Structure and the Limited Series
Feb62010
I finally got back to the Liz books after I turned in Maybe This Time, and once I did, I realized that my wonky Oooh-this-would-be-interesting side has gotten my yes-but-now-I-have-to-write-them side into a nightmare of a plotting tangle. Oh, you don’t remember the Liz books?
Previously on Argh Ink . . .
I want to do a limited series of short books that will act as TV episodes; that is, each book will be a stand-alone novel/episode complete in itself, each a classic mystery that Our Girl Liz Danger has to solve, but the four books taken together will be a complete women’s fiction novel of about 200K to 300K (so those of you who have been asking for longer Crusies, your ship just came in). Doesn’t that sound great? Now, try to plot it.
The individual books/episodes aren’t the problem: that’s pretty much Liz vs. whoever offed somebody. Well, they’ll be a problem once I remember I can’t write mysteries, but I’ve plotted solo books before, so it’s not a new problem. But there has to be a series Big Bad, too, somebody to thwart Liz’s women’s fiction/romance novel arc. Which means I had to discover what the hell that arc was.
Liz’s problem is that she’s detached from her feelings, so detached that she spends her life writing about other people’s lives (she’s a ghostwriter) without realizing that her own life is slipping by her. So her arc has to begin with her relative isolation–she still interacts with people all the time, but she’s not really connecting–and end with her joining a community, making a commitment both to her old home town and to her new love interest, in four not-so-easy steps through the individual mysteries.
The first one, Lavender’s Dead (and nobody likes that title still), is about weddings in particular and families in general and it begins when Liz’s car breaks down outside her home town of Birney, Ohio (her fault, not a coincidence). The second one, Rest in Pink, is about beauty and appearances and how women are evaluated in the world; it begins when the woman Liz is currently working for–Anemone, a seventy-something former beauty queen–drags Liz back to Cincinnati which is only about an hour from Birney so Liz can see a children’s beauty contest. The third one, Peaches and Screams, takes place in Birney at the county fair with Liz’s newest client, a foodie, and it’s about food, what it means, how making food for people and eating food with people changes relationshps. The fourth one, Yellow Brick Roadkill, also takes place in Birney at the high school’s production of The Wiz, and it’s about going home and people working behind the curtain/scenes, and wicked witches . . . well, you get the idea: four separate themes feeding one arc. Actually, you can see the idea, it looks like this:
Baby, by the way, is an adult with a nickname, not an actual infant. No children will be harmed in the execution of these novels. No dogs, either. Also those plot blurbs at the bottom are guesses. I won’t know what really happens until I finish the books. Because things change when you write stories, that’s why.
So now I need an antagonist who arcs through the four books and who pushes Liz to make her own arc. He or she doesn’t need to be a killer, but he or she does need to move the action through the arc by opposing Liz and forcing her to grow. And since I like doppelganger antagonists, he or she has to be just like Liz in the beginning–all that detachment and isolation–but the same forces that push Liz to arc toward commitment have to push the antagonist in the opposite direction toward complete detachment/sociopathy. Neither Liz nor the antagonist is mentally healthy at the beginning of the series, but by the end, Liz has rejoined community and the antagonist is in outer darkness because he/she has made the opposite choices. The pushing against each other has propelled them both away from the center toward the outer edges of the conflict. If you think of mental health as a move to the right of the diagram, moving forward, and away from mental health to the left of the diagram, moving backward, it looks like this:
Of course, I have the other side filled in for the antagonist, but I didn’t put that up here on the off chance that a couple of you might read the books. So just imagine the other side filled in with the Big Bad’s slide toward total defeat.
Now all I have to do is plot four novels while maintaining that overall conflict and arc. Piece of cake.
Expect screaming in the months to come.
Filed in Writing
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98 Comments to 'Structure and the Limited Series'
On February 6, 2010 at 8:20 pm GatorPerson said...
Oh, giggle! How about a priest that gives seminars (have seminar will travel) on improving family relationships? Wow. It could even be her brother.
On February 6, 2010 at 8:37 pm Micki said...
