Is There An Aversion to Thrillers, Crime, and Mystery?

Sam M · Dec 14, 2009

I don't know how it is on this forum, but on other forums I frequent there is a distinct lack of thriller writers, a scarcity of mystery writers, and less than a handful of crime writers. Instead, the forums are inundated with stories of vampires, witches, warlocks, magic, etcetera.

So, is it any different here? The reason I ask is that I'm looking for comments from like-minded people, and any time I've posted my work on these other forums, I've got replies that basically say they like the work even though it's not their chosen genre. That's not what I'm looking for.

So, has the art of a good thriller dissipated with the influx of vampire and wizard novels? Or am I going to be pleasantly surprised on this forum?

Clair Dickson · Dec 14, 2009

There's a handful of us who are the mystery writing (and related genres) type around here. I write detective fiction-- with one of them private eyes, no less.

It's fairly quiet over here, but the novels and other general threads are pretty active and welcome us Mystery, etc writers too. I've never felt like there was any bias. I've gotten some great feedback over in the M/T/S Share Your Work section, too.

Welcome and hope you find yourself at home here.

Seaclusion2 · Dec 14, 2009

I write mystery and thriller too. There are a number of us here and you find tham all helpful and willing to share. Yes we do have many fantasy writers here and they are as cordial and helpful as any other genre.

Richard

ToddWBush · Dec 14, 2009

We are a talented, fun, and energetic bunch. Glad you are here.

heyjude · Dec 14, 2009

Definitely no aversion here in the Mystery/Thriller/Suspense section. A few vampires, but no aversion.

Dig in. Most of us are friendly.

Chase · Dec 14, 2009

Sam M said:
I don't know how it is on this forum, but on other forums I frequent there is a distinct lack of thriller writers, a scarcity of mystery writers, and less than a handful of crime writers. Instead, the forums are inundated with stories of vampires, witches, warlocks, magic, etcetera.

There's no mystery as to the distinct lack, scarcity, and handfulness: Writing good thrillers, mysteries and crime stories takes better than average skills at developing character, plot, and setting and attending to rising action, theme, and climax.

You're right. I get weary of critiquers wondering why my moon isn't always full and my main character's canines aren't longer, ha ha ha.

heyjude · Dec 14, 2009

BTW, we have several truly stellar crime fic writers here. (Check the recent posts in the Braggatorium.)

Also, check in to this thread and see what we're writing, then tell us about your ms!

kaitie · Dec 15, 2009

I've actually been noticing that we have very few suspense writers over here lol. It seems like everyone is working on crime fic or mystery. Who else is just doing a good old fashioned suspense story?

sheadakota · Dec 15, 2009

I write thrillers and mysteries too! I've been so busy editing lately, i haven't been hanging here much though!

MarkEsq · Dec 15, 2009

Chase said:
There's no mystery as to the distinct lack, scarcity, and handfulness: Writing good thrillers, mysteries and crime stories takes better than average skills at developing character, plot, and setting and attending to rising action, theme, and climax.

What Chase is trying to say is that we, as M/T/S writers, are better than other people.
Absolutely.

Chase said:
You're right. I get weary of critiquers wondering why my moon isn't always full and my main character's canines aren't longer, ha ha ha.

I know, I go over to the SYW forum to help out with queries but am full up with fantasy and all the creatures that come with it. But those guys are all wonderfully helpful, great writers no doubt, just not my cup of tea (like my work isn't their's, no doubt).

But welcome to this friendly group, if it's critiques you want, you'll get them. Just be careful what you ask for, a lot of people here know what they are doing (myself excepted) and will be wonderfully honest in their crits (but gentle, too. Most of them.

).

Welcome, and stick around.

TC Beacham · Dec 15, 2009

Stories of vampires, witches, warlocks, magic, etc. sure are popular these days! I find myself wondering what this is about from a socio-cultural standpoint. Anyone have an idea?

heyjude · Dec 15, 2009

Extreme escapism.

TC Beacham · Dec 15, 2009

heyjude said:
Extreme escapism.

Great term! Romance sells a lot these days for its escapist qualities, I guess this is a few steps further into escapism.

Plus, there is the lure of extra power!

gothicangel · Dec 15, 2009

I write psychological suspense fiction.

I also have an academic interest in Gothic and psychological narratives. I prefer serial killers than vampires and zombies!

heyjude · Dec 15, 2009

BTW, I do like fantasy quite a bit. A while ago I asked for suggestions from AWers on their favorite fantasy books as it's been a coon's age since I've read any. I really have enjoyed almost every one of them. (All but one!)

And I'm not a straight romance person, but I dearly love anything written by our own aliajohnson.

There's just something about these genres that lets you step away from the real world and its trials. I totally get why people love this genre.

Having said that, I'm with gothicangel. Give me a serial killer or deeply conflicted detective and I'm hooked. It's just me.

Clair Dickson · Dec 15, 2009

gothicangel said:
I prefer serial killers than vampires and zombies!

