I recently had a little chat with myself about whether I should retire from writing. My third series is winding down (four if you count the romantic suspense I’ve written as Jessica Dale), and I was debating where to go next. I decided to go back to writing “just for fun,” and not worry so much about the business end of things.
And “fun” writing meant cozies for me. Why do I enjoy them so much?
First, they are more lighthearted than other subgenres of mysteries. The characters don’t take themselves quite so seriously, even though they’re still trying to solve a murder (or two or three).
And this ties into my second reason. The main character can be spunky, sometimes even snarky. My second series, The Marcia Banks and Buddy Mysteries, were cozies, and the MC, a service dog trainer, even had an alter ego whom she dubbed Ms. Snark.
In this new series, The Aging Ain’t for Wimps Mysteries, the protagonist is seventy-one, so snark might not wear as well on her. But she can be spunky. When Amy Parker suddenly finds herself widowed, she
Third, writing the first draft seems to go faster with cozies. Maybe that’s partly because of number one above, the more lighthearted tone. It may also be because the plots are a little bit less complicated, especially less so than police procedurals (my third series, The C.o.P. on the Scene Mysteries).
And a faster first-drafting experience means I get to the part that I like best sooner—the editing. I love editing. Watching the story shape up, getting all the rough edges polished off, is so much fun.
Fourth, the world building is fun too. Cozies are usually set in small towns, and populating a fictional town is kind of cool. There’s the local law enforcement of course, the sheriff and his or her deputies. Then the merchants and professionals—the grocer, the librarian, the veterinarian, the auto shop owner—and the nosy but also supportive neighbors.
And fifth, the characters can be quirky. Indeed, some of them are expected to be quirky.
Which brings us to the sixth reason, the MC usually has a pet.
And Amy’s pet is my favorite quirky character in this new series. She’s a gray tabby cat that Amy inherits from her sister. Her sister called her Misty, but Amy’s name for her is Nuisance. Nuisance is not a very friendly cat, and Amy starts out barely tolerating her. But as the story unwinds, she warms up to her some, especially after discovering why the cat is so standoffish.
But there are some challenges to writing cozies as well.
The main one being the rule about no swear words. That can be tough to pull off, especially when law enforcement folks are around (cops swear!), and still have the story feel realistic.
The age of most of my characters, in their sixties and seventies, helps here. Older gentlemen, even older sheriffs, try not to cuss in front of women. Indeed, gray-haired, bushy-eyebrowed Sheriff Andy Taylor is my third favorite character so far in this series, after Amy and Nuisance. (And yes, he gets a lot of jokes about his name, like folks asking him if he’s from Mayberry).
The other two main rules regarding cozies are easier to follow—no on-screen sex and minimize the gore. I’m not a big fan of gore myself, so that last one is totally easy.
And while I enjoyed writing sex scenes in my first series—The Kate Huntington Mysteries, with a psychotherapist amateur sleuth—they are not easy to craft. I’m just as happy not to have to deal with them here.
Indeed, I haven’t even decided yet if Amy will have a love interest. She’s still grieving her husband and also enjoying her independence.
And I’m having so much fun helping her do the latter.
Which do you prefer to read (or write)—regular whodunnits or cozy mysteries?
What does it say about you when your coming-of-age story begins at seventy-one?
Kassandra Lamb has two loves: writing and psychology. In her youth, she discovered that writers need day jobs in order to eat. Partial to food, she studied psychology. Now retired from a career as a psychotherapist and college professor, she spends most of her time in an alternate universe with her characters. The magic portal to this universe (i.e., her computer) is in Florida, where her husband and dog catch occasional glimpses of her. Kass has authored over 40 books, including four mystery series and a romantic suspense trilogy.
WEBSITE: https://kassandralamb.com
Troubled Water, An Aging Ain’t for Wimps Mystery (#1 in a new series)
Amy Bridges Parker asks herself that question as she resists her domineering sister’s attempts to take over where her subtly controlling and recently deceased husband left off. Then her sister turns up dead, and the sheriff suspects a young man claiming to be the grandson of Amy’s first husband, who died in the Vietnam War. Amy, however, is not convinced. Her sister—a mean girl back in high school—had plenty of old enemies. But who hated her enough to actually kill her?
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0H7YZSQG3
BARNES & NOBLE: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/troubled-water-kassandra-lamb/1150617824?ean=2940196583292
