Exciting times.
A new publishing initiative, working with new people and hopefully new readers. To be a part of the launch of Holand Press brings renewed optimism. It is never easy to find the right publishing partnership, even though both parties want the same things. They need each other to achieve them. The same degree of trust exists between writer and reader. Will the story live up to the words and pictures on the cover? Shall I commit my time to reading this? We all hope so. When it all comes together, everyone shares in the process. It must start somewhere.
‘Where do you get your ideas?’ This question often comes from the members of the many community interest groups prepared to give a platform to the writer of fiction. The answer: ‘That cannot be attributed to one factor.’ Sometimes it originates from lived experience. On other days, a visit to an unfamiliar place or a shocking news item stirs the imagination. A sharp intake of breath can be enough to apply heat and a stirring spoon to the dormant pot of a story. Statistically, we are highly unlikely to be involved at the core of a serious crime. Let’s hope it stays that way, and yet, the fascination remains.
Thirty years as a police officer helps, but that alone won’t satisfy the demands of a readership. It does afford the retired cop the notable advantage of knowing how investigations should be carried out; the legal limitations, the laborious practices as well as the emotions of the victims, the high-octane chases and the fear-evoking acts of violence. But merely knowing how to do it does not make a storyteller. Fiction needs a different set of deductive cells.
The police detective speaks only in the language of evidence. If it won’t stand up in court, it has no currency. The retelling of true crime has its own compelling elements, but the crime fiction writer sees things differently. Story traits which would be considered inadmissible in a courtroom still have value to the reader. The writer has the freedom to imagine evil deeds in the most harmless of places. If the reader is not incensed and appalled by the injustice of it all, will they read on with the desire to know the outcome? Probably not. The plot hints, the red herrings, the visualisation of the settings, the integrity and credibility of each character, all make the world of fiction a more rewarding place in which to stage and absorb a story.
Meanwhile, as I sit in solitude, straining my brain to produce my next crime story, I can afford myself a moment of positivity. The publishing train is about to pull out of the station, and I have a seat by the window. Exciting times!