Yay! I am so glad you are going to explore the longer-arc-making of series. My favorite series (besides Disc World, which isn’t really an arc rather than a collection — it doesn’t follow one protagonist all that long) is the Miles Vorkosigan series. His young adult life is the arc — headstrong teen in love with his first love, career builder, career switch and finding himself, and finally married with child and a career he loves. There are two books and a novella after his marriage, so it’ll be interesting to see if the arc continues through (which it could very well; his final goal might be dying in his bed, not getting married).
So, what’s Liz Danger’s ultimate goal? Or at least, where do you want her to wind up after four books? Married in a good relationship? Self-supporting with a lovely community of friends? A best-selling novelist (growth of the writer (-:) and sweetheart of the local police?
Knowing that might help. But then again, since it is such a long commitment, you might need to “play” a little with Liz, write her up a bit, and then let her tell you where you need to go.
(-: I find all this endlessly fascinating from my armchair. Me, I’m still working in the short story format, and I find it mind-boggling that someone can keep a *novel* let alone a whole *series* in their head. But, you’ve had a lot of practice with the novels (LOL), so I’m sure you can tackle this with your usual grace and flair.
So many of your books, I come to end and wish for more. So, I really hope this works out for you! But as the ever-voracious reader, I’ll probably still be saying, “That was great!!! When’s the next one coming out?” Just ignore that (-:.
On February 7, 2010 at 12:14 am Jenny said...
Back when these were books Rosie Malone was writing, there were sixteen of them, so there would be four groups of four. I don’t think I’m going to write sixteen, but I need to leave it a little open-ended, so the plan is that it ends with Liz and her sig other deciding to try a formal relationship, fidelity, seeing each other regularly (which is tough since Liz travels for her job), with the idea of finding out if there’s a future. And since they’re both screwed up, that would give me lots of grief to put them through if I decide to do another four books.
Right now, I’m just trying to find my way through the first four.
On February 7, 2010 at 5:06 pm JulieB said...
Wait! What happened to Rosie???
On February 7, 2010 at 8:11 pm Jenny said...
Rosie’s alive and well and in her own book, which is a collaboration that we’re doing as a fun book without a contract at our own pace. No, you can’t know who my collaborator is. She wishes to remain anonymous for now.
On February 8, 2010 at 1:51 am Micki said...
Well, there you go (-:. Basically, you just need to plot it out to the first arcette (I got a boyfriend, nyah, nyah, nyah. What I am I going to do with him? Oh, oh, oh.). You do this all the time (-:. Bring your character up to the point where s/he is ready to commit. I can’t remember off hand, but I don’t think *any* of your books ended with a wedding (although there was a wedding in the middle of TCD). You can do this!
If you decide to do the next quadrology (what’s a book series of four??), then you’ll be laying new pipeline: the relationship from first committal to . . . what? Wedding bells? *That’s* where you will be challenged.
LOL, OK, taking my psychic hat off. I’m just looking forward to more, more, more! I know you’ve got it in you (-:.
On February 6, 2010 at 8:52 pm Merry the CB said...
Feel free to curse in addition to screaming. I am always willing to expand my vocabulary with interesting new words and phrases
On February 7, 2010 at 11:22 am Lora said...
Yup. It helps. I’m a fan of pretending-to-be-British style cursing as in a big satisfying “Bloody Hell!”
On February 6, 2010 at 8:56 pm JulieB said...
So, if I’m understanding this correctly, the opposite of adopts a dog is kicks a dog?
On February 7, 2010 at 12:15 am Jenny said...
Or rejects something that needs nurtured. It’s the symbolic act not the actual act that matters.
On February 7, 2010 at 5:07 pm JulieB said...
Got it. Couldn’t resist.
On February 6, 2010 at 9:35 pm robena grant said...
This will be interesting because you’re a seat of the pants writer in your rough drafts, right? So will you have to turn plotter?
I did that when I started writing (or attempting to write, mysteries). I was a pantser then everyone I knew said, no you have to plot. So I plotted and lost all the juice, my stories were like overcooked roast beef. I’m back to being half-and-half. If that’s possible. I write a bit, plot a bit, write a bit and you know it’s kind of fun, but it’s taking me a lot longer to reach the end. I’ve finished one mystery and am almost through the rough draft of the second one.
