tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533238794548293419.post3685777928415062661..comments2023-09-09T09:06:58.754+01:00Comments on Crawl Space: A hard look at crime writingSarah Hilaryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03379986260169703599noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533238794548293419.post-68006785524030049542010-07-15T17:02:46.660+01:002010-07-15T17:02:46.660+01:00Hi, Quillers, I've not read Blood Brothers but...Hi, Quillers, I've not read Blood Brothers but it sounds desperate and, yes, I can see why it would make you laugh. (I think this is a mistake that a lot of inexperienced, and some experienced, writers of crime make: not appreciating that we're wired in such a way that we will seek light relief in laughter when under prolonged duress. The best writers work with this fact and build the laughter in, at moments of their choosing. Otherwise, we end up laughing at moments the writer didn't intend to be funny.)<br /><br />I think certain plot devices are simply bankrupt, regardless of genre. I got fed up with Kate Atkinson for using child abuse as the "get out of jail free card" once too often. <br /><br />The psychology of crime is by far its most powerful weapon, I agree. Actually, a literary agent gave me some great quotes on this very thing; I shall dig them up and post them, I think.<br /><br />Thanks for the link here, btw. I hope others will join the debate.Sarah Hilaryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03379986260169703599noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3533238794548293419.post-28022102610618734532010-07-15T15:36:22.564+01:002010-07-15T15:36:22.564+01:00Good post, Sarah. I think my own crime reading rea...Good post, Sarah. I think my own crime reading reached it's zenith when I read a novel in which someone's head was cut off, then put into a hole in their stomach It was called Blood Brothers, I think, and whilst it was a good story, about a cop and his brother who was a serial killer, I did feel that the writer had just written the most horrific thing they could think of, and as a result the 'head in the belly' scenario was quite laughable.<br /><br />Cosy crime may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the lack of bloodlust does mean that the story can concentrate on the psychological reasons people kill.Quillershttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00148636009202550512noreply@blogger.com