Monthly Archives: January 2011

Series or stand alone novel?

When is a novel a stand alone and when can it be the start of a series?

According to a mystery writing advice book I read some years ago, a novel should stand alone if it resolves the protagonist’s basic problems; if it doesn’t, it invites a sequel. The author further advised that series books should have an overall story arc.

When I started my mystery novel Deadly Fall I was certain it was a one shot deal. At the same time, I sensed publishers tended to like mystery series. So, I set up the novel ending to make it look like my protagonist was heading into further mysteries, which I had no intention of pursuing.

I continued to view the book as a stand alone until the end of draft #2, when I realized I wouldn’t be able to completely resolve my protagonist’s issues. I also wanted to know more about what would happen to her and a core group of characters. This might become a series after all.

I finished the third draft. While working on draft #4, I contemplated alternative titles. My original title In Remembrance of Me came from the novel’s funeral scene. Paula, my protagonist, sees the message on the communion altar Do this in remembrance of me. She interprets it as a message from the victim, her childhood friend: find my killer. On another level, Paula is searching for herself, the youthful “me” who got lost in the business of growing up.

For those reasons, I liked my original title, but felt it didn’t sound like the title of a mystery book. What else could I call it? The story takes place in the fall. Fall has evocative connotations. Fall from grace. Fall into danger and the emotional abyss. Deadly is a common mystery novel adjective. A Deadly Fall. I looked it up on the Chapters/Indigo and library websites to see how many other books had used the title. To my surprise, there were none. A Deadly Fall it is. Or was, until the publisher later simplified it to Deadly Fall.   

Fall naturally led me to think about seasons, which sparked an idea for a four-book series with an overall story arc for Paula. Now, I could honestly tell publishers A Deadly Fall was the start of a series. They didn’t need to know the series was limited.

I quickly decided on a title for book #2: The Secret Spring. While waiting to hear from publishers, I wrote the sequel with the title in mind. As a result, spring is more integrated into the story. In addition to the spring time frame, the victim is found dead in an isolated (secret) hot spring. All mystery novels are about secrets.

I decided Book #3 would be summer and book #4, the finale, winter.

After Deadly Fall was accepted by a publisher, I pondered the series further. Could it and should it be more than four books? I thought through the narrative arc. Four books would rush the arc, there were many more things I could do with my characters and, given Paula’s profession as an insurance adjuster, many more mysteries she could solve.

Author Sue Grafton was thinking ahead when she used the alphabet for her mystery series. It gave her 26 potential books. With only 4 seasons, I’ve painted myself into a corner.

I’m sure I’ll figure a way out of the corner. That’s what we mystery writers do.

I’m on Chapters and Amazon

My sister discovered my novel Deadly Fall listed on Amazon.ca. I hadn’t thought to check since the book won’t be released until March. I looked at Chapters/Indigo.ca and also found it there. It’s also on Amazon.com for US readers. 

In our enthusiasm, my husband Will and I instantly fired off a batch of e-mails to tell family and friends the news.  A couple of them told us they pre-ordered the book. The next day, while poking around the Amazon site I found that Deadly Fall was # 95  on the Amazon bestseller list for Mysteries with Women Sleuths and # 20, 234 for overall books. Many thanks to the book’s first purchasers. 

A day later Deadly Fall was off the Women Sleuths list and something like #40,000 overall. What a difference a day makes. It was fun while it lasted and is still fun to see my novel posted on the sites.  Here are the links:

Chapters/Indigo:

http://www.chapters.indigo.ca/home/search/?keywords=susan%20calder%20deadly%20fall&pageSize=12

Amazon.ca:

http://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dca-books-english-tree&field-keywords=susan+calder+deadly+fall&x=17&y=20
Amazon.com – for USA:

Black Swan Dives

Yesterday, my husband Will and I went to see the movie Black Swan, a ballet thriller that is one of this year’s big Oscar condenders.  For psychological horror, I feel the movie works. It made me gasp out loud, although I’m easy  for movie directors to manipulate and am usually the first to scream in a theatre. Black Swan has plenty of creepiness, enhanced by mood music; lots of blood and ugly, damaged ballet feet; twists that make you wonder what is real and what the heroine, Nina, has imagined.

My main problem with Black Swan was that the theme struck me as heavy handed. The ballet director tells Nina she is technically perfect and ideal for the role of the white (good, virginal) swan, but needs to lose control and explore her dark side to dance the black (evil, sexy) swan, and so achieve overall perfection, which is all that matters in the ballet world. Rather than feel engaged with characters and a story that developed this theme, I felt the characters and story were dancing to the message.  At the end, I thought fine theme and entertainment, but who cares?

For Oscar contending movies, I far preferred The Social Network, a movie with a message, real characters and heart.

Full jacket cover

Yesterday, I received the proof for my full book jacket cover. Previously, I’d only seen the front page. Viewing the whole thing was amazing. I love the little leaves falling all over the place, the texture of the dark leaf underneath the main yellow ones, the yellow writing on the dark background and the way the main yellow leaf spills over the spine and the inside cover flap, which features an excerpt from the novel. I think it’s a beautiful cover – simply perfect.   

Click this link to see what the cover looks like. It might take a few seconds to load. Imagine the side sections folded over to form inside flaps.Deadly Fall Cover