I finally sat down and wrote the synopsis after getting stuck at the halfway point. At least I know where I’m going now. I think…
On February 7, 2010 at 12:17 am Jenny said...
What I’ve learned from collaborating is that if I have an idea of the major turning points, know who the antagonist is, and have the protagonist’s and antagonist’s goals in direct conflict in a conflict box, I can make up the rest as I go along. Even then, some of that changes, but it gives me marks to hit along the way to the climax.
On February 6, 2010 at 9:41 pm Skye said...
I think I’ll enjoy watching this. It will help numb my pain as I attempt to write my one single-plot first (i.e., probably throw-away) novel. I will sympathize with your pain, watch you navigate the literary hazards, and at the end of it, no matter what, will be a new Crusie novel(s) that I get to enjoy! Woo hoo!
On February 7, 2010 at 11:21 am Lora said...
@Skye, i love your attitude! up with the bright side! Meanwhile I saw this post with the chart and thought, ooh, crap now i have to figure out how to make a chart on Microsoft Works cuz that’s how I can tighten the plot of MY probably throwaway WIP.
On February 7, 2010 at 12:15 pm Jenny said...
You can just do a table in Word.
I did this one in Curio because I love Curio as brainstorming software.
On February 6, 2010 at 9:54 pm Dee said...
I don’t mean to mock your pain, but I love it when you go through things like this. It’s so educational for the rest of us would-be types. Please keep sharing.
On February 6, 2010 at 10:08 pm CG said...
I’m with Merry the CB! lol
On February 6, 2010 at 10:20 pm Lori J. said...
Your visual aids are always so simple, yet so awesome.
On February 6, 2010 at 10:29 pm Lori J. said...
Would the Big Bad need to also be at all four social events in all four of the books? (The wedding, children’s beauty contest, county fair and the high school musical?).
On February 7, 2010 at 12:19 am Jenny said...
The Big Bad doesn’t have to be there, but his/her actions have to push the protagonist to act. So it can be behind the scenes stuff, or stuff that there’s on the page but coded so the reader doesn’t realize what it means. But remember, this is the Big Bad for the four-novel-arc. The individual books will have murderers as antagonists, and they’re always unknown, working behind the scenes or coded because they need to keep their secrets.
On February 6, 2010 at 10:36 pm KellyJ said...
Thank you for sharing this – your diagrams are awesome. I’ve learned more from this blog than from any college “writing” course. Good luck figuring out the antagonist. Does Liz have a cousin? I’m from the south, and down here cousins make great antagonists, especially the ones who are a little crazy.
On February 7, 2010 at 12:19 am Jenny said...
Her cousin in her best friend. It’s okay, I have a good Big Bad.
On February 6, 2010 at 10:46 pm Julia said...
I don’t remember what else you said about the plot of “Lavender’s Dead,” but since it is also about weddings, perhaps the title could involve some play on “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue.” (Lavender is kind of bluish, isn’t it?) Not quite sure how to make it sound fatal, though.
On February 7, 2010 at 5:11 pm JulieB said...
Lavendar Lips. Not a Good Thing.
On February 6, 2010 at 11:05 pm Becky said...
What made her leave her hometown? Maybe that’s where the answer is. She left home, and when the story starts she’s totally isolated. The end of her arc is finding community in her former home. So it makes sense that all the trouble started there, too.
On February 7, 2010 at 12:20 am Jenny said...
A lot of us leave our home towns. It’s nothing in particular there, and at the end, she doesn’t move back, she just visits a lot more.
If I do sixteen books, she’ll move back at the end, but I don’t see me doing sixteen books.
On February 6, 2010 at 11:31 pm Skye said...
Jenny, it’s probably totally tangential, but do you know this old folks song that repeats on lavender? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavender_Blue. I have run across it in odd places and used in odd ways twice in books (at least one of which was a children’s or YA) and then just in weird other ways.
On February 7, 2010 at 12:21 am Jenny said...