I prefer those otherwise 'normal' people who commit everyday evils. What makes the normal, guy/girl-next door do it? This is what fascinates me. (Interestingly enough, working at an alternative high school had educated me in crime and perceptions of law in ways I never would have thought possible when I took the job!)

heyjude · Dec 15, 2009

"Alternative" high school... I can guess, but would you elaborate? (And I'm betting it is an education in more ways than one!)

gothicangel · Dec 15, 2009

Clair Dickson said:
I prefer those otherwise 'normal' people who commit everyday evils. What makes the normal, guy/girl-next door do it? This is what fascinates me. (Interestingly enough, working at an alternative high school had educated me in crime and perceptions of law in ways I never would have thought possible when I took the job!)

Oh definitely. My antagonist [I don't like calling him a villian] is a normal guy, ex-police officer but he's driven to the edge and hell bent on revenge.

I went to a lecture on the Serial Killer in Gothic fiction. It was amazing: the modern monster; representations of an increasingly violent and alienated society; the inevitable product of society; the undercutting of the ideas of good and evil; and emphasis on irrational intuition than scientific deduction.

Clair Dickson · Dec 15, 2009

heyjude said:
"Alternative" high school... I can guess, but would you elaborate? (And I'm betting it is an education in more ways than one!)

There are students who, for one or more reasons, unsuccessful in a traditional high school setting. Some of those reasons including getting pregnant or having drug/ alcohol/ legal problems (oddly, these three things are often related, not that the students get it.) They like to trade stories of drugs, alcohol, run ins with the law, and other antics that are eye-opening to a square like me. They also have all the rationalizations that a crime writer would need for justifying what a character had done.

(Though, I should note, we do get a good number of students who have family problems, feel unsupported by the school when the struggle, and who just plain need a different style of teacher than the type most often found in high schools. So it's not all delinquents. But the delinquents often have the most interesting stories. ;-)

And now back to our regularly scheduled thread...

HistorySleuth · Dec 15, 2009

TC Beacham said:
Stories of vampires, witches, warlocks, magic, etc. sure are popular these days! I find myself wondering what this is about from a socio-cultural standpoint. Anyone have an idea?

Extreme escapism is an excellent answer to that. We always seem to have those themes in times of war or a deep plunge in the economy. Vampires and werewolves are not specific to any country but are worldly. Their popularity was huge during the depression years.

I was thinking a couple years ago we would soon start seeing UFO stories and a lot of scifi again. Why did I think that? Every time we are involved in a major war it seems UFO/space themes return. We need battles that are even bigger than the world where we can still be the heroes, where we all come together as a planet to fight the evil from elsewhere. Now we have a remake of V (among other things).

So my opinion, vampires will be fading soon to be replaced by more scifi. Any thing deemed "reality" out the door, no one wants to think about reality.

I'm not sure where us M/T/S writers fit into that.

gothicangel · Dec 15, 2009

I actually disagree, I don't see why sci-fi would overtake Romance or Crime.

I do think that there will be a swing though. Romance and Crime are the two most popular genres with Crime being more popular. I think we'll see a period where romance will dominate.

I think the main reason will be is that crime desperately needs re-invigorating, where Romance has been trying to shake off the chick-lit stigma for a few years now.

Claudia Gray · Dec 15, 2009

Just for the record, there are those of us who write vampires, witches, etc. AND thrillers. Just as there are plenty of readers who enjoy both.

HistorySleuth · Dec 15, 2009

You're right Claudia. No dissing those. Although my favorites to read are M/T/S, I also read all of the Harry Potter books, got my daughter all the Twilight books. She is not a big reader, so I was thrilled!

I don't think any one meant one was better than the other, just discussing the shift in what's hot and what's not and trying to figure out why.

Clair Dickson · Dec 15, 2009

HistorySleuth said:
Any thing deemed "reality" out the door, no one wants to think about reality.

I'm not sure where us M/T/S writers fit into that.

Ah, but in Crime fiction (and related genres) there is nearly always justice. Things happen as we would like to see them happen in real life. The bad guy, while cunnning and thus entertaining, is thwarted. In many ways, it's the "happy ending" that we don't see on the news or in real life.

(Then there's noir, which is probably a different pleasure, a morbid curiosity with how things can go horribly wrong.)

There is plenty of escapism in any type of reading. Just as some people like vanilla ice cream, some people like chocolate and some people defile their ice cream with coconut on top. It's about personal preference. So don't think too narrowly about what people like to read as their escape.

ToddWBush · Dec 15, 2009

Clair Dickson said:
Then there's noir, which is probably a different pleasure, a morbid curiosity with how things can go horribly wrong.

See, I write noir short stories, as some of you know. Clair always puts things as close to perfect as I can think of. I like to think of noir, a subset of crime fiction, as a story with no hero and no bad guy. It's people who have taken that third road that Frost never wrote about (or just didn't bother to see), a road that doesn't put them ahead of the curve, or for some, behind it. It lets them ride the curve's momentum, hopefully staying just far enough in front to not get squashed.

Noir is what happens to the antagonists in our stories when they aren't head-to-head with the protags. It's behind the curtain and, in my view, a whole lot more interesting than what the hero does on his off days.

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