Sue Grafton: M is for Mysteries

The author of the famous 'alphabet mysteries' talks to iVillage

Sue Grafton's newest Kinsey Millhone mystery, Q is for Quarry, is due for release in October 2002 and to mark its arrival we have a great interview with Sue for you. If you've always wanted to know about Kinsey Millhone's sex life, what the hardest thing about writing a mystery is and how Sue got the idea to use the letters of the alphabet in her book titles, read on…

iVillage: When you were writing your first novel, or maybe your first few, did you already have the whole story in your mind, or did you make some of it up as you went along?

Sue Grafton: I usually don't work with an outline. I keep a journal for each novel that I write and, in the journal, I keep track of every fleeting idea and thought that occurs to me. I play 'suppose' and 'what if' and challenge myself with question after question about the story idea I have in mind. In the course of writing a book, the journal will often be four times longer than the book itself. The journal is like a long, letter I write to myself in which I sketch characters, record research, and sometimes lay down lines of dialogue.I discover the story as I write. Other authors prefer to outline but I like flying by the seat of my pants.

Starting any novel is a matter of sitting down at the computer day after day playing with ideas until the right chemistry begins to percolate. I discard more ideas than I end up using but, for my money, nothing happens until you commit it to paper. Thinking about an idea will not get the book written. Writing it down is what gets you to your goal.

iVillage: Have you been approached by Hollywood to turn your books into movies? Do you have an ideal actress to play Kinsey?

Sue Grafton: I have been approached many times to sell the series to film or television, but I will never do so. I worked in Hollywood for 15 years and I would never sell this character into that system. There is no actress who would satisfy every reader and you can pretty much count on Hollywood to butcher the work in the process. As courtesy to my readers, I'm keeping the series out of the hands of the Hollywood Fix-it Crew.

iVillage: How did you learn so much about crime and investigative work?

Sue Grafton: I have talked at length to private investigators, police officers, attorneys, judges and coroners, all of whom are generous with their information and enthusiastic about their work. I also have an extensive library of reference materials that I consult for every book. I am always in the process of learning new information about the law enforcement and the justice systems and how they operate.

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Sue Grafton: M is for Mysteries