That’s where the original title came from: Lavender’s Dead, Killer, Killer. Everybody hated that one, too.
On February 7, 2010 at 12:25 pm Skye said...
Too bad. That would have been a killer title.
(No, not sorry at all about the pun.)
On February 7, 2010 at 1:30 pm colognegrrl said...
I have an inkling that there’s already a book out with that title, anyway.
On February 7, 2010 at 12:39 am marly said...
I’m with Skye, watching from the vantage point of my first effort. I’m pretty sure I have a bald spot from pulling my hair, so it’s wonderful to sit back and watch your process. As for the antagonist, I like the idea of the crazy cousin. A local politician like a mayor or council member, male or female, would have cause to be at three of the events and perhaps the beauty contest, as well. I have no problem envisioning a semi-sociopathic politico who interacts but doesn’t connect. How about a Big Bad reporter – a social columnist? Or an old school-mate, now married and determined to see her spouse rise in the social arena? OK, I’ll stop now. Going back to my uncooperative chart.
On February 7, 2010 at 12:47 am Judy Long said...
What do you mean by ‘arc’?
On February 7, 2010 at 1:07 am Jenny said...
Some characters in a story change. They’re called dynamic characters, as opposed to static characters that stay the same through the story. You don’t want all your characters changing; it would be like the snake scene in Raiders; the ground would keep moving. But you want your protagonist to change because the events of the story have such an impact on him or her. The path of that change is called an arc. A classic arc is 180 degrees: Macbeth goes from noble hero to murdering sociopath. But any change means the character arcs. Linking the character’s arc to the events in the plot make the arc believable. As Bob always says, nobody just decides to change and then changes; there’s always an event that spurs the character to action and in the action the change takes place.
I could go on but it’s midnight.
On February 7, 2010 at 1:10 am Judy Long said...
Thanks. That is very enlightening. It is already changing the way I have been approaching my novel (which wasn’t working for me). I love the characters & story but it just isn’t going on the paper the way I want.
I really enjoy watching & learning from your process & I, like so many others here, relate to your stress along the way.
On February 7, 2010 at 2:06 am Deanna Nelle said...
I can’t wait to read these. I loved the little blurb you gave us awhile back. I always enjoy seeing your process- I have learned so much here it’s incredible! You should have an online writing school; you’d make a ton.
Have you checked out the Fat Nutritionist blog? She’s got some interesting perspectives on beauty and acceptance in society. Might be relevant for book two. http://www.fatnutritionist.com/
On February 7, 2010 at 2:51 am inkgrrl said...
I have the utmost faith in you babe. Thank you so much for your gift of stories born in pastel arcs, conflict boxes, blood, sweat, tears, and screaming. I can’t wait to read them all.
On February 7, 2010 at 8:01 am Tinapie said...
Hi, Jenny! Long-time fan/lurker. I had to comment on the adult nicknamed Baby. Does that happen in America? I lived there for a few years but didn’t meet any. In the Philippines, where I live, it is common. I have an Auntie Baby, two Uncle Boy’s, etc. We’re used to it.
On February 7, 2010 at 8:13 am Tinapie said...
By the way, I mentioned it because the way you described it was funny.
On February 7, 2010 at 10:42 am McB said...
I think it’s a small town America phenomena. I have an Aunt Sis, for instance. Childhood nicknames stick fast when everyone around you has known you from birth.
On February 8, 2010 at 2:52 pm Meredith B. said...
I have a friend whose nickname is Sister. Her parents and sister have called her Sister for her entire life, often even when referring to her to others. I actually met Sister’s sister first, and it took my months to learn Sister’s actual name since I was rarely in contact with her. Now I make it a point to call her by her actual name, but some people still just call her Sister. And I really wonder about that. I wonder if she cares, how it makes her feel, whether it’s shaped her personality at all. I wonder what other people are thinking when they call her Sister. I don’t know quite how I feel about it all. My instinctive reaction is to point out, “Look, we’re not living in a Berenstain Bears story.”
On February 9, 2010 at 4:27 am Tinapie said...
