| I love a mystery! So do thousands of
others who want to write them for today's
hungry market. It's not surprising that
mysteries are one of today's most popular
genres and that so many of them hit
bestseller lists. One of the reasons for
their tremendous popularity is that they
encompass many subgenres that have
strong, loyal followings. Walk into any
bookstore and ask for the mystery section
and you'll be directed to shelf after
shelf of hardcover and paperback books. Mysteries,
be they cozy, suspense, thriller or
action/adventure, tell exciting stories
that keep you reading to the last page.
Readers of all ages love to be scared and
intrigued. If you've ever seen a
four-year-old's eyes grow wide as he
listens to "Are You My Mother"
by P.D. Eastman, you've seen the power of
mystery in action. The young child is
fascinated by the mystery of the little
bird's "missing" mother and is
rooting for the bird to find her.
Once hooked on mysteries, we're hooked
for life. No wonder so many of us begin
to write them.
My father was a natural storyteller.
The tales he told of his childhood in the
immigrant-populated Lower East Side of
New York City made my Sister and me laugh
and cry. We held our breath awaiting the
outcome of his many adventures. He never
seemed to tire of telling them, nor we of
hearing them. his stories painted an
exciting, mysterious world we would
otherwise never have known.
When I got my first Public Library
card and began carrying home books, I
found a whole new world. When I
discovered the mystery section, I was
hooked for life.
More than once a librarian found me,
deaf to the closing bell, bent over a
book in the corner and told me it was
time to go home. I usually ran all the
way so I could read another chapter
before dinner. Little did I know I was
starting the long process of becoming a
writer as well as a reader.
When Cheryl asked me if I would like
to do a column, I jumped at the
opportunity to meet more writers and
readers who share my love of the genre.
I'm delighted to be part of Writer to
Writer and have the chance to talk with
you about mysteries each month. When I'm
not actually writing, I like talking
about writing best. Over the years, I
have spent many hours talking to fellow
writers to learn, to share - and just for
the pure enjoyment of it.
Once, at a dinner party I attended,
all six guests spent the evening
discussing who might be the murderer in a
prominent case then in the news. The
police didn't have any suspects or
motives. But we came up with four
suspects who had strong and convincing
motives. Though ten years have passed,
the case has never been solved... at
least not by the police!
I now welcome the opportunity to talk
mysteries with Writer to Writer friends.
Please think of this as a place for
conversation. Feel free to join in with
comments or questions when you have them;
contact me via my
website, or
through Cheryl.
Until next time, happy writing!
Marilyn
Marilyn Henderson, 42-year novelist,
coach and mss critic
http://www.mysterymentor.com
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