Squeamish about killing

Nonuw · Mar 6, 2012

Hi all,

I'm writing a murder mystery novel set in the Himalayan mountains, where an (annoying) character gets popped off- I haven't decided yet whether to use good ole poison or push the character off the cliff. An amateur vacationeer has to solve puzzle to solve increasing pile of bodies (ok, I can manage two bodies).

Anyway - my question is - I'm a bit squeamish about violence and blood in general. How terrible will it be for the book to have a 'gentle' murder, and not have to wade through blood and guts? Just a little bit of poison and then 'show' the body leaving in a stretcher.

The murderer is a complete surprise (I'm trying to make sure of that), and the clues are mostly snippets of conversations heard.

Thanks in advance

alleycat · Mar 6, 2012

You don't have to show any graphic violence at all.

Nonuw · Mar 6, 2012

Thanks alleycat - trying to remain calm as impending murder approaches. Nervous about actually doing the character in - and make it look real enough without the ubiquitous fountain of blood.

alleycat · Mar 6, 2012

Your story might not be a "cozy mystery" but it's typical in a cozy for the more gruesome details of a murder not to be shown.

Consider Agatha Christie; she killed off young women and even children and there was little in the way of overly graphic details in most of her books (maybe a little blood, or a description of the wounds, or a look on the victim's face, but not much more than that usually).

Nonuw · Mar 6, 2012

Hmm... I think maybe it is the "cozy mystery" genre, after all. I didn't know what to call it before now.

In murder mystery, I like the suspense and the clues, and the twist in the end, but don't really enjoy the graphic details. I also like characters and setting - very much like Agatha Christie - where the setting is very important. Cozy it is indeed.

Good pointer - thanks

jeseymour · Mar 6, 2012

You're in luck too, cozies are the next big thing.

happywritermom · Mar 6, 2012

I would be thrilled to read a book with a nice, "clean" murder like that.
I freak myself out with my own writing and it's not even all that graphic.
I can't write murder scenes or high-suspense when my husband is traveling.

alleycat · Mar 6, 2012

Nonuw said:
Hmm... I think maybe it is the "cozy mystery" genre, after all. I didn't know what to call it before now.

Cozies often also have a "gentle" amateur detective (protagonist) rather than a hard-nosed police detective or a tough-as-nails PI; an old lady, an antique dealer, a clergyman--that sort of thing.

heyjude · Mar 7, 2012

Nonuw. You do sound like a cozy writer.

Check out this post. Near the end there are some links to threads for cozy writers. Plenty of info there!

Jamesaritchie · Mar 7, 2012

It's no problem at all, but it's good to keep in mind that you aren't actually killing anyone.

wonderactivist · Mar 7, 2012

I say, good for you. Too many mystery/thriller authors seem to compete with each other for the most gruesome murder, when personally I just want to hear a unique story.

Regards,

Lucie

Nonuw said:
Hi all,

I'm writing a murder mystery novel set in the Himalayan mountains, where an (annoying) character gets popped off- I haven't decided yet whether to use good ole poison or push the character off the cliff. An amateur vacationeer has to solve puzzle to solve increasing pile of bodies (ok, I can manage two bodies).

Anyway - my question is - I'm a bit squeamish about violence and blood in general. How terrible will it be for the book to have a 'gentle' murder, and not have to wade through blood and guts? Just a little bit of poison and then 'show' the body leaving in a stretcher.

The murderer is a complete surprise (I'm trying to make sure of that), and the clues are mostly snippets of conversations heard.

Thanks in advance

Nonuw · Mar 8, 2012

Thanks all - your advice is great to hear. I was beginnning to doubt myself. I just want to write something that I like to read.

My protagonist, a small-time landscape architect, is on a holiday in the mountains, when lo and behold...

Would love to read more about this 'cozy' mystery genre - if you're writing one or have advice, I would love to hear.

Thank you friends, it's great being here.

jeseymour · Mar 8, 2012

Nonuw said:
Thanks all - your advice is great to hear. I was beginnning to doubt myself. I just want to write something that I like to read.

