Can someone write a straightforward thriller? Or a straightforward mystery? A straightforward crime novel or a straightforward romance? Or might someone roll all of these elements into another type of novel entirely?
That’s what I set out to do in The Unforgettable, Loretta Darling, a genre-fluid novel that tells its own unique story.
It’s a challenge, I won’t lie. But it was a challenge I was willing to accept as I explored what a novel could or should be. I wasn’t writing for the market; I was writing for my main character, Loretta. I didn’t have a choice—her voice flooded out and over my keyboard.
So, here are some top-line thoughts from Loretta and me if you want to use your creativity to play with, in this case, the crime genre.
What is Crime?
It can be a police procedural, a legal thriller or detective fiction. But the concept of crime can be so much more than any of these. A crime against the heart? A crime against family? A crime against … well, anything. If we look at one of our most celebrated stories – The Godfather – there are multiple layers of crime. The obvious crimes of mafia and murder, sure, but also the crime of recruiting Michael and robbing him of an alternative future, crimes in a marriage and crimes being committed by a family to a family. What are the layers of crime in your story that will keep readers turning pages, fully immersed?
What You’re Escaping
You’ll have heard it before from other authors. Read, read, and—yes!—read. To break the rules, you need to know the rules. You’ll start to see patterns in a genre, and once you see those patterns—or rules—you can bend them. With The Unforgettable Loretta, Darling I knew I wanted to write something “a bit crime-y” but not a traditional crime novel. Most crime novels are about solving a crime. Mine is about watching a crime unfold and wondering if Loretta would get away with it. Her moral compass spans wildly; this is no straightforward story of good conquering evil. Loretta is too complex for that, but one thing she does have is…
Voice
Before I even started writing Loretta, I knew her identity, her story, and how she wanted to be on the page. Honestly, I was a conduit more than a writer. I can’t claim that every main character has come to me so strongly, but do invest the time and patience to really understand who you’ve created—how they talk, what they wear, what they like and don’t like. Again, this is where it gets really interesting when playing with genre. Does your main character know they’re in a crime novel? No. So, how can their voice allow you to play? After all, you’re going to be with this story and this character for a long time. Why not have fun with them?
Rip It Up and Start Again
Three years and six drafts. That’s what it took me. If you’re going to challenge the system, things won’t be straightforward and you need to be ready to challenge yourself. The Unforgettable Loretta, Darling wasn’t an easy novel to write because it wasn’t an obvious novel to write. It was only “a bit crime-y” and I was making up my own rules. One of the challenges was to make Loretta likable to the reader as she set out on her revenge. Another was how to reveal her backstory. Yet another was managing the message of the novel—I wanted to explore the themes of #metoo, but I didn’t want to suggest that Loretta’s answers to exploitation were the right ones. This meant that I had to do a lot of deleting and starting again as I went through options. But you know what? I loved that! I was exploring and I was learning. Playing with genre has made me a better writer.
I hope this helps and that you have as much fun playing with genre as I did. After all, new genres are being invented all the time—romantasy, anyone?—and you might just be the next great inventor!
The Unforgettable Loretta Darling is published by Harper Collins on July 9.
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