tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post3434215996668466001..comments2023-10-31T10:59:03.023-04:00Comments on INKSPOT Crime Fiction Blog | A Place for Mystery, Mayhem, Writing and Life: Location, Location, LocationLinda O. Johnstonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01512430135042480450noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-79082308589567990722007-08-23T18:30:00.000-04:002007-08-23T18:30:00.000-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Kathryn Lilleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05701558750790059307noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-12676293874783248412007-08-22T13:21:00.000-04:002007-08-22T13:21:00.000-04:00One of the great things about setting a book in so...One of the great things about setting a book in someplace besides NY, SF, LA, Miami, or Chicago is the built-in audience you get. If the people in the place where your book is set aren't blase about being the setting for a mystery, you can sell a ton.Keith Raffelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02926077627965529183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-20766873313363575822007-08-22T12:38:00.000-04:002007-08-22T12:38:00.000-04:00Absolutely, Deb. I have had several authors with b...Absolutely, Deb. I have had several authors with bigger houses tell me their publisher has an unwritten, but known, "do's and don't" list they are expected to follow when writing the story (talk about formula!). And recently, I was at a party where one author was telling us how her publisher was insisting she include certain historical figures in her next book.<BR/><BR/>Stuff like that would drive me nuts.Sue Ann Jaffarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09984054116933714621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-75000488768523368252007-08-22T12:28:00.000-04:002007-08-22T12:28:00.000-04:00That's what is so special about Midnight Ink. They...That's what is so special about Midnight Ink. They aren't locked into that narrow view.Deb Bakerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11553920518121536568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-83420079290265396362007-08-22T12:17:00.000-04:002007-08-22T12:17:00.000-04:00Addendum:It's not just locations. My first Odelia,...Addendum:<BR/><BR/>It's not just locations. My first Odelia, Too Big To Miss, was turned down left and right because several of the NY houses didn't think women would read a series about a fat woman. There were already a couple of series out with a plus size character and they didn't feel the market could support another. Fooled them!Sue Ann Jaffarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09984054116933714621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-53426840723746086212007-08-22T12:14:00.000-04:002007-08-22T12:14:00.000-04:00Deb, this just proves that NY publishers are nuts....Deb, this just proves that NY publishers are nuts. Margaret Coel does pretty well with her Native American based books. And I think focusing on Kachina Dolls in your doll series would be a natural and something your readers would find very interesting. But that's my non-NY, non-publisher opinion.<BR/><BR/>My protagonist is in Newport Beach, CA but I move her around during the story along the freeways of Southern California. In book 5 she will head back East for an adventure. I like the idea of mixing it up a bit.<BR/><BR/>I love reading books set in other locations. It's like visiting them, as well as having a good read.Sue Ann Jaffarianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09984054116933714621noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-1307164848434273032007-08-22T11:56:00.000-04:002007-08-22T11:56:00.000-04:00I can talk big, because I'm still unpublished. It'...I can talk big, because I'm still unpublished. It's about the story not the location. ;-)<BR/><BR/>I alternate locations in my novels from two mythical towns. One is near where I went to college in northern PA called Marshfield. The other is near where I live now in central North Carolina called Big Woods. The key, I hope, is to have characters and situations readers will love and side trips to keep the action/scenary from becoming stale.<BR/><BR/>-rick<BR/>http://muse-needed.blogspot.com/Rick Bylinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10493557860835710721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-15965777558301746892007-08-22T09:17:00.000-04:002007-08-22T09:17:00.000-04:00I was going to echo Joe, actually. My Derek Stillw...I was going to echo Joe, actually. My Derek Stillwater novels, being what they are, take place in a different U.S. city each book. "The Devil's Pitchfork" took place in Baltimore and Washington, D.C., "The Serpent's Kiss" takes place in Detroit. The third, "Angels Falling" (scheduled currently for May 2008) takes place in Colorado Springs. The fourth, which I expect to complete this week (yes, Barbara, it's true!) takes place in L.A. (and Islamabad, Pakistan).<BR/><BR/>Part of the plan is to have Derek in a different city each book. I have ideas for several more Derek Stillwater novels and I'm hoping to spend some time with Derek in Texas, Florida and I have one very important story idea that takes him to Russia.<BR/><BR/>I would also point out that many, many editors and agents were wrong about Tony Hillerman. He commented that it was either his editor or agent, who, when he wrote the first Leaphorn book, told him the mystery was good, but take out all the Native American stuff.<BR/><BR/>I often wonder just how insulated and isolated New York editors (in particular) get, especially since they seem to view NYC as the center of the universe.Mark Terryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09410424046477699059noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-76799639850431535282007-08-22T09:14:00.000-04:002007-08-22T09:14:00.000-04:00My Darcy Cavanaugh series is set aboard cruise shi...My Darcy Cavanaugh series is set aboard cruise ships, so the ship itself becomes her "home"--and we sail for different ports in every book. New England, Canada, Caribbean . . . <BR/><BR/>Dolls . . . hmm . . . maybe you could shake up some of those too-cautious publishing folks by writing a Voo Doo doll? ;-)Candy Calverthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07991835886974318472noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3529128955266044151.post-36508640444815135352007-08-22T08:24:00.000-04:002007-08-22T08:24:00.000-04:00I think this is one of the major differences betwe...I think this is one of the major differences between mysteries and thrillers. Mysteries usually are confined to a central location whereas thrillers tend to move about. Lynn and I span the globe in our thrillers hopefully avoiding the location issue. In the course of four books, our protag Cotten Stone has raced from NYC to Miami to New Orleans to the Vatican to Washington, DC to New Mexico to Peru to London to Orlando to Vienna to Ethiopia to Kentucky to North Korea to Moldova to Moscow and a couple of places I’ve probably forgot. Our theory: you can’t hit a moving target. Or does it have something to do with racking up frequent flier miles?Joe Moorehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00028401465567502250noreply@blogger.com