I’ve never heard of an Aunt Sis or Sister. Funny when you hear it the first time. The only Sisters I know are nuns.
On February 7, 2010 at 12:15 pm Jenny said...
I think “Babe” is probably a more common nickname here, but it definitely happens. And it’s often used as a term of endearment.
On February 9, 2010 at 4:25 am Tinapie said...
Ah yes, “babe”, an endearment like honey, sweetheart, etc. As you mentioned though, not the same usage as an actual nickname.
On February 8, 2010 at 9:57 pm PG said...
There’s “Baby” in Dirty Dancing. And slight creepiness to the moment when Swayze plucks her up and says, “Nobody puts Baby in a corner.” Dude, you’ve slept with her! Don’t call her “Baby” as a name!
On February 9, 2010 at 12:13 am Bonnie C said...
LOL! My very first reaction was “I wonder if Baby gets put in a corner?”
On February 9, 2010 at 4:15 am Tinapie said...
LOL! Now I remember Baby from Dirty Dancing. That should debunk my theory then.
On February 7, 2010 at 11:17 am Lora said...
Oooh how about the antagonist is her shrink???? Know-it-all with isolation/ego issues. heeheehee
That being said, this sounds smart, empowering, and fun. Wonderful you, for finding a way to fuse the three.
On February 7, 2010 at 12:27 pm Sara said...
Could the antagonist be a high school rival (or worse, the HS best friend) who has taken a different path through life (and acts like she made the better choices) but has the same issues to face as the protag as many of those can be felt even when you’re alone in a crowd – but feels threatened and sabotages whenever possible…?
On February 7, 2010 at 12:43 pm robena grant said...
Ah, yes. The conflict box. Thank you, thank you. I forgot all about it but I just did one and think it’s solid, so onward and upward. How you can structure four mysteries at one time is mind boggling.
From what I can tell with your ongoing mystery series, the Big Bad will not be exposed until the final story. So the conundrum comes with having to satisfy the reader with a solid ending for each of the series and an assurance that the protagonist is proven innocent, or solves the case, yet the Big Bad gets away. You’ve got the Big Bad in the wings pulling all the strings and his cohorts are committing the crimes and not squealing when captured, or dying in the end. Wow! You know, that’s kind of fun to think about. But way too much structure for my tiny brain. Ha ha.
On February 7, 2010 at 2:48 pm Jenny said...
That was my first idea, that in the end, the Big Bad would have been behind it all. But I think it’s more important that the Big Bad be the overall antagonist, not necessarily the one responsible for the murders even though he/she isn’t the murderer. The individual books are murder mysteries but the four-part-long-novel is women’s fiction. That’s where the conflict lies for the Big Bad. The murderers are Little Bads.
On February 7, 2010 at 8:45 pm misspiggy don'twannabe said...
What about having the big bad send our heroine an anonymous note (on an appropriately colored card) that brings her to the site of each mystery? Big bad wouldn’t be a murderer (ess?) but a catalyst.
I think Agatha Christie did a book with a person who was at the scene of many of the previous mysteries provoking the murderers. It might have been the final Perot.
On February 8, 2010 at 1:57 am Micki said...
Just a thought (as if the current scheme wasn’t dizzying enough), but how about the Little Bads per book, a Big Bad per arcette (four books), and The Uber Bad for the whole series? LOL, I’m such a stinker. Ignore at will.
On February 7, 2010 at 1:07 pm Julia said...
What about “Preserved in Lavender”? Traditionally for storing clothes, etc., but it sounds a little morbid since otherwise it’d die/spoil. And preservation is related to themes of staying the same/stasis, vs. development.
On February 7, 2010 at 2:48 pm Jenny said...
I like Lavender’s Dead, Killer Killer because it goes back to Lavender’s Blue, and Lavender is strangled, I think. We’re still working on that.
On February 7, 2010 at 2:03 pm Lori J. said...
Jim Butcher’s doing the same thing with his 20 book Harry Dresden series. He’s 12 books in and the readers are still wondering who the behind-the-scenes Big Bad is while Harry fights life or death battles with various antagonist/minions in each book. Since I’m a craft wonk, it’s fascinating to watch how Butcher keeps the story moving forward and increasing the conflict/tension with each book and Harry’s character arc to the ultimate showdown.
