Rx for Writers

Transcripts

Thursday, July 8, l999

Kristi Holl is the substitute guest speaker tonight. She is the author of more than twenty juvenile novels, seven of them mysteries. She has written one mainstream inspirational series, and currently Kristi is writing two different mystery series. One of her mysteries, THE HAUNTING OF CABIN 13, won the Maryland Children's Book Award. Kristi is also the web editor for this site.

Names color coded in green are audience members who submitted questions.

Writer indicates questions written to the web editor before the interview.

MODERATOR Kristi Holl: As you've read, Vicki isn't able to be with us tonight due to illness, but we plan to reschedule her when she's feeling better. Since her topic for tonight was about series fiction and writing mysteries, I agreed to fill in for her. I've published seven mysteries so far (one of which won a children's choice award), one mainstream inspirational series, and I'm now in the middle of two mystery series.

To get us started (and to keep from being in the silly position of having to interview myself), I went to book writers and former students to collect "most often asked" questions about getting into series writing and writing mysteries. Questions e-mailed to Vicki ahead of time will also be included. I'll start with those questions, and then include additional viewer questions as they come in.

Writer: Do you read series characters yourself? What are your favorites?

Kristi Holl: I love series books, from Elizabeth Peters and Sue Grafton to Joan Hess and C.S. Lewis' CHRONICLES OF NARNIA. I'm always thrilled to find a book by a good writer, then find out there's a series of them.

Writer: What's the nicest thing about writing a series?

Kristi Holl: When you've developed a character you love, it's wonderful not to have to abandon him or her at the end of the book. They have finally become real people to you by then, and it's also much easier to picture them in the next adventure. From a monetary viewpoint, writing a series is nice too because you usually have a contract for the next book or two in the series and know it's going to be sold. That helps relax you during the writing!

Writer: What's the hardest thing?

Kristi Holl: If you're not careful, boredom can set in. By the time I'd written the sixth Julie McGregor book (which was never actually published), I had grown really irritated with her. She was a wonderful character actually, a lovely girl who lived on a farm based on one of my daughters. Still, by the sixth book, I was fantasizing about having her get run over by a tractor as a grand finale!

Writer: Do you read mysteries? Is that important if you want to write mysteries?

Kristi Holl: You can tell by my favorite series authors that I read a lot of mysteries. I do think it's important to love the mystery genre to write them well. Just by reading mysteries for years, you absorb a lot of good writing and plotting techniques.

Writer: When did you start writing mysteries?

Kristi Holl: My second book was a mystery called MYSTERY BY MAIL about a blackmail scheme in a junior high school.

Writer: Do your editors help you with the plotting?

Kristi Holl: I've never had an editor help with plotting. They just point out problems. For example, in my THE HAUNTING OF CABIN 13, which eventually won a children's choice award, my editor called and said she liked the book, but there was just one problem. She said she could tell "whodunit" by the end of Chapter 3! This was not good news! She didn't tell me how to fix it, just to do it. Editors are invaluable for pointing out obvious things when you can't see the forest for the trees anymore with your story.

Lee: What was that problem?

Kristi Holl: My editor said I used "heavy handed foreshadowing". And in my effort to make sure that the reader "got it" that I was too obvious. It can be a hard thing to see in your own writing.

Writer: When I contact an editor, should I propose a whole series first?

Kristi Holl: Because of the money commitment required, it's hard to sell an editor a whole series. You might have a better chance of placing the material if you wrote an appealing single novel first. And since each novel in the series MUST stand alone, that's a good idea in any case. While you CAN create the characters and situation and setting with a possible series in mind, just submit the first book. At the most, mention in a cover letter that you're thinking of a series if the first book does well. Sometimes, as with my Julie McGregor books, you're not even thinking series. But my publisher at the time liked the first book, and he said they didn't have any series set in the rural Midwest, and he asked me to turn it into a series.

Johanna: What do you do when the first book does sell and you have another one ready?

