing in the dark. Now, while I may have stumbled into mystery writing, I came with baggage. I never let the monsters go...or maybe I've got that backwards.

Some of my horror sensibilities still  rise up regardless of what I'm writing. In my YA debut FAKE ID the darkness seeps out in the context of the inciting crime, the villain, and the general disposition of some characters. I won't give specifics (hey, you've got to wait to read it just like everyone else), but I will talk a bit about motive. WHY am I at home in the dark?

Over the years I've often heard the question, "Where do you get such crazy ideas?" I've found in many cases the person asking is being polite, and trying to find a PC way to ask, "What's wrong with you?"  Don't worry, I'm never offended. If anything, I feel I'm disappointing those with inquiring minds. I didn't have a terrible childhood. To the best of my knowledge, there was very little trauma. I simply like dark tales as metaphors and coping mechanisms. Sadly, everyday life can be so much worse than anything I could ever dream up.

Almost any dark tale I've written or read is an examination of a real world phenomenon, a way to understand some social ill or heinous crime. Doesn't matter if it's horror or mystery, a werewolf or a serial killer. All of it represents the thing you never see coming...that's why darkness is ideal, to conceal movement and spring the trap.

As a writer, I've trained my mind to pick up on events that are unique. In our cynical, desensitized world where 'if it bleeds it leads' and infamy is only a Google-search-for-chloroform away, 'unique' is often synonymous with 'awful'. If you think my ability to distill stories out of the woes of the world makes me the most desensitized of all, I'm sorry to say, you've got it backwards.

My sensitivity leads me to want reasons, a logical chain of events that somehow explains (not justifies) a child's death at the hands of her mother, or an esteemed institution's cover up of a decade's worth of abuse and exploitation. I'm at home in the dark because someone has to be.

During my habitation, I've found that the darkest crimes and villains can be glimpsed on your evening news, not on the covers of books in your local B&N. When you see what they've done, you can't help but be pulled into the mankind's ultimate mystery: Why?

I'll keep looking for the answer, keep going room to room with my notebook tucked under my arm, and a pen clamped between my teeth, while I smack my flashlight hoping to get a few more minutes out of the weak battery and flickering bulb. I'll stay in the dark despite my worst fear...that I'll get to the final room in the House of Night, open the door, and find it empty. No answers, no rhyme, no reason.

The darkest possibility of all.

*****************************************************************

Lamar "L. R." Giles is the author of FAKE ID, coming from HarperCollins in 2014. He resides in Virginia with his wife and is represented by Jamie Weiss Chilton of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Find out more on his website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads. 

Writing in the Dark in Wisconsin

Well, I’m the last of us blogging on the “writing in the dark” theme, a theme that began way back in October. At that time, “writing in the dark” conjured up images of making mysteries scary, ramping up the tension, and how to decide how dark is too dark. We’ve had some great posts on these topics. But the spooky stories of Halloween have long since faded for me. To be honest, “writing in the dark” means something else entirely for me now. So, if you don’t mind a tangent, I’d like to delve into that here. (Hey, it’s my blog entry! I can twist it how I like, right? J)

The first thing “writing in the dark” reminds me of this time of year is completely a celestial issue. I live in Wisconsin. In the northern half of Wisconsin. There’s not one person who lives up here who isn’t acutely conscious of HOW EARLY IT GETS DARK this time of year. It’s 4:30pm right now as I’m writing and already all you can see of the cars on the street are their headlights. My dog has to wear a reflective vest for our walks, for Pete’s sake! However, while some days I find it depressing—I go to work in the dark and come home in the dark—in a more positive sense, the early darkness does make the day seem longer. I find myself looking at the clock, sure it’s time to get the kids ready for bed—and it’s 6:30. A lot of time this translates into more writing time for me. While I do try to get outside every day, there’s only so much you can do when it 7 degrees and icy (tomorrow’s forecast). So I write. Sometimes in the morning, but most often at night. And there’s something magical about writing in the dark. I light candles, curl up with my laptop, fleece blanket, and tea, and the darkness opens up possibilities for me. Things seem less real, less concrete—anyone who’s ever scared themselves in the dark knows that imagination works overtime without lights. I like to think that applies to my writing, as well.

