 | 5 Jun 09 |
My series with Penguin Putnam, The Jenny T. Partridge Dance Mystery Series, was the most fun I have ever had writing a book. My other books are dark, twisted, and filled with angst, and in Jenny I found an outlet that was completely different, and probably a lot more like the real me. I have a wicked sense of humor, a sharp tongue, and am impatient, creative, sometimes flighty and yet organized and analytical. To me, those are a lot of the same characteristics Jenny has.
Plus, I can NEVER find my phone and my keys. I swear, I can answer every question on Jeopardy, but please do not ask me where I put my keys, say, two minutes ago, because I cannot tell you!
But life doesn’t always go the way we want, and sadly I will not be writing more Jenny books, but still have some deep, dark, twisted books to write.
I have always enjoyed reading this kind of fiction, especially when well-written and filled with the kind of dark human emotion that makes you dig deep inside yourself for something more. For compassion. For caring.
And writing it has always appealed to me as well. My viewpoint, I know, is a little different than many, and that has led to a lot of angry emails in my direction. But the bottom line truth is, there is always more than one story. Always. There is ALWAYS a darker, more twisted version of what you see on the surface. I love going deeper to find that other story.
Because the truth is, EVERYONE has a story, and everyone has a dark side to the story. I was talking to my friend the other day about someone we both know. This person is filled with jealousy, consumed, really. She cannot handle the fact that others are more successful than she is, but she is completely unable to look deep within herself and see that SHE is the problem. The way she treats people is the reason why her formerly successful business is now crumbling around her.
And we were trying to decipher just exactly what made her this way. I offered that I knew something had happened to her as a young child, something that scarred her. But my friend countered back that she had had the EXACT same experience and it didn’t turn HER into a bad person. I would never even have known that this thing happened to my friend, because she does not run her life that way. She is one of the most positive, upbeat, wonderful people I know.
My point here, I guess, is that if you dig deeper, get to know someone more, you find out things you never would have believed. Everyone has a story.
That’s why dark suspense is so much fun to write. Maybe fun isn’t the right word. Maybe it’s inspiring, and heartfelt, and REAL. It’s not surface, light, and frothy.
I am a fan of light and frothy, but I am good at dark and twisted. So it’s time to get back to the book. And I think this one is going to be even better than WIVES AND SISTERS. After all, I have a whole new dimension to pull from.
What kind of books do you prefer? Or, like me, do you prefer a mix?
Natalie R. Collins was born in Logan, Utah and attended the University of Utah. She worked for eleven years at The Salt Lake Tribune, Utah's largest daily newspaper, before leaving to devote more time to her family. During the ensuing years, she wrote five novels. She also worked for the 2001 and 2002 Sundance Film Festivals as an editor. Natalie is a member of the International Thriller Writers, Mystery Writers of America, and Romance Writers of America.
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Read and write just about everything. If the writing is good in a book I’ll read it. If the story draws me in, I’ll stick with it. One line I don’t read is Erotica. I just can’t get in to it, but obviously someone is reading it, because its booming. But for me, I’ll read almost anything but that, no matter how good the story is.
by Lee June 5th, 2009 at 6:41 amHi Lee,
I have similar tastes, although right now i am trying to read Darkly Dreaming Dexter and I just keep putting it down. Having a hard time wanting to continue on. I’m not sure why….
by Natalie R. Collins June 6th, 2009 at 11:22 amI am very sad that there will not be any more Jenny books.
I read:
romance: contemporary, historicals, erotic
mystery: dark, cozy, thrillers, suspense
I always have a large to be read pile. The book I pick up depends on my mood at the time.
by HollyD June 5th, 2009 at 6:57 amMe, too, Holly. But life is what it is. So, on I go….
by Natalie R. Collins June 6th, 2009 at 11:23 amI write “cross-genre.” My paranormals have suspense, my suspense always has at least a touch of paranormal, and they all have a huge dose of romance. As a result, my reading preferences are all over the place: fantasy, straight mystery, romantic suspense, paranormal, suspense, the rare historical, the rarer “straight” contemporary…
I tend to pick up a book because I know (or know of) the author, the book catches my eye and the blurb sucks me in, or a friend tosses it in my lap and demands I read it.
Dark and twisted is good. Dark and twisted with humor is even better. There are 40+ on the TBR pile, three ebooks on my computer, and probably 30 more on my wish list. *sigh* I’ll catch up eventually. Provided no one ever writes another book. Yeah. Right. *gigglesnort*
by Silver James June 5th, 2009 at 8:53 amCross genre is a hard sell, Silver! And yet sometimes a little bit of everything makes the best soup!
by Natalie R. Collins June 6th, 2009 at 11:23 amI love dark and twisted, as long as there are no vampires. Or very few. Or done well. Okay, so I burned out on the genre reading LKH from years back.
I love mystery and suspense–ever since I was a kid. My mother had to find me age-appropriate mystery novels because I was scaring myself into nightmares at age 6 with the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew.
There’s probably nothing I WON’T read, but there are things I VERY rarely read. I rarely read straight contemporaries, unless they’re funny. Westerns? Nuh-uh, unless a friend wrote it. Same with women’s fiction, chick-lit, and inspirational. I prefer murder and mayhem with my romance, thank you.
And the truly funny thing is that although I write (and am published in) ero/rom, I rarely read it for pleasure–more for research. I have a lot of fun writing it, but I’m very picky about who else’s I read because if that genre goes wrong, it can go really wrong. However, because my RWA chapter mates know what I write, I get lots of free books…. LOL
Oh, and they’re all short stories because the higher my word count, the higher the likelihood there’ll be a body count, too …. my true love (pun intended), though, is R/S with a touch of paranormal, and one day…
by Lorena Streeter June 5th, 2009 at 10:04 amLOL, Lorena. I’m not a huge fan of the Twilight books, which makes young females everywhere want to string me up. But the truth is, I don’t find vampires intriguing. At all. Not one little bit. Hmmm. I guess I just dug deep and figured out something about myself!
by Natalie R. Collins June 6th, 2009 at 11:25 amI haven’t even figured out how to classify my own books yet — they’re mystery, but they’re romance, but there’s action-adventure, and some have a bit of suspense.
