I've been thinking a lot about cozies lately for an article I'm writing and apparently in cozies the victim is supposed to be someone who's got it coming. (A point of view of justice that doesn't seem all that cosy to me, I must say.)
So I'm one-ninth of a cozy writer. But that's all about to change. Because an unbreakable rule of cozies, I learn, is that you can't harm children or animals. Fictional ones, I mean.
And that leads me on to my clearest piece of writing advice. (Imagine me gripping your arm with my claw-like hand and whispering this urgently into your ear. At a wedding, say.) If your series is going to progress in real time, a book a year, do not give your sleuth a dog.
Bunty the Dalmatian was six in 1922 in AFTER THE ARMISITCE BALL.
but it's 1931 in the book I'm writing now and it's time for some tough decisions. In the last one, THE REEK OF RED HERRING (not out yet), she had a step stool to climb up and sleep on Dandy's bed and during the case she stayed inside whenever it was raining - in Aberdeenshire, in December; she was inside a lot.
The thing I can't settle is whether to let her die quietly between books and bring on a puppy in her place or - shark-jumpingly - to let her go out in a blaze of glory, saving Dandy's life. Any thoughts, dog lovers of the crime-reading world?
9 comments:
Personally, I think you should let her go out in a blaze of glory. But it might be easier on your readers to let her go between books. -- Paul
A big blaze of Glory!
I say quietly between books. That way you can dodge the inevitable angry letters from outraged fans who want her to live forever...
This also opens up an opportunity for lots of different subplots. There is also the question of whether she would want to get a new puppy now that her boys are older and she is gone so much of the time.
I would love to see her get her moment in the sun and I will sniffle while reading it.
Ah, but who would do the puppy training?
Between books. Dandy Gilver is a lightly humorous series, even with nasty murders. Would dealing with Dandy's heartbreak (she would be heartbroken, right?) after the blaze of glory break the spell? I'll be interested in how you decide to proceed. Good question.
You. Are. NOT. Killing. Bunty.
I like the blaze of glory. You can so do that without shark-jumping.
Part of me is saying 'Noooo, not Bunty!' - and I'm not even a doggy person. Fictional Dalmatians seem to be the exception.
I think she should go peacefully, but I don't really want it to be between books, but then again Dandy's grief could put a blight on the tone.
I'm no help, am I?
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