My protagonist, a small-time landscape architect, is on a holiday in the mountains, when lo and behold...

Would love to read more about this 'cozy' mystery genre - if you're writing one or have advice, I would love to hear.

Thank you friends, it's great being here.

Have you read any mysteries? There are tons of cozies out there, ranging from Agatha Christie to cats who solve mysteries to knitting mysteries to mysteries with recipes. I am not a big fan of cozies, so it might be best for someone else to recommend one. I can say you should check the nominations for the Agatha Award, those are all cozies.

Nonuw · Mar 13, 2012

An Agatha award? - I'll check it out - thanks for the suggestion

jeseymour · Mar 14, 2012

http://www.malicedomestic.org/agathaawards.html

2011 Best Novel:
The Real Macaw by Donna Andrews (Minotaur)
The Diva Haunts the House by Krista Davis (Berkley)
Wicked Autumn by G.M. Malliet (Minotaur)
Three-Day Town by Margaret Maron (Grand Central Publishing)
A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny (Minotaur)

Best First Novel:
Dire Threads by Janet Bolin (Berkley)
Choke by Kaye George (Mainly Murder Press)
Learning to Swim by Sara J. Henry (Crown)
Who Do, Voodoo? by Rochelle Staab (Berkley)
Tempest in the Tea Leaves by Kari Lee Townsend (Berkle

Nonuw · Mar 15, 2012

Thanks jeseymour - i am going through that link. I want to read the awardees now

JoyceH · Mar 23, 2012

Nonuw said:
My protagonist, a small-time landscape architect, is on a holiday in the mountains, when lo and behold...

Would love to read more about this 'cozy' mystery genre - if you're writing one or have advice, I would love to hear.

Oh, yes, that's definitely a cozy. Cozies usually have an amateur sleuth, but not always. I'd say all the Christies are cozies, even though Poirot was a detective. I'd call Patricia Moyes a cozy writer, though her sleuth was Scotland Yard.

Cozies tend to focus on the sleuth's personal life. There are frequently quirky best friends. If the sleuth is single, the mystery often brings about a love interest angle. A lot of times, you'll see the cop who suspected the female protagonist in the first book become the love interest in sequels.

Humor is often (but not always) a feature of cozies. I'm working on my second cozy right now, and when I finish the first draft and have the actual mystery part nailed down (I STILL don't know where the murder weapon got to!), I know I'm going to have to go back and make it funnier.

Nonuw · Mar 26, 2012

[I'm working on my second cozy right now, and when I finish the first draft and have the actual mystery part nailed down (I STILL don't know where the murder weapon got to!), I know I'm going to have to go back and make it funnier.[/QUOTE]

Nice - I'm trying to do the same thing. Get everything down, whatever I can, before the feeling leaves me. I haven't sorted out the mystery part yet, or what the murder weapon is.

retromovie · May 11, 2012

Nonuw said:
Hi all,

I'm writing a murder mystery novel set in the Himalayan mountains, where an (annoying) character gets popped off- I haven't decided yet whether to use good ole poison or push the character off the cliff. An amateur vacationeer has to solve puzzle to solve increasing pile of bodies (ok, I can manage two bodies).

Anyway - my question is - I'm a bit squeamish about violence and blood in general.

Don't worry. It gets easier after the first one.
(Never thought I'd say that line.)

Squeamish about killing

Nonuw

taking time to smell the flowers

alleycat

Still around

Nonuw

taking time to smell the flowers

alleycat

Still around

Nonuw

taking time to smell the flowers

jeseymour

happywritermom

alleycat

Still around

heyjude

Making my own sunshine

Jamesaritchie

wonderactivist

Nonuw

taking time to smell the flowers

jeseymour

Nonuw

taking time to smell the flowers

jeseymour

Nonuw

taking time to smell the flowers

JoyceH

Nonuw

taking time to smell the flowers

retromovie