I've been taking lots of notes because this chapter is gold. Can there be multiple chronic issues with one being focused on in just the first book? For example, my teenage sleuth is in a really dark place during this book. He's expelled from school. He's withdrawing from his mom. (I still have to figure out what happened to dad). He doesn't have friends. He's stuck in a place for the summer without wi-fi/tech when that's the only thing he likes to spend his time on. Overall, he's trying to figure out his identity and where he fits in the world (something a lot of teens struggle with)...but book one will work on repairing his relationship with mom so they can become a sleuthing duo for the entire series...and then other books can focus on him finding friends/fitting in.....figuring out how to become less rigid and more well-rounded. It's funny because Mom is my main sleuth and I actually wanted to write it in first person from her perspective because I don't really understand teenage boys and I live with one and teach 9th graders......but I'm finding his character wayyyyy more interesting to explore for now. Thanks!
Hi Jane, I love your content. I am not sure if this helps, but I have worked in hospitals for over a decade, and we often had patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes, which can be ongoing for years, while something acute like a broken arm can be fixed relatively quickly. However, you've described chronic issue can be fixed in book 1. Can I suggest you consider renaming that solvable chronic Issue to an Acute Issue? They can be solved in book 1, while the other chronic issues such as Monk's OCD can continue on indefinitely. Cheers, Paul
That’s interesting, Paul, thanks for writing. Do you have an industry term for a condition like obesity, which can be resolved, but requires significant work to get there?
At one point you talk about four issues that very frequently form the backbone of the first novel in a new mystery series but only list 3 - needs to find her place in the world, needs to connect w/others, needs to recover her confidence. what is the 4th?
Ah! It took me a while to figure this out. I think when I was writing this, I was thinking of “Needs to find her place in the world” and “needs to reinvent herself as a Sleuth” as separate issues… but after I had written about the first in detail, I decided the other was really just a subset of it. I’ll make those edits. Thanks, Cindy!
Thank you, Jane. I'm getting SO MUCH from this series of articles and I didn't want to miss anything! Thanks to you, I am finally understanding what I'm doing, LOL.
But, none of the iconic detectives you cited in the previous chapter have Chronic Issues, and thus, don't change: Holmes, Jessica Fletcher, Columbo, Poirot...none change. Nancy Drew, Miss Marple, Father Dowling, Jennifer Shannon (Garage Sale Mysteries)... etc. Personally, I don't like detectives that change, because that's part of a cozy mystery's appeal for me: lack of interpersonal human drama connected to the sleuth. THEY are the solid touchdown amid chaos. This is probably why I don't like most modern cozies (how many newly-divorced or cancelled-engagement sleuths can the genre take!)
You certainly can get away without a Chronic Issue in a mystery. But I guess this book is just my best advice for writing stories--and for me, that's always gonna include a big Chronic Issue!
This is definitely a tried and true character arc. 🙂 I just find it more fascinating (comforting?) when a character (sleuth) DOESN'T change amid chaos (but is still complex, able to surprise and interesting).
I've been taking lots of notes because this chapter is gold. Can there be multiple chronic issues with one being focused on in just the first book? For example, my teenage sleuth is in a really dark place during this book. He's expelled from school. He's withdrawing from his mom. (I still have to figure out what happened to dad). He doesn't have friends. He's stuck in a place for the summer without wi-fi/tech when that's the only thing he likes to spend his time on. Overall, he's trying to figure out his identity and where he fits in the world (something a lot of teens struggle with)...but book one will work on repairing his relationship with mom so they can become a sleuthing duo for the entire series...and then other books can focus on him finding friends/fitting in.....figuring out how to become less rigid and more well-rounded. It's funny because Mom is my main sleuth and I actually wanted to write it in first person from her perspective because I don't really understand teenage boys and I live with one and teach 9th graders......but I'm finding his character wayyyyy more interesting to explore for now. Thanks!
Hi Jane, I love your content. I am not sure if this helps, but I have worked in hospitals for over a decade, and we often had patients with chronic conditions such as diabetes, which can be ongoing for years, while something acute like a broken arm can be fixed relatively quickly. However, you've described chronic issue can be fixed in book 1. Can I suggest you consider renaming that solvable chronic Issue to an Acute Issue? They can be solved in book 1, while the other chronic issues such as Monk's OCD can continue on indefinitely. Cheers, Paul
That’s interesting, Paul, thanks for writing. Do you have an industry term for a condition like obesity, which can be resolved, but requires significant work to get there?
Not that I know of. Usually I'd say hardwork.
At one point you talk about four issues that very frequently form the backbone of the first novel in a new mystery series but only list 3 - needs to find her place in the world, needs to connect w/others, needs to recover her confidence. what is the 4th?
Ah! It took me a while to figure this out. I think when I was writing this, I was thinking of “Needs to find her place in the world” and “needs to reinvent herself as a Sleuth” as separate issues… but after I had written about the first in detail, I decided the other was really just a subset of it. I’ll make those edits. Thanks, Cindy!
Thank you, Jane. I'm getting SO MUCH from this series of articles and I didn't want to miss anything! Thanks to you, I am finally understanding what I'm doing, LOL.
But, none of the iconic detectives you cited in the previous chapter have Chronic Issues, and thus, don't change: Holmes, Jessica Fletcher, Columbo, Poirot...none change. Nancy Drew, Miss Marple, Father Dowling, Jennifer Shannon (Garage Sale Mysteries)... etc. Personally, I don't like detectives that change, because that's part of a cozy mystery's appeal for me: lack of interpersonal human drama connected to the sleuth. THEY are the solid touchdown amid chaos. This is probably why I don't like most modern cozies (how many newly-divorced or cancelled-engagement sleuths can the genre take!)
You certainly can get away without a Chronic Issue in a mystery. But I guess this book is just my best advice for writing stories--and for me, that's always gonna include a big Chronic Issue!
This is definitely a tried and true character arc. 🙂 I just find it more fascinating (comforting?) when a character (sleuth) DOESN'T change amid chaos (but is still complex, able to surprise and interesting).