So, it’s doable, but I think I just origamied my brain into a pretzel trying to figure out how to keep the Big Bad a secret while keeping him/her part of the four book story too. I should go lie down now.
On February 7, 2010 at 2:31 pm Tawna Fenske said...
I’ll admit to a bit of hero worship and the fact that you are my idol as an author, but what I love most is that you make it look so easy on the outside, but freely admit you work damn hard at this on the inside. Thank you for that!
Tawna
On February 7, 2010 at 3:21 pm Stephanie said...
I know she’s a ghostwriter that travels a lot but could be be someone that she knows professionally? She must have some professional connections since that’s how she gets her gigs and there could be competition amongst ghostwriters. Or maybe someone who was a mentor that might become jealous of her or who doesn’t want her to move back to Ohio and pick community over traveling. Us vs. them – win vs. lose.
On February 8, 2010 at 10:01 pm PG said...
Yes, I was also thinking that it could be cool if it were someone in her life playing a similar role to that of Jack in “30 Rock” — so a Big Bad who actually thinks of himself as a benevolent mentor. Except unlike Jack, who’s inappropriately encouraging about Liz’s dating life, this would be a mentor who is 100% focused on the mentee’s career and who feels threatened by her being distracted.
On February 7, 2010 at 3:33 pm Beki said...
Don’t know if this means much or not, but Nora Roberts used the Lavender’s Blue-Dilly Dilly song in her In the Garden trilogy; the ghost in the story sang it as a lullabye. It got stuck in my head for weeks. Weeks.
As a joke, it’s funn, but as a title? I don’t know. BUT Yellow Brick Roadkill makes me snort and giggle. So there’s that. I can’t even begin to give advice on The Big Bad. Not with my own conflict box issues.
On February 7, 2010 at 3:56 pm r. said...
HOLY TITLE SEARCH, BATMAN!!! I thought the final selection had been made, but if there’s any question, I (of course) have some more suggestions.
A Pound of Lavender – ref. dogs and “pound of flesh”
The Lavender Clue
Lavender Strike Three
Lavender Tangle
Lie Down Lavender – as in “all the evidence points to you”
Fade to Lavender
And the ones Marly shook her head at but I’m putting them in anyway because she laughed:
Well Done Lavender – like “goose is cooked”
Lavender Choke Collar
Lavender Cadavender
Sorry if these are repeat suggestions – I didn’t go back to check.
On February 8, 2010 at 2:00 am Micki said...
OMG, Lavender Cavender. I love it!
On February 7, 2010 at 4:04 pm r. said...
Oh, one more:
Take Down Lavender
(or the reverse). That’s it. But still thinking.
On February 7, 2010 at 4:28 pm Louis said...
Expectations for good reading are looking good.
How soon for an exerpt?
On February 7, 2010 at 8:10 pm Jenny said...
Didn’t I already put the first draft of the first scene up as part of the Nano posts? I’m sure I did.
On February 8, 2010 at 10:07 pm PG said...
Yes.
http://www.arghink.com/2009/11/04/nano-ing-liz/
http://www.arghink.com/2009/11/11/banter-aka-romance-writers-crack/
On February 7, 2010 at 4:52 pm r. said...
What Louis said. Hey, how about: Body By Lavender?
On February 7, 2010 at 6:05 pm colognegrrl said...
Did you ever hear of the Lavender Menace?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavender_Menace
This is probably not what your plot is about.
On February 7, 2010 at 6:19 pm colognegrrl said...
And – I apologize beforehand – but “Yellow Brick Roadkill” just forced me to think of Lavender’s Fender Bender.
And, of course, A Bad Smell of Lavender.
Sorry. But I don’t like the smell of lavender even if the fields in Provence look just beautiful.
On February 7, 2010 at 6:22 pm robena grant said...
Big Bad and the Little Bads. This is going to be so much fun. : )
On February 7, 2010 at 7:06 pm r. said...
