Janice MacDonald is a Canadian author from Alberta. Her mystery
novels include THE NEXT MARGARET and STICKS AND STONES (to
be released soon). CRIME SCENE 1 is
pleased to
present an exclusive interview.
CRIME SCENE 1:
One of the comments about your first mystery novel, THE NEXT MARGARET,
was that you have a remarkable "sense of place." Certainly, a
regionalism is apparent in many mystery novels.
How important do you believe ambiance is to a mystery writer?
Does it help to have a concrete area to set
your events in?
JANICE MACDONALD: It is imperative. The
plot structure being so similar to every other mystery book
ever written, it takes a strong sense of place and character to drive
a new book. Not only that, as a friend
and fellow mystery writer, Suzanne North, said, "A book travels
on its details." I would suggest that
few of us stumble over dead bodies as a day to day occurrence. Therefore,
to enable the reader to suspend
disbelief, a lot of other reality based tidbits are in order. Besides,
contrary to what publishers think, readers
don't want an Anytown, America setting for their mysteries. They love
having a locale to explore and enjoy.
Otherwise there wouldn't be so many successful travel-tours of mystery
locales, would there?
CRIME SCENE 1: Your
chief protagonist is strongly tied to the University of Alberta.
Is that your Alma
Mater? How does the university represent a microcosm of "the
real world" where motive and crime often seem
to abound?
JANICE MACDONALD:
Yes, I did two degrees at the U of A. A university can be as much
a closed
society as any other, which is required in a mystery novel (unless
you want 500,000 suspects on your list).
However, it does tend to amplify the reactions to anything anywhere
where the stakes are so small. I write
about the university because I know it, because I always enjoyed Amanda
Cross' books, and thought it was
time the non-tenured underlings of the system had a voice, and because
the game-playing aspect of the mystery
novel lends itself well to a world where verbal game-playing is privileged
to such an extent.
CRIME SCENE 1:
Some writers follow a carefully laid-out plot line; others draw inspiration
directly from day-to-day events that spur their imagination, with a bit
of a creative twist. Which seems to suit your writing style
and what sort of "ordinary" events have you used from life to lay clues
for readers?
JANICE MACDONALD:
It all depends. In THE NEXT MARGARET I had a real sense of
the end, and
had to figure out how to get there. With the next book in the series,
STICKS AND STONES, I began with a
catalyst incident and worked from there, not sure myself till about
three-quarters in just how it was going to tie
itself up.
I tend to write in a lot of restaurants
and bookstores in my books. I think the bookstores come from a sense
of knowing the terrain, and also the pragmatic urge of cozying up to
them all so that they will want to host a
splendid launch of ensuing books.
CRIME SCENE 1: You also lecture of mystery writing. What is it like to face a room of eager, though inexperienced, writers in the same genre as you write?
JANICE MACDONALD: *chuckle*
My mother always says I'm going to do myself out of a job this way.
I like it, though. It's great to be in a room full of writers at anytime,
because you don't have anyone saying
"Yes, but what do you really do for a living?" When you're in
a room of mystery writers, you tend not to have
to face the "When are you going to write a 'serious' novel?"
questions.
CRIME SCENE 1: If a publisher were to say, "Janice, sight unseen, we will publish your next novel," what special story would you tell?
JANICE MACDONALD:
Gosh, what a good question! I am toying with a children's mystery
series, actually.
I adored the Trixie Belden series when I was a child, and my eldest
has now read her way through all of my old
copies and needs a new series. Keep your eye peeled for the Magnificent
Madeleine, Girl Detective.
CRIME SCENE 1: Thank you, Janice MacDonald.
Visit Janice MacDonald's home page for more information by clicking here