Sue Grafton: M is for Mysteries

Sue Grafton: My advice would be to take creative writing classes wherever possible, to read every book you can get your hands on about the writing process, to be prepared for five years of hard work perfecting your craft before you even think about going out into the marketplace. Nobody said it would be easy, but I believe if you have determination, if you are persistent and you work hard, you can do just about anything in life.

Anyone interested might want to see if they can get a copy of the book called Writing Mysteries which I edited, using essays from some of the finest mystery writers working today. I designed the book to walk people through the process from first idea to manuscript submission.

iVillage: If you put a lot of your own personality into Kinsey's character, do you find it difficult to write your stories without letting your own emotions take over?

Sue Grafton: I'm always working to keep my own ego out of Kinsey's way. While we are virtually the same person, her biography is different than mine and I have to make sure that I speak truly from her point of view. I am always monitoring my own emotional reactions to make sure they reflect Kinsey's perspective.

iVillage: What is the hardest thing about writing a mystery?

Sue Grafton: The mystery is the one form in which the reader and the writer are pitted against each other. I liken it to a magician's trick in which I perform a piece of magic before your very eyes. My job as the writer is to fool you. Your job as the reader is to see if you can catch me at it. If I do my job well, you are not only fooled, but you enjoy the process. So, the hardest thing about writing a mystery is trying to figure out what the reader knows in any given moment. I have to think for myself and for the reader at the same time. Plotting is obviously a tricky part of the process, but I also think coming up with good characters is what contributes to your pleasure as a reader.

Altogether, I consider mystery writing the most challenging form of any that I've seen.

Visit Sue's website at http://www.suegrafton.com.