Why a Mystery Writer? It’s the Maze.
I want to say I write mysteries and
suspense because of a deep-seated need to see justice done in the world. I really want to say that. But it’s not true.
I love to read and write mysteries because
they are clever. They force me to use my
brain. Who is the killer? Can I come to the same conclusion as the
detective, at the same time, following the same trail of clues?
Traditional mystery novels are like a chess
game. In writing the novel A Purse to
Die For, I discovered that mysteries must be plotted carefully,
strategically. It is a convention of
mystery writing that the reader receives the information at the same time as
the detective. Anything else is
considered cheating. Clues must lead to the solving of the crime. The reader must be able to go back and see
the trail, once he/she has finished reading the ending. But the ending can’t be too obvious – that’s
no fun. So it’s the clever mix of laying
several trails like those of a maze that intrigues me as both a writer and
reader. The trick: only one leads to the
fateful conclusion.
A good mystery with a bang-up ending –
logical, but original – gives me a kick like no other book. I marvel at the cleverness of the
author. In short mystery fiction, I
devour that twist at the end. In my own
short fiction, you can count on a twist ending.
I love the wonderful delight that comes
from stumping the reader…in making them say “Ah! Didn’t see that coming.” I’ve given them a challenge, and hopefully at
the end, a smile. There is no greater
high.
Melodie Campbell is the author of 40 short
stories and three novels, including A Purse to Die For, co-authored with
Cynthia St-Pierre. She has won 6 awards
for short fiction, and was a finalist for both the 2012 Derringer Awards and the
Arthur Ellis Awards.
www.melodiecampbell.com
No comments:
Post a Comment