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Jonnie Jacobs: Interviews Interview with Jonnie from the newsletter of MWA, Northern California Chapter, fall 2004 What do you think makes for a successful legal mystery? The same ingredients that make for any good mystery—believable characters, an intriguing hook or plot question, conflict, and enough suspense (i.e. what's going to happen next) to keep the reader turning the pages. Like many people, I'm fascinated by the way a given set of "facts" or evidence can support two or more plausible theories about the crime. It reminds me of those drawings you've seen where you look at it one way and it looks like a vase of flowers, and then you look again and see that it looks like an old lady. I enjoy legal mysteries that play with these shifting perceptions. But successful stories engage the reader emotionally so it can't be all about the puzzle. Courtroom scenes need to be focused, and interspersed with action or character scenes. Bottom line is that good legal mysteries focus on the human drama that's at the root of all fiction. Where do you get your ideas and inspiration for your plots and characters? Seeds for ideas are everywhere—the newspaper, overheard conversations, what-if fantasies—it's developing these seeds into full blown stories that is tough. Like most authors, I have to start with something that resonates with me. It could be a character (Wes Harding in Evidence of Guilt), a key piece of evidence (Motion to Dismiss), an area of interest (private adoption in Witness for the Defense), or the vision of an opening scene (Intent to Harm). From there, I brainstorm possible twists, motives, subplots etc. It's interesting (and often amusing) for me to look back over these notes after a book is done. The development of the story is anything but linear. My characters are generally an amalgam of people I've met, read about, heard about from friends, and observed (like most authors, I'm a great people watcher). There's always a bit of myself thrown in, too. As with story ideas, the characters have to resonate with me in some way or they just seem wooden. If a character isn't coming to life, I sometimes find that changing the name, physical attributes, or even the gender can make the character real to me. What's your writing schedule and routine like? I'm very lucky to be in a position where I don't need a day job to support myself, and that allows me more freedom than many writers have. It used to be that I got my kids off to school, took a walk while I mentally worked on the next scene, then came home and wrote for the remainder of the day. Then my kids went away to college and my husband retired. That played havoc with my schedule. Because my personal life is less structured now, I find it harder to keep to a fixed routine. But I still try to write every day, even if it's just for a short while. If I'm away from a book too long, not only do I have trouble getting back into it, my writing feel rusty. I have to pull harder than usual to find the right words or images. I find it hard to write at night or when I'm away from home (anywhere but my desk, in fact). And I need a window nearby. Do you ever face a situation where you're not in the mood to write? If so, what do you do to get yourself in the mood? Some days I can't wait to get to my computer and jump back into the book, but there are definitely days when that's not the case. Usually that's when I feel the book is going badly or I can't figure out what comes next. Sometimes I take a long walk and do some mental brainstorming, but in the end, I force myself back to the computer. I've learned the only way I'll get beyond that sticking point is to push through it. (What's that saying... writing is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiration.) Even if what I write is garbage, at least I've written something. From there I can refine or toss. And usually, the very act of writing gets the juices flowing, albeit slowly. Having said that, I'll admit there are days I figure my time is better spent doing something totally different—cleaning, gardening, going to a museum, whatever. Sometimes the mind simply needs a rest. And getting out into the world can be surprisingly inspirational! Where do you think the legal mystery genre is headed? Gosh, I wish I knew! I see the entire mystery genre expanding into new areas, and the distinction between "novel" and "mystery" growing more blurred. Half the books on the best seller list, while not traditional mysteries, incorporate elements of the genre. And mysteries themselves are pushing the boundaries, exploring new ground, and adding layers of complexity. As for the traditional courtroom drama, I think readers will continue to be interested in the legal system and the ways that justice is, or isn't, served. Just look at the newspapers—public interest in high profile trials remains strong. The question of an individual's guilt or innocence is one of the ultimate mysteries, and we don't really know the truth because we were there when the crime was committed. On the other hand, I see a lot of writers (myself included) sending their attorney sleuth off in other directions, as well. I suspect that has as much to do with the writer's desire to flex new muscle as with reader interest.