I should apologize. I just realized that Lavender is the one strangled. I thought she was the suspect. SOMEONE could have told me but when she hasn’t been working on her manuscript (or cursing it), she’s been reading. I pop in now and then to share some TYWKIWDBI crash blossoms. Today’s favorites:
Two Convicts Escape Noose: Jury Hung.
Drunk Gets Nine Months in Violin Case.
Lack of Brains Hinders Research.
Flaming Toilet Seat Causes Evacuation.
IT’S SUPER BOWL TIME – ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?
On February 8, 2010 at 9:33 am Kate George said...
Oh, Thank you r. It’s Monday morning and I just laughed till I cried. I also snorted which made people around here look at me as if I’m crazy but I don’t care. I so needed that laugh!
On February 7, 2010 at 7:56 pm Nancy said...
Your post has me thinking of Heyer mysteries. That Snake, Randall, in Behold Here’s Poison, or the Mephisto-costumed hero (forget his name) in Why Shoot a Butler? — Antagonist, his own agenda, oodles of conflict & cross-purposes, HEA.
On February 7, 2010 at 8:14 pm Jenny said...
Oh, the Heyer mysteries. They’re WONDERFUL. Envious Casca, best British house party murder ever. But really, all of them. They’re right up there with Margery Allingham Campion mysteries.
One of the reasons I wanted to do mysteries is so I could go back and read Heyer and Allingham and Stout and Gilbert (Michael) and some of the others I’ve loved. As research, of course. And probably to steal a plot. Except it would be an homage, of course. Kind of.
On February 7, 2010 at 10:32 pm McB said...
I just LOVE the British mysteries – Allingham and Marsh and co. But I had a crush on Stout’s Archie Goodwin. Too smart-mouthed for his own good!
If Lavender is strangled, Lavender’s Blue works. Or Lavender’s Dead, Dilly Dilly.
And yes, you did put up the first scene.
On February 7, 2010 at 8:19 pm marly said...
I love the Heyer mysteries. Actually, I loved Randall and Frank (Why Shoot A Butler), but I thought they were protagonists. There was the deceased black-mailing uncle in Behold, Here’s Poison and the creepy murdering relative of Shirley’s in Why Shoot A Butler, and I think they were the Big Bads. Or maybe Randall and Frank were Little Bads as well as romantic interests. Heck, it’s been a long time – maybe I’m mixed up about that. I’ll have to dig them out again. At any rate, thanks for reminding me. I loved those books.
On February 7, 2010 at 8:33 pm marly said...
Remember Duplicate Death and the divine Timothy, who was a police hounding kid in an earler mystery? Just remembered, there’s a not so well known mystery by Georgette Heyer called Footsteps In The Dark that some libraries have. I found it several years ago, but it has great, funny, droll dialog. Keep an eye out if you haven’t read it yet.
On February 8, 2010 at 9:56 pm Marta said...
Duplicate Death was the only Heyer mystery I didn’t have after years of looking, but I finally found a copy when I was traveling a few months ago. I’ve read six or seven times since then.
Randall the Snake remains my all-time favorite Heyer mystery male, but for sheer brilliance of dialogue, No Wind of Blame is my top pick. The scene where Vicky tries to get Inspector Hemingway to agree she’s a suspect . . .
On February 9, 2010 at 12:23 am marly said...
That is a great scene – and oh, yeah! Randall is sex in gray flannel. I loved Frank Amberley, too, and Terrible Timothy is my favorite barrister. I never get tired of the Heyer mysteries.
On February 7, 2010 at 8:24 pm Katherine Early said...
Jenny – For the antagonist, how about a divorced mother? (And I’m not making any reference to my own mom, I promise. They are still married!) But I say divorced because that might give some more commonalities as the divorced mom hits the dating world and makes “different” choices. Or widowed would work too. But she has to have issues that impact her daughter. There’d be so much there to work with. Love your books. Keep up the great work, and say hi to Molly for me! -Katie
On February 7, 2010 at 8:31 pm Katherine Early said...
I just read some of the above posts. I have just discovered Heyer, and love them too. There’s an “intellegence” about her work.