“Writing in the dark” also appeals to the sarcastic me as well. Right now, I’m drafting a new manuscript. First drafts are my least favorite part of writing. So many choices! So many ways to go wrong! And I just know that every little bit I put down is going to have to be redone two, three, four hundred different ways and times. I struggle with that. Why can’t I just do it perfectly to start with? So, all this self-doubt makes me smile wryly when I hear the phrase “writing in the dark.” Oh, I’m writing in the dark all right. I have no idea what I’m doing, where this story is going, and if it’s even worth writing at this point. The only thing that keeps me going is the fact that I felt this way about MALCOLM, too, so maybe it’s part of my process. I have to keep reminding myself that if I want to be a writer, I’m going to have to actually WRITE SOMETHING.

So there I am. Writing in the dark in Wisconsin. Both literally and figuratively. Sometimes by candlelight, sometimes by sheer determination.

How about you?

WRITING IN THE DARK- IT'S TORTURE

It's my turn to talk about writing in the dark, and for me the best part about "dark" mysteries and novels is the suspense that provides the primary conflict in the story.  For me dark, isn't necessarily about brooding, atmospheric prose, or scary, edge of your seat concepts, although both fit nicely into dark stories.  For me, dark is the willingness to push characters to their breaking points and beyond.  It's all about torturing your characters with obstacles, failures, dead ends and resolution of questions that lead to bigger, more dangerous stakes.

I hate to say this, but torturing characters is fun.

Here are some dark ideas you might use to torture your characters (and keep readers turning the page):

Life or death stakes:  These can be physical or emotional, literal or symbolic.  Make the outcome of the story matter to your character in a profound and personal way. 

Secrets and lies:  Miscues, wrong assumptions, deeply buried secrets that change everything. Readers love to be surprised, so make sure your characters are flawed, harbor secrets and jump to wrong conclusions.  Now figure out the worst possible time for their secret to be discovered, and make it happen.

Villains with a reason:  A great villain doesn't think he's the villain. He thinks he's in the right.  Give your villains a justification for their actions, make them righteous and multi-dimensional. We love tortured souls.

Consequences:  Make sure that your characters' decisions have consequences, don't let them take a step forward without taking a step back, or sideways, or somehow raising the stakes. Every action, every decision, must have consequences.

Betrayal:  I hate (love) when a character's motives are not what I had originally assumed or a character that is forced to turn against her beliefs.  Nothing adds tension to a manuscript like good old fashioned betrayal.

Comedy:  Okay, this one is more to relieve tension, but you have to let the reader take a breath now and then.  I think the best dark stories include moments of levity.  A little dark humor goes a long way.

No win scenarios:  Nothing increases the stakes like a no win situation.  Give your character two bad choices and no other way out. 

Worst case scenario:  What's the worst thing that could happen to your main character?  Make it happen!  Sooner is better.

How do you torture your characters?

At Home in the Dark

I started out as a horror writer--I'm talking monsters, ghouls, and such--and I'm very much at home writing in the dark. Now, while I may have stumbled into mystery writing, I came with baggage. I never let the monsters go...or maybe I've got that backwards.

Some of my horror sensibilities still  rise up regardless of what I'm writing. In my YA debut WHISPERTOWN the darkness seeps out in the context of the inciting crime, the villain, and the general disposition of some characters. I won't give specifics (hey, you've got to wait to read it just like everyone else), but I will talk a bit about motive. WHY am I at home in the dark?

Over the years I've often heard the question, "Where do you get such crazy ideas?" I've found in many cases the person asking is being polite, and trying to find a PC way to ask, "What's wrong with you?"  Don't worry, I'm never offended. If anything, I feel I'm disappointing those with inquiring minds. I didn't have a terrible childhood. To the best of my knowledge, there was very little trauma. I simply like dark tales as metaphors and coping mechanisms. Sadly, everyday life can be so much worse than anything I could ever dream up.

