As some of you may remember, I decided to embark on writing a cosy crime series a few months back. And I did indeed have fun making up humorous titles for this series of twenty-six stories set in my much loved Adelaide Hills. I quickly established my heroine, her history and the town she now calls home. I even mentally sketched out the basic plot, who was to be murdered and who was to be the murderer. I also outlined some funny snippets here and there throughout this series from middle aged cheer leaders to tormented members of the CWA (Country Women’s Association) who are at their wits end when it comes to trying to teach the basics of baking to said heroine.

And yet… And yet when it came time to do the deed of killing the titled character in a locked room in Stirling, my procrastinating nature came into full play. I simply couldn’t kill my Autumnal Artist. I knew who was doing it, how and then how they managed to escape the locked room. But could I write it? No!

My joke is I can travel around the world by Maths, I have released earthed demons and bound myself to ghosts… so why can’t I kill an artist in a locked room?

Some of my friends, who I have lamented about this to, say it is easier to write/ think about killing someone I know, rather than someone you’ve made up. Not true! I’ve killed many characters before and honestly didn’t know a single one of them. Perhaps it’s more I don’t want to kill them in case someone sees themselves in the character and takes offence. I mean, I am trying to weave as much of my home into this work. Am I really that worried about offending a local as they feel I’ve taken a grudge and bumped them off? I don’t think I am, but maybe…?

I mean, yes I threatened to put a writer friend into one of my works as she was teasing me one day. But would I knock her off? Are there any legal ramifications to killing someone in writing only? How do the real murder mystery writers do it? And I do say real ones as I am not one yet… and if I keep this procrastinating up maybe I never will be?

All the same, I can’t despair as this procrastinating and avoiding the death of an artist has encouraged me to work on more paranormal work. It’s the sequel to Isis, Vampires and Ghosts – Oh My! (which has just had its publishing contract finalised with Hague Publishing by the way) and is tentatively titled There’s no place like Hell. So far so good.

Some may say that because I read so much paranormal fiction, I write it also. Yeeees, but I’ve been absorbed in reading the Agatha Raisin series by M.C. Beaton of late and I really don’t feel you can get more cosy crime than that! She kills people, I wonder how easy she finds it all?

Oh well, I will find a way, and the right sort of blunt object to bump off my artist. I am sure I will. 🙂 And I will freely admit this weekly post is a bit of a rushed waffle as we had a fabulously warm and sunny day here today and I spent most of it out in the garden with the new chickens. So perhaps that is also why I can’t kill her? Or was that just my procrastinating nature again? 😉

Still, this may be a sign that cosy crime is not for me… despite how much fun coming up with plots and titles can truly be. And I will never give up reading this genre as it’s just too much fun to avoid.

For now, I will go back to consorting with demons, chatting to ghosts and possibly even approaching the side effects of Maths That Stays – pockets of time. That is going to be fun!

Until next time,

Janis XXOO