Kristi Holl: That's just great! You let the editor know right away, even when returning your contract for the first one that you have the second book ready to show her as soon as she's ready. Even if they don't ask for it immediately, you've already shown that you're more than just a one-book author, which is what editors look for--because it's usually your second or third book for them that actually makes money.

Johanna: Did the editor ask for more and that's how it turned into a series?

Kristi Holl: Yes, that's what happened. It just happened to have an unusual setting.

Writer: What qualities make a series successful?

Kristi Holl: l. First, create a plausible reason for the characters to be together. For example, the Babysitters Club centers on a group of young babysitters living in the same community and sharing an interest. In my Julie McGregor series, the characters were best friends in a new consolidated school system. 2. Limit the continuing characters to a manageable number and make them kids readers can identify with easily. Define the characters clearly--make them stand out from each other. Give each one the chance to star in a story, if possible. 3. Keep the story lines fairly simple, a main plot and one subplot for middle grade fiction.

Writer: What weaknesses cause a series idea to fail?

Kristi Holl: Pretty much the opposite of what make them succeed. l. First, there's no believable reason for the kids to be together. For example, would children really take off with strangers to go back packing or camping, choosing a different national park for each book? Would a group of children choose to be gone from home for all major holidays in order to experience the holidays in different parts of the world? Be realistic. 2. Be careful not to get your cast of characters too large. Don't include detailed appearances of extended family and friends for each child character. You can't keep them straight, and no one will stand out as a viewpoint character or main character. And last . . . 3. Watch for overly complicated plots, with way too many incidents. Keep the pace fast, yes. But as in any book, the plot has to build, cause and effect, from incident to incident. Give the characters time to pause and think, rather than whipping them through one incident after another.

GreyWolf: Can you bring a new character into one of the books and then have him or her leave in the next?

Kristi Holl: You certainly can . . . I have had siblings go off to college and neighbors move away and go into nursing homes. But DO keep your main characters, your hero and his/her sidekick or a group, as in Babysitters Club.

Johanna: When you say give each a chance to star in a story if possible, do you mean make them the viewpoint character for a book?

Kristi Holl: In some cases, yes . . . In Bantam's book series Clearwater Crossing there six characters, and each new book has a new viewpoint character from among those six. However, even when you have just one hero in your series, different people close to the hero, like a best friend or sibling, might have a problem that makes them the star, or focus, of the book.

Writer: Is it better for a series to have one main character (or one sleuth), or is it better to have a group, like the Babysitters Club?

Kristi Holl: Both work and sell well. Both have plusses and minuses. When using a single character for a series, the plus side is that readers really get to know him/her and identify closely. They care about your hero or heroine, like we did with Nancy Drew, and can't wait to see what happens next. The down side of using one hero or heroine to carry the series is believability. In mystery series, you run into the Jessica Fletcher syndrome, where in the town of Cabot Cove (pop. 25) you have a murder every week of someone Jessica knows intimately. The plus side of using a group of kids for a series is that you have many more likely plots to choose from. Usually the group is half boys and half girls, like Bantam/Doubleday/Dell's Clearwater Crossing series. No one gets bored with a single character or his/her life. No one gets bored with a single character or his/her life. On the negative side, and this is probably why I rarely read this type of series, you as a reader don't identify very strongly with any one person in the group. It's harder to care, at the end of the book, what will happen next time to someone ELSE in the group. So these are things to consider when choosing the type of series you want to write.

Writer: How can you tell if your book idea should be a series or one book standing alone?

Kristi Holl: One thing to look at is your crime and how it is connected to your hero/heroine. A novel about a young girl setting out to find the murderer of her brother is going to make a very different impact upon the reader than a novel about a young girl asking the series detective to find the murderer of her brother. The series detective tends to be an onlooker into the tragedy of others' lives. This is partly why both my mystery series are designed to be four-part series. I could believably have four types of mysterious things happen to the hero personally, or to someone very close to the hero. If you write much more than that using one hero, he has to be an onlooker in most cases.

carrot: What makes a hero interesting for kids? I love Mrs. Pollifax for adults, how to do you get that quirk and still have a character kids can identify with?