My reading tends to hover around mystery, then romantic suspense, then maybe contemporary if it’s by some of the authors I enjoy. And some historicals — I won’t rule out paranormal, but gravitate toward time travel or ghosts, or maybe a little pyschic ability.
I try new or non-favorite genres when I get them for free (includes the library), when a friend recommends them, or when the author is someone I know.
Right now, it would take a lot to get me to try yet another werewolf/vampire/shapeshifter because I haven’t fallen in love with any of them yet. But that doesn’t mean they’re not out there. However, I think the glut on the market also means there’s a lot of mediocrity in that sub-genre, and maybe that’s what I’m finding.
by Terry Odell June 5th, 2009 at 10:25 amTerry, one of the biggest problems with selling fiction is an inability to classify your genre! At least it was for me. But I truly believe that in New York publishing, the rules are only “the rules” until someone breaks them and gets away with it. Then they write NEW rules.
by Natalie R. Collins June 6th, 2009 at 11:27 amGreat post, Natalie, and very timely for me. I’ve given a lot of thought to writing styles, and see the tremendous popularity of the dark romantic suspense, but can’t bring myself to write too terribly dark. I wish I could…but I can’t.
I think that the real plus is to be able to write in multiple genres, to be able go with the flow of your own voice AND find a genre for it, with luck, a popular one.
I know that I don’t want to write one subgenre for my whole career – just as I don’t want to read one subgenre for my whole life. I want to give readers what they want, and get them back for more, but I want to stay fresh, otherwise the writing will stagnate.
Unlike others, I tend to read genres that I would like to write. I don’t read a lot of paranormal (a few I won’t miss, like Kresley Cole) or real dark romantic suspense (Allison is one exception to that rule, of course). I like “lighter” books with less angst, and therefore I tend to write them. I like very sexy books, but not pushing the envelope too far, and that’s what I tend to write.
Lately, I’ ve been glomming Susan Wiggs and Debbie Macomber, lotsa women’s fiction & community books, and really enjoying the comfort read they offer. Very different for me, but very enjoyable.
by Roxanne St. Claire June 5th, 2009 at 10:39 amHi Rocki,
I know what you mean about not wanting to go too dark, because if you get yourself there, can you get out? Make sure you take a flashlight. I love comfort books. They are the flashlights of fiction.
by Natalie R. Collins June 6th, 2009 at 11:28 amI’ve been thinking about this lately, too, Natalie. My friends and family are having a hard time with my recent fascination with writing dark fiction. I think you make some good points here and I’d like to add one: that writing about the dark side puts you in the driver’s seat, lets you give the reader a happy ending despite the dark stuff…which is hard to get in real life. Good luck with your next adventure!
by Shannon Esposito June 5th, 2009 at 11:33 amNatalie, I’m like you, I like a mix. I like dark books and light books. If the characters draw me in, I’ll follow them.
I will miss Jenny, but I can’t wait for this new book!
by Jen Lyon June 5th, 2009 at 1:34 pmHi Jen,
I will miss Jenny, too, but maybe there’s a new Jenny around the corner. Who knows? Thanks! You always make me smile.
by Natalie R. Collins June 6th, 2009 at 11:29 amNat, I LOVED the Jenny books! LOVED them. But I totally dig your dark twisted side. and so I enjoy reading light and frothy and dark and twisted.
by Karin Tabke June 5th, 2009 at 3:09 pmThanks, Karin. Well, I think you are REALLY going to love this next book. The heroine is very tortured. Will she figure out that she is the creator of her own torment? I sure hope so!
by Natalie R. Collins June 6th, 2009 at 11:30 amI will miss Jenny T. Partridge.
My reading tends to be more mysteries than other genres. I also read romantic suspense, thrillers and contemporary romance.
by Dru June 5th, 2009 at 3:31 pmThanks, Dru. I suspect Jenny is somewhere in the back of my brain, screaming to be let out again. She’s very resourceful. She’ll probably successfully find herself back on paper at some time or another.
by Natalie R. Collins June 6th, 2009 at 11:31 amwelcome back to dark and twisted – we have missed you!
by susan June 5th, 2009 at 4:45 pmI loved the Jenny T books, but right now I would just love for you to finish this one.
by Cele June 5th, 2009 at 10:22 pmerrr ummm, hint hint.
I’m writing! I promise. This is a writing weekend.
by Natalie R. Collins June 6th, 2009 at 11:33 amI read just about everything. Horror and hard core erotica are the only exceptions.
by Patricia Barraclough June 6th, 2009 at 10:46 amI have been trying new genres lately and enjoyed them. I like dark mysteries and suspense as long as they aren’t morbidly so. Life isn’t all rainbows and blue birds. There are some really awful people out there and many of us have had at least a passing experience with them. It makes for some good plot material if not for good life experiences. We can let those experiences define us and our lives, or we can get over it and become a better, stronger person. Your two friends are the perfect example of reacting in different ways and the effect it has had on their lives.
Good luck with your next book and all that follow.
LOL, Susan. Thanks for the welcome back!
by Natalie R. Collins June 6th, 2009 at 11:32 amPatricia, you are so right. Life isn’t a breeze. Everyone has a story. But laughter is good, and so are tears. Maybe someday I’ll find a good mix.
by Natalie R. Collins June 6th, 2009 at 11:34 am