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Breaking News!
DCI Warren Jones 9, Web Of Lies, Out Now! Click Here To Visit My Writing Page (opens in a new window). Free Download!
Papering Over The Cracks - A DCI Warren Jones short story (Includes a sneak preview of Web Of Lies) |
Conspiring To Increase SalesThis week's Tuesday Tip looks at the thorny issue of conspiracy theories and the potential pitfalls of including them in a novel.
For the purpose of clarity, I'm talking about real-life conspiracy theories, such as Paul McCartney dying in a car crash and being replaced by a body double, rather than a fictional conspiracy within a story, such as several characters plotting to kill another. It sometimes seems that we live in a society that is increasingly in thrall to ever-more outlandish conspiracies. This is not a new phenomenon of course; the numerous theories surrounding the shooting of JFK, and debate over whether the moon landings were real (spoiler: they blatantly are) date back to the 60s and there were no shortage of other strange theories before then. But social media (and I suspect pandemic-induced boredom) seem to have massively amplified the discourse around even the most outlandish claims. A few months ago, our regular pub quiz even featured a novelty round about conspiracy theories. Much to the surprise of my teammates, I managed to get 13/14 questions correct, on topics ranging from Avril Lavigne being replaced by a body-double, QAnon, Chemtrails and the Pizzagate scandal (a particular favourite of mine, concerning claims that there is a paedophile/cannibalism ring being run out of the basement of a Washington DC pizzeria, attended by Hilary and Bill Clinton - the fact that the restaurant in question doesn't have a basement hasn't dissuaded radical Trump supporters from sharing and amplifying the story). For those interested, I lost the final mark when I couldn't remember the name of the unproven (and rather toxic) alternative treatment for Covid (Ivermectin). To dispel any doubt, I should make it absolutely clear that I don't believe ANY of these theories, I just spend more time in the madder corners of Facebook than is perhaps healthy. In an amusing twist, there is a conspiracy theory that the more outlandish conspiracy theories are being propagated by hostile states such as Russia to sow division and influence elections. Ironically, I find that particular theory far more persuasive than nonsense such as Covid was a hoax, that 5G masts cause cancer and that autism is a result of 'vaccine injury'. Of course these crazy theories have fantastic story-potential. Dan Brown has made a tidy sum merging genuine historical fact with fictional theories in his Robert Langdon thrillers, most notably The Da Vinci Code. But there are pitfalls that you need to consider.
Of course, none of this should dissuade you from writing the story that you want to write. Self-censorship is sometimes the worst form of censorship. But forewarned is forearmed, as they say. Alternatively, you can always embrace the controversy and turn it to your advantage. Judging by the numbers of members on some of the more extreme Facebook groups, a novel that provokes discussion amongst folks who believe that the 2020 US election was stolen because Donald Trump was about to expose a plot to use chemtrails from aircraft to seed mind-altering substances into the atmosphere to hide the fact that the moon landings were faked by Democrats who were scared that they would expose that the Earth really is flat, and reveal their secret base hidden behind the Arctic ice wall where they sacrificed small children for the Lizard people who actually rule the planet, should generate some sales. What is your favourite conspiracy theory? Have you ever been tempted to turn it into a story? As always, feel free to comment here or on social media. (ALL CAPS optional). Until next time, Paul
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Stealing The LimelightWelcome to the #TuesdayTip. This week, I am celebrating when a minor character unexpectedly takes over the reins.