Kristi Holl: In every aspect except one, it's the same as creating a character for any book or story. You must know them inside and out, their foibles, their fears, their dreams and desires. In addition, however, the series character must have the special qualities he or she will need to be an effective sleuth. He must be athletic if the mystery involves cliff climbing, or smart and computer literate if the crime is computer theft, or inquisitive if the crime involves a lot of snooping, or suave if the sleuth must sweet-talk old ladies out of information. The sleuth must be able to physically and mentally do the things your story will require.

Writer: How hard is it to plot a mystery?

Kristi Holl: It depends somewhat on your age group and length, because that will dictate how many plots and subplots you're twisting together while planting real and false clues. But I think, if you're capable of being organized, plotting a mystery isn't any harder than any other kind of plotting. It is still cause and effect, "this happens, causing this to happen, causing this person to react," etc.

Steve: What is a simple formula for plotting a mystery?

Kristi Holl: First you have your BEGINNING, where the crime or mysterious happening takes place. Here you introduce the hero and the victim in the setting you've chosen. In the MIDDLE, you ask, "And then what?" The hero investigates, but things get worse! You plant clues, you have many plot twists and turns and surprises. There seem to be several suspects at this point. At the CLIMAX scene, you have the "black moment" where all could be lost. This is the scariest part of the mystery. Often the hero is trapped somewhere with the villain. Then comes the ENDING. The hero solves the mystery and reveals the solution!

Writer: You mentioned choosing your setting in the beginning. How important is setting?

Kristi Holl: Setting can be so important that it's almost another character that interacts and shapes the plot. I use Iowa settings a lot since I live here, and they're either historical sites which impact the plot and clues, or they're natural wonder-type sites, like the caves and Indian burial grounds found along the Mississippi River. And of course, sometimes the setting is dictated by the plot. You can't have someone cut the cable on the Space Mountain ride without the setting being in Disneyland.

Writer: I don't travel much, and I can't write about faraway settings realistically. Now what?

Kristi Holl: Aside from the fact that you probably could with extensive enough research, let me assure you that foreign and odd settings aren't necessary in mysteries. In fact, COMMON SETTINGS CAN BE SCARIER. Kids tell me that my Iowa mysteries are very scary, but when I ask them why, they say it's because it happens WHERE THEY LIVE and so it could happen to THEM. The more common the setting, the more familiar your setting, the more horrible the story can become (like in the hero's home, bedroom, mall, or school). That's part of the reason the Columbine tragedy had such an impact--it happened in an everyday setting considered safe.

dee: Isn't all that clue planting pretty tricky?

Kristi Holl: Again, all it takes is organization. Once you've decided on your crime and villain and at least two other people who will be suspects, you sit down with pencil and paper and draw up real and false clues that will point to the villain AND ALSO point to the other suspects to keep the reader guessing. When you have your real and false clues, you make a time line for the book, showing the order in which the clues will appear. This is a rule of thumb for planting clues: ALL the major clues pointing to the villain (motive, means, opportunity) MUST be planted in the first third of the book. No kidding! This plays fair with your reader as he tries to figure out whodunit. And the clues have to be planted in such a way that they're hidden or their meaning isn't known till the end of the book. The last two thirds is spent tracking down clues, following rabbit trails, suspecting the wrong people, etc.

Writer: How do you hide clues, especially so early in the book, so they aren't "seen"?

