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.

iVillage: What advice do you have for would-be authors?

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.