A Conversation with Jonnie Jacobs Murder Among Us involves the murder of two teenage girls. What was the impetus for this novel? I started where I almost always do—with the motivation behind the murder. In this instance, it was a real situation that had tweaked my interest and been simmering in the back of my mind for several years. Thankfully, the outcome in real life wasn't murder, but I couldn't help wonder what if. I've discovered that with each novel I write, I'm trying to figure out what makes people tick. So it's the psychology of crime that interests you? Yes, certainly more than the violence, which I find personally very difficult to handle. A number of years ago an cquaintance of mine was accused, and later convicted, of murder. This was a man I'd exchanged pleasantries with. Our children had played in the sand together. While he may well be a killer, but he was, to outward appearances, not so different from the rest of us. It's this kind of criminal "everyman" rather than the street-hardened murderer or deranged psychopath that gnaws at my imagination. I try to make my killers realistic, complex characters who are a mixture of good and bad. And I try to plant seeds for the conclusion along the way so that the reader will be surprised at the killer's identity but will see that it makes sense in terms of the story. Yet you write about an amateur sleuth in a suburban setting. Why? I'm fascinated, and often astounded, by the depth of intrigue and behind-the-doors passion that lurks beneath the surface of seemingly placid suburbia. And it's the drama leading up to the crime—the fractured relationships, emotional tensions and private fears of everyday people—that I'm interested in exploring. I think, too, that violence and depravity in a suburban setting is all the more frightening because we don't expect it. What was the genesis of your interest in writing? A major factor was my love of reading. I majored in English, and even got a graduate degree in the subject, primarily because I loved books. While my friends were bent over the calculator adding columns of numbers or holed up in some smelly lab dissecting frogs, I could sprawl on the couch and read novels. Most readers have experienced the lovely sense of losing yourself in a book. Well, it's just as wonderful—even better in fact, when things are going well—to create that fictional world yourself. Did you always know you wanted to write? Not consciously. But I've always been interested in people's stories. I'm nosey. I want to know what happened and why and how the person felt about it. When answers aren't forthcoming, my imagination supplies them. I used to make up stories in my head without realizing that's what I was doing. I also love words, and the nuances and rhythm of language. I've dabbled in writing all my life. but I never made the connection that books are written by people and I could be one of them. Finally enough stories had gotten under my skin that dabbling would no longer suffice. Why mystery novels? I see all fiction, including mystery fiction, as a framework on which to hang human drama. What interests me most are the personal sorts of things—relationships, underlying tensions, secret fears—and mysteries offer a wonderful opportunity to explore these. That's what crime is about after all—relationships that have broken down, human nature pushed to the limits. How do you go about writing? Do you outline? I don't outline, but it would be so much easier if I could. Every time I finish a book I tell myself that next time I will do a detailed outline before I start writing. I've tried, however, and I find that once I've worked through all the twists of the plot, I lose interest and the thing becomes flat. The story, and the characters, come alive for me in the writing. But I do know generally where I'm headed, a few places I'm going to travel on the way, and what's around the next bend in the road. What is your writing schedule like? I try to write every day. When I've been away from it for too long I lose momentum. I also get antsy. I get up early and do my "Mom" things, then spend the bulk of the time my kids are at school writing. Some days I churn out pages, and some days I agonize over every word. The key to good writing is re-writing. Most people don't appreciate how much hard work is involved in writing. There's a part that's magic, for sure. But there's a tremendous amount of mental effort, frustration and nose-to-the-grindstone exertion, too. Which is more important to you, plot or character? Both. But for me, plot generally grows out of character. I find people fascinating—their stories, their motivations, their relationships and interactions. This is my starting point, the catalyst for the story. I like my minor characters to have the same sort of grounding in reality. But plot is important, too. You've got to hook your readers at the beginning and keep them turning the pages. I try to weave twists and surprises into the plot to stir things up. You have a second series featuring attorney Kali O'Brien. What made you decide to write two series? When I started writing I wasn't really thinking in terms of series at all. I wrote Murder Among Neighbors, found an agent to market it, then sat down to write a new book, which became Shadow of Doubt. But mystery fiction tends to be series-driven so I've continued with both characters. As a writer, it's nice having the variety. How are the series different? Kali O'Brien is more of a loner, although she does keep tripping over her past as she tries to find a niche for herself in the present. The books are a bit harder-edged, as is Kali. Kate Austen has a young daughter, as well as a teenage family friend who lives with her. She has an ex-husband, a love interest, and in Murder Among Us, a meddlesome ex-mother-in-law. She has a lot to contend with besides murder, and the stories develop as much through the unfolding of everyday events in her life as through more formal investigation. Kate is a mother; Kali is an attorney. Are your sleuths you? Yes, and no. Both are younger, bolder and quicker with a witty comeback than I am. But we share an appreciation for the irony in life and an irrepressible curiosity (all right, nosiness) about people. Actually, there is some of me in all my characters, including the villains. I write the way actors sometimes create a role—I have to get into the skin of the character. That's one of the fun things about writing, I get to be so many different people, all with different backgrounds and experiences.
More from Jonnie:
Lee Harris ~ Lora Roberts ~ Valerie Wolzien ©2005-07 by Lee Harris, Jonnie Jacobs, Lora Roberts and Valerie Wolzien. |