Kristi Holl: There are several techniques for doing this. First, HIDE THEM IN PLAIN SIGHT. Perhaps the victim is poisoned by honey that is made by bees feeding on azalea flowers (I used this). In that case, when the heroine helped her mother cater a picnic in a first chapter, it's in the backyard of the villain who happens to be a master gardener with an observation bee hive set up in the middle of his (poisonous to eat) flowering azaleas. Second, hide the clue in a series of objects. Perhaps a clue is a muddy pocket knife. For example, when the hero sits down at a desk, he shoves aside a pile of stuff to make room for his books. A pencil, dish of paper clips, pocket knife, and two quarters fall to the floor. The reader doesn't notice the pocket knife then, but LATER when it's apparent that a muddy knife was used in the crime, the presence of the knife in the villain's home is remembered. Third, when you can't hide a clue, just show it--THEN IMMEDIATELY grab the reader's attention and get him focused elsewhere. For example, your hero hears a big clue in an overheard phone conversation. He is shocked, but before he has time to think about it, a siren goes off outside or a deafening crash is heard upstairs. Your hero dashes upstairs or outside to take care of the crisis--neighborhood fire, broken mirror upstairs--and by the time the crisis has calmed down both your hero and your reader have forgotten the overheard conversation UNTIL near the end, when he is putting two and two together and Aha! He (and your reader) remember.

carrot: Do you outline each story before you start?

Kristi Holl: Yes, when writing mysteries they are much more detailed, but even in nonmystery writing I make a brief outline of what I think each chapter will probably hold. It can change during the writing, of course, but I always know the ending of my books before I start writing. Otherwise, to me, it's like starting off on a trip without a map and wandering around hoping you finally get to your destination. You might get there, but it can sure take a lot longer--and pardon the pun--you can also run out of gas before you get there.

Dee: Kristi your style is very fast paced..have you always written that way? Or over time develop it?

Kristi Holl: I didn't know I had a fast-paced style, but yes, I have had to learn to pick up the pace when writing mysteries because my own style was to write 50'sish family stories that I grew up on. You know, with lots of introspection and less action, which of course doesn't work well in mystery or suspense or with today's child.

Dee: When choosing the characters' ages...is it wise to go from one end to the other? i.e. books for 8-12 with one being 8 another 12? Or should both be 12?

Kristi Holl: I think if you're writing a book for middle grades that I would certainly make my hero or heroine l2 or l3 so more readers will want to read your book. If you want an 8-year-old hero, I would make it an easier reader for ages 5-8 perhaps.

GreyWolf: Can the sleuth have a handicap that would make some things more difficult than for a person with no handicap?

Kristi Holl: Certainly, these are the types of heroes we all love to root for anyway. In my HAUNTING OF CABIN 13 the main sidekick was in a wheelchair and he was instrumental in catching the villain in the end.

Kevin: Are characters that important, since plot seems to be everything?

Kristi Holl: Even though the plot is the main thing in a mystery, remember that a mystery is not "what happened" (like "a robbery took place"), but WHAT HAPPENED TO A PERSON OR PEOPLE. Your reader really needs to care about all three of the main characters in your mystery: your hero or detective, your villain, and your victim.

Kevin: Like what? What should I know about these people?

Kristi Holl: Well, for the hero: you must know WHY he wants to solve the mystery. What connection does he have to the victim? Why does he even care what happened? He must care desperately if you want your reader to care. Will it matter really if he solves it? It must! Let's see, for the villain: remember that most bad guys (unfortunately) look like the guy next door. They don't stand out with black leather and a mustache. They look like normal people: a relative, neighbor, someone who works at the same job or goes to the same school, is on the hero's sports team, etc. In one of these ways, he must be connected to your victim. Don't just make him an anonymous stranger who blows into town and commits a random crime. Don't forget the victims either, even though they may die in the opening. A victim can be sympathetic or detestable. If everyone hated him, it is easier to create a big list of suspects. On the other hand, if nobody seemed to hate him, you have a harder mystery for the reader to solve.

Steve: What about mystery writing on the Internet?

Kristi Holl: Check out these sites for fun with mysteries and helpful information: The Online Mystery Network at www.mysterynet.com, Kids Mysteries at www.TheCase.com/Kids, Nancy Drew at www.NancyDrew.com, and Mystery Writers of America at www.MysteryNet.com/mwa/

Johanna: Do you think Boxcar Children and Bobbsie Twins style books would sell today?