On February 7, 2010 at 11:24 pm Louis said...
I was having a senior moment. I do remember that you posted the exerpt (and a good one).
Heyer’s mysteries are favorites
.
On February 7, 2010 at 11:37 pm Jenny said...
You and me both, Louis. I can’t remember a damn thing these days. Which in many cases is a good thing.
On February 8, 2010 at 12:07 am marly said...
I have a question. After knocking some sense into my blocked character (or blockhead character), I started re-reading Whatever Mae Bell Wants, aka What The Lady Wants. I’m trying to get a handle on conflict boxes and events and arcs and antagonists, Big and Little. Is Armand the Big Bad – the main antagonist? Or is it the trio of Claude, Gio and Carlo? Or would they be considered Little Bad’s? All four could be Big Bads, I guess, but the trio seems to have good hearts, so maybe they aren’t Bads at all. I’m seeing events and arcs now that I’m watching for them, but I don’t feel sure about the Bads’.
By the way, this is my favorite of all your books. I read the breast and penis, going West and pipeline dialog to R., who loves banter. I think it’s the funniest thing you’ve ever written. Hoping the powers that be will put out in cd’s. Unabridged.
On February 8, 2010 at 1:42 am Jenny said...
To avoid spoilers, I will just say that the BB is the murderer.
But that was early on in my career and I’m pretty sure I didn’t run a conflict box on it. It would work, though. Mae wants to find the diary and the killer doesn’t want to get caught.
On February 8, 2010 at 2:08 am marly said...
Oh for Pete’s sake – how could I miss that – it was staring me right in the face! I have a lot of work to do. Thanks for letting me know and I’m so glad I didn’t inadvertently put out spoilers. I forgot the re-issue was coming soon. And to anyone hasn’t read What The Lady Wants – it’s terrific. Really funny, really sweet. I don’t think dialog comes any better.
On February 8, 2010 at 12:09 am marly said...
Sorry – “put IT out in cd’s. Long hours of football.
On February 8, 2010 at 1:44 am Concord cherry said...
I was reading too fast and got “Anemone, a seventy-something former beauty drag-queen”…out of “Anemone, a seventy-something former beauty queen–drags”… Oops! *Chuckling*…
On February 9, 2010 at 4:09 am CrankyOtter said...
Whew! I’m not the only one who had a Gold Dust Orphans moment there…I totally got drag-queen out of that too.
(GDO is a fabulous drag queen theater in p-town and boston, if you live there or vist you should go.)
On February 8, 2010 at 11:16 am Jenny said...
So now I’ve got the basic plot for the first one and the Bads, big and little. There’s still a lot to work out but I’m on it.
I’ll worry about more Liz books when I have these four written. That may be enough to hold me forever.
On February 8, 2010 at 5:06 pm Sarah said...
Oh, the title dilemma. Every time I see it, I wish Lavendar were getting bashed over the head or stabbed instead of strangled, so you could use “Lavendar Bled” or “Lavendar’s Bled” or something.
Asssuming you hated that less than Lavendar’s Dead, of course!
On February 8, 2010 at 5:42 pm Electric Landlady said...
Lavender’s Blood. Or Bloody. The Lavender Corpse. (Ew.)
I dunno, I don’t mind Lavender’s Blue without the Killer, Killer.
On February 8, 2010 at 8:31 pm Kate George said...
Bloody Lavendar
Blood on Lavendar
Lavendar Blood
Blood on the Lavendar
OK – I’m done!
On February 8, 2010 at 8:51 pm Savvy2 said...
For what it’s worth, I really like the title Lavendar’s Dead.
On February 9, 2010 at 1:48 am Jill said...
May I just say that ,while I enjoy all this back story stuff, I am content (no, excited) to read the final draft ?
On February 9, 2010 at 1:52 am Jenny said...
Patience, grasshopper.
On February 9, 2010 at 10:54 am Judy Long said...
I personally love being privy to the process!
On February 10, 2010 at 3:00 pm mjk said...
At first glance I read the description of Rest In Pink and thought it had a drag queen as a main character. Got really excited for a moment.