We writers love a good cliché. Not in our prose, obviously - we and our editors strive to cut them wherever we see them - but when asked to describe the process of writing, hell yeah, bring them on! One of those clichés is that sometimes a 'character takes over' the writing. For the logically-minded non-writer, this is patently nonsense. You are the writer, everything comes from your mind. The character is a fictional construct from your mind. Ergo, you are still in control. Well, duh, obviously. Yet sometimes it feels as if you aren't in control of the process. A related phenomenon is when a relatively minor character suddenly becomes more important. Like a character actor stealing all the attention from the A list celebrities. I LOVE this! When writing my third DCI Warren Jones novel, Silent As The Grave, I happened to be taking a creative writing class. Our homework was to write a short scene with two characters. Deciding to kill two birds with one stone, I chose to introduce the main antagonist's henchman, Bixby. A minor character that was little more than hired muscle (he didn't even have a first name). Over the course of those 300 words, the book was turned upside down. Bixby became one of the most intriguing characters I've ever met. By the end of the book, he was the most important and complex person in the story, other than my hero, DCI Jones. More recently, in my current work in process, I introduced a female character who, whilst integral to the story, was little more than 'utility character' - a person that exists solely to help move everything along. Well, she wasn't having any of that! Within a couple of paragraphs of me first meeting her, the entire focus of the book changed. It is now her story. Everything takes place because of her actions and it is her we are rooting for. And I am loving every second of writing her. And the amazing thing? The underlying premise hasn't changed! My original two line idea is still there, in its entirety. So, my advice? Take a leaf from my years of teaching. If a pupil is elbowing their way to the front of the class, don't slap them down and make them return to their seat. Don't stick to the original plan. Let them take over for a bit. If it doesn't work, never mind, you can always return to the original idea. You can even cut them out and use them in a different book (the character, not the pupil!). Because, sometimes the end result is far better than it would have been originally. What are your thoughts on this? Should characters stay in their lane? Would you rather stick with the original plan, or are you willing to take a risk and give them a bigger voice to see what happens? As always, feel free to comment here or on social media. Until next time, all the best, Paul. If you are a writer with a tip to share, or fancy writing a fictional interview between you and one of your characters, please feel free to email me. I guessed it halfway through!"I guessed who did it halfway through!"
This triumphant statement, often featured in reviews, is enough to chill any crime fiction writer's heart. For months - if not years - you've slaved away at your manuscript. Meticulously plotting a twisty narrative designed to keep your readers guessing; carefully devising and placing red herrings to divert your audience away from the real solution and crafting memorable characters as a distraction from the actual culprit. All for nothing! All your hard work is in vain and your beloved book baby is going to crash and burn. Fear not! Take a deep breath! It doesn't matter. First of all, let's look at what they've actually said. "I guessed who did it halfway through!" That's right, guessed. There are few hard and fast rules about writing a crime novel. But one that is generally accepted, is that the culprit should appear early in the book, probably within the first quarter or so. Introducing a last-minute twist involving a brand new character a couple of chapters from the end is generally regarded as unfair to the reader. Therefore, you will probably want to introduce a few other reasonable suspects early on as well. Let's assume that by the midway point there are five or so plausible people who could have done the deed. All things being equal, if you were to stop your reader now and demand to know who they thought might be guilty at this point, then they have a one in five chance of being right! If a hundred people read your book, twenty will guess the right person. If ninety guess the right person, perhaps you have a problem, otherwise it's all down to the laws of probability. Nobody likes to admit they were wrong. Crime readers, especially those who read a lot of books, like to play along as the story unfolds. They are going to try to work out who did it. For many of us, working out the solution before it is handed to you in the denouement is immensely satisfying. Dare I even say it's a wee ego boost? That's just human nature. On the flip-side, getting it wrong is less satisfying. That's not to say we can't enjoy being fooled by a clever writer. Far from it, and there are plenty of kind and generous reviewers who will recommend your book because you hoodwinked them. But I would suggest, that human nature being what it is, more people are likely to publicly crow about getting it right than getting it wrong. Flip-flopping doesn't count. A good writer keeps you guessing. In some of the best books I've ever read, I've chosen my pick pretty early on. But then there's been a twist and I've changed my mind. Sometimes more than once. Even if it turns out I was right in the first place, that's not a real win. Because the writer still fooled me for at least part of the book. So they have done their job. So they figured out who did it? So what? OK, let's assume that a reader does decide upon the correct suspect early on and sticks with them to the end. Well here's the thing - they won't be sure they've got it right until they read the last page. It's very unlikely that they are going to put your book down because they made a guess on page 150. Furthermore, the classic TV show Columbo literally told you who did it in the opener. Yet millions stayed tuned in, because what they really wanted to see was Columbo solve the mystery. To paraphrase the old cliché, it's not about the destination, it's about the journey. What are your thoughts on trying to guess the culprit? As always, feel free to comment here or on social media. Until next time. Keep on guessing, Paul. If you are a writer with a tip to share, or fancy writing a fictional interview between you and one of your characters, please feel free to email me. Guest Blogger |
To increase the range of topics on this blog, I am inviting Guest Bloggers to share their writing tips.
If you are an author and would like to be featured, please email me. AuthorPaul Gitsham is the writer of the DCI Warren Jones series. Categories
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