Kristi Holl: If you mean the slower pace, maybe not. If you mean being VERY simplistic like the Bobbsie Twins, NO. But there is a market for good clean series books, if that's what you mean. and more and more religious publishing houses are seeing the value and money in writing series, so you might find a publishing avenue for your work there.

kmadsen: My kids liked reading "choose your own adventure books". Are they still popular today?

Kristi Holl: They're certainly popular with some children, especially those with access to computers or computer games where they are used to having a more interactive kind of story. If you like to write this type of story where you have different endings, I would look for publishers who specify an interest in CD-roms with their books. They might be more open to this interactive kind of book.

Boring: Plotting a mystery seems rather "mechanical," and I realize it needs to be so structured. But what specific things can you do toward guaranteeing creativity in such a "mechanical"?

Kristi Holl: That's a good question . . . What I use a lot in my own writing are unusual settings, even though they're set here in Iowa, like the Devil's Backbone in a state park or the Indian burial mounds in another park. Working in bits of history or old ghost legends is fun too. You have to remember that even though it may feel mechanical to write, a mystery doesn't read that way to a child. It's like having a skeleton (where the bony structure is your outline) all nicely fleshed out with your storyline and characters and unusual setting. No one is really aware of the skeleton holding everything up, but it's really noticable when the skeleton is missing too many bones because your mystery won't hold up.

Dee: What is the hardest part of writing your books: beginning, middle or end?

Kristi Holl: I know that the miserable middles are supposed to traditionally be the hardest, but beginnings are what really challenge me. There is SO MUCH you have to work in in the first few paragraphs. I rewrite chapter openings and story openings at least ten times as much as any other part.

carrot: Do you plot in outline form before you start to write?

Kristi Holl: Yes, I do. I tried it once without an outline and I had a great beginning and not a bad middle, but without my ending in mind even vaguely, I just wandered around until I finally quit. I never did finish that book. So for me anyway, an outline is a real saving grace.

Dee: I've heard that it's easy to start too early... How do you handle this?

Kristi Holl: If you mean begin too early in the story . . . I just go ahead and do it anyway in my rough draft. But you're right. In the revisions, I often have to chop off about four pages where no one is doing anything remotely interesting or important to the plot. But I've learned not to worry about it with the rough draft. Sometimes you have to write a few pages of "too early" stuff to get into the flow of the chapter. You can always delete it later.

Dee: Do you finish the first draft before making ckanges?

Kristi Holl: Yes, I always do that, or quite frankly, I wouldn't finish half my books. My first drafts are really horrid, and once I made the mistake of stopping to read what I'd written so far and I very nearly chucked the whole book. So I don't allow myself to revise or re-read until the whole story is down. With my first book, I was so excited to read my rough draft, but when I did, I sat down and cried. . . it was that bad . . . but I'd had a precious instructor who'd told me, "Nothing is so bad that it can't be rewritten." I still tell myself that when I sit down to read a rough draft. It braces me!

Johanna: Do you find it easier to plant your clues after you've written the first draft?

Kristi Holl: In the rough draft, I always plant my basic clues, but I plant lots of more subtle clues in the revisions, and I change clue placement a lot then too.

kmadsen: How many words per chapter or pages per chapter do you strive for in a mystery for middle grades?

Kristi Holl: For middle grade mysteries, at about 250 words per page, my chapters run about l0-l2 pages on average. Once in a while you can write a longer one or a much shorter one just to vary things, but l0 pages works pretty well for all middle grade publishers. And it's also easy to fit two (maybe three) short scenes into l0-l2 pages, which is good for a chapter.

Johanna: I'm so glad to hear you say that about crying at your first draft. I've done that and almost gave up on writing all together.

Kristi Holl: That's the real value of a mentor/teacher to me, someone who's been there before you and had the same experience, but made it through. Kind of like when you're pregnant and you know it's going to hurt, but the lady next door with the cute little baby keeps telling you it'll be all right and you can do it!

GO TO PART 2 OF KRISTI HOLL'S INTERVIEW NOW

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