Almost any dark tale I've written or read is an examination of a real world phenomenon, a way to understand some social ill or heinous crime. Doesn't matter if it's horror or mystery, a werewolf or a serial killer. All of it represents the thing you never see coming...that's why darkness is ideal, to conceal movement and spring the trap.

As a writer, I've trained my mind to pick up on events that are unique. In our cynical, desensitized world where 'if it bleeds it leads' and infamy is only a Google-search-for-chloroform away, 'unique' is often synonymous with 'awful'. If you think my ability to distill stories out of the woes of the world makes me the most desensitized of all, I'm sorry to say, you've got it backwards.

My sensitivity leads me to want reasons,a logical chain of events that somehow explains (not justifies) a child's death at the hands of her mother, or an esteemed institution's cover up of a decade's worth of abuse and exploitation. I'm at home in the dark because someone has to be.

During my habitation, I've found that the darkest crimes and villains can be glimpsed on your evening news, not on the covers of books in your local B&N. When you see what they've done, you can't help but be pulled into the mankind's ultimate mystery: Why?

I'll keep looking for the answer, keep going room to room with my notebook tucked under my arm, and a pen clamped between my teeth, while I smack my flashlight hoping to get a few more minutes out of the weak battery and flickering bulb. I'll stay in the dark despite my worst fear...that I'll get to the final room in the House of Night, open the door, and find it empty. No answers, no rhyme, no reason.

The darkest possibility of all.

***********************************************************************

Lamar "L. R." Giles writes for adults and teens. Penning everything from epic fantasy to noir thrillers, he's never met a genre he didn't like. His debut YA mystery WHISPERTOWN is about a teen in witness protection who investigates his best friend's murder and stumbles on a dark conspiracy that leads back to his own father. It will be published in Summer, 2013 by HarperCollins. He resides in Virginia with his wife and is represented by Jamie Weiss Chilton of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Find out more on his website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads.

Fumbling for the Lights: Darkness in Mysteries for Kids

Last week, Elisa Ludwig kicked off our new Tuesday theme, Writing in the Dark. For the next few weeks, every Tuesday, we'll be addressing this topic according to our various interpretations of it. Elisa wrote about fear in mystery writing -- how we can tap into our own fears to create fear on the page. Writing in the Dark makes me think about fear too, and that leads me to think about the intersection between mysteries and crime.

Mystery and crime go hand in hand. If someone or something goes missing -- or a dead body appears -- someone's responsible. Something horrible happened. But some mysteries place more emphasis on crime and criminals than others. Some stories veil the violent actions or keep them mostly offstage. Others force their sleuths -- and readers -- to confront unpleasant events.

When writing mysteries for young people, it's important to think very carefully about how graphically you want to portray crimes, perpetrators, and victims. How dark you want to go. If a young person finds a dead body, should the victim be known to the young person? What are the consequences? How close to the body should a young sleuth get? If a protagonist is kidnapped or hurt or trapped in some way, just how creepy do you want to make the assailants? What are the consequences? Will the young sleuth be emotionally resilient enough to keep facing danger and solve the mystery? Will readers stay with that sleuth?

The darkness issue is something I'm wrestling with in my current work-in-progress. How much should I expose my young sleuth to? Will I sacrifice some degree of levity, of comic relief, if I go too edgy, too dark? My natural inclination is to lean toward the light. But if it's too light, do I sacrifice plausibility and a sense of pressing danger? Do I sacrifice suspense? I think this is one of the greatest challenges in writing mysteries that feature young sleuths. They should be in some danger. But not too much. Right? After all, they're still kids.

Sometimes in mystery writing I feel like I'm constantly adjusting Venetian blinds, trying to get just that right slant of light.

To help myself with this adjustment, I've started thinking about my own encounters with crime. It's not easy. I don't have many experiences to draw on. I worked at a Wendy's in high school and was robbed at a cash register. Freaky, but that happened so fast, and it was a long, long time ago. A former boyfriend was mugged -- terrifying -- yet I was not there.

But earlier this year, my house was part of a crime scene. It's useful for me to think about that dark night and all the emotions I had.

One night, a few months ago, we were all awakened by a loud sound. I first thought it was millions of my son's Legos spilling. I went downstairs to clean them up so the cat wouldn't eat them. I kept going even after I remembered my son does not own millions of Legos. And there, in a sunroom off the side of the house, I found a great big ugly rock on the floor, a broken window, a twisted and mangled lamp.

We called the police and waited for a cruiser. No one came. We called back and were told that calls were pouring in from all over town; we were one of many victims (19, in the end) of a nighttime vandalism spree. In the morning, I looked outside and found a skateboard in the bushes outside that broken window. Soon after, police came to take it away as evidence. They never caught the kids who did this. Everyone repaired their windows and got on with their lives.

Yet I still wonder what motivates someone, a young person, to go on a vandalism spree in a quiet town, what darker undercurrent may still be at work around us, and if it might happen again. Most of all, I'll never forget the ominous, sick, scared feeling of waiting for the police that night. How I stared out into the darkness  feeling like we'd been targeted for some reason, wondering if we were being watched, and if another rock would be hurled. How I fumbled for the switches and turned on all the lights in the house as if to banish the darkness.

I can take that experience and imagine how a younger person might react. (My instinct was to protect my young son. A younger person might wish to feel protected, to seek out a parent or other adult. Or, he or she might get on the phone with friends and brainstorm ideas about suspects, being closer in age to the vandals than I am). I can also take stories from the news, local crimes I read about, and imagine how a teen or tween sleuth might react. I can envision how events in the news might get treated in mysteries for young people, compared to mysteries or crime fiction for adults. I've also been reading mysteries for young people and tracking the balance of darkness and light, literally highlighting them in different colors to understand the proportion. Then I think about the effects.

How do you feel about darkness in mysteries for young people? How dark should kidlit mysteries go? What mysteries have you read where the balance feels just right? What mysteries have you read where the balance feels off? Are there things that mysteries and crime fiction for kids should not deal with or show?

*********************************************************************************

Diana was born in Seattle and now lives outside of Boston with her husband and son. She also works as a freelance writer and editor in educational publishing, and has authored several ESL textbooks (which is way more exciting than it sounds). TOKYO HEIST (Viking/Penguin, coming June 14, 2012) is her first novel.

Be Very Afraid

In honor of Halloween, I wanted to talk about fear in mystery writing.

If you’ve ever had hiccups, you know how hard it is to scare yourself. But if you’re an author of a suspenseful story, you need to figure out how to do exactly that. If you're going to put yourself in your protagonist’s shoes you have to experience their fear—psychologically as well as physically.

Fear is a primal experience, and often our bodies respond before our heads know what's going on. Chills, goosebumps, heightened awareness, rapid heart rate, fluttering in the stomach. Come to think of it, it sounds a lot like love. Mwa ha ha ha.

Essential to creating a scary situation is making it as real as possible. If neither you nor your reader believe what you're telling them, then you certainly can't expect to do much hair-raising, can you? Slow it down. Allow for detail. Create beats. Give your protagonist a false sense of security, even. Then let the spooky stuff fly.

Maybe your real live fears have nothing to do with psycho killers, but think about ways to translate that feeling you get—uncertainty, anxiety, lack of control—into the scenario your protagonist faces. What's the worst that could happen? What do they stand to lose? What would be worse than what they actually expect? Now keep them in the dark for as long as you can. Milk it. Go on. Freak yourself out.

(If you need some help getting in the mood, there are plenty of writerly fears to draw on: fear of the blank page, fear of rejection, fear of not being able to get your character out of a sticky situation, and worst of all, the fear of the edit letter.)

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Elisa Ludwig's debut young adult novel PRETTY CROOKED (Katherine Tegen/HarperCollins), will be released in March 2012. It's the story of Willa Fox, a teen girl who goes Robin Hood on her rich classmates —the first of a trilogy. Even though she had to extensively research pickpocketing techniques to write it, she remains a law-abiding citizen. Elisa lives in Philadelphia with her husband Jesse and cat Beau a.k.a. Bread. When she's not writing for teens, she's cooking and/or writing about food for The Philadelphia Inquirer and other publications. Elisa is a proud member of The Apocalypsies.