I ask this question many times each year but even more so now. Why don’t I write a nice simple whodunit set in a bakery with a woman who is a former lawyer and a man who is a lumberjack/ veterinarian, wears plaid flannel shirts but has a heart of gold under the rugged exterior ? Instead I create the Molly Murphy series that requires more research than a PhD thesis and stand alone novels that have multiple stories in various time periods and the stories have to intersect, impact each other and end with everything tied up satisfactorily
The one I’ve given myself now, with the working title FROM SEA TO SKYE-- is a doozy ( does anyone use that word any more?). 
It takes place at a castle like this.
I’ve an elderly woman with dementia who can’t finish the book she is writing set on the Isle of Skye in Scotland. The young writer she has hired to finish it. The young writer goes to the island of Skye and finds what she thought was fiction was really true, only much earlier and may involve the elderly lady although this isn’t possible as she is Australian.
So I’ve got the same story essentially being told in 3 time periods, one having been written by an elderly woman with dementia in a different style from the rest of her famous series. In the telling of each story we find a clue to the truth. And we have a couple of the sort of twists when the reader will scream “What???” The sort of twist that will change the perception of the whole story. Like Debs’ Dreaming of the Bones which was so brilliant
I’m about halfway through and have more or less completed the amount of the written story the elderly writer has finished before she couldn't continue. So now I have to retell it as the young writer experiences it on Skye without being repetitive.
And being me I like a touch of romance but I have no idea where that might come in. A handsome lumberjack should be getting ready to come through the door on the island of Skye! At least I know how it has to end this time. It's the getting there that is like walking through a maze. After The Rose Arbor you'd think I'd have learned my lesson about having various time periods and various stories woven together.
I’m thinking of dropping writing and taking up crochet!
So Reddies: do you like complicated stories or do you prefer straightforward ones? (My stand alone that comes out in August is one woman's story, told from start to finish with no jumping around. Bliss!)
I like complicated stories with lots of twists and turns, but I also find straightforward stories just as enjoyable . . . . if the story is intriguing, it's all good . . . .
ReplyDeleteThat’s true, Joan
DeleteI love reading complicated stories. As for writing them, I always start out enthusiastic but once the reality of what it takes to actually make it happens hits me, not so much.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if I’ve bitten off more than I can chew at this point in my new book, Annette
DeleteWhat Annette said! Even writing in multiple POVs is a challenge I have successfully (maybe?) pulled off exactly once.
ReplyDeleteRhys, you do it because you like challenges, the sign of a writer who doesn't want to bore herself or her reader. And you always succeed at them.
That’s true, Edith. I don’t want to do the same thing twice. I like the challenges
DeleteBliss is exactly what I felt the last time I read a straightforward book! They seem to be few and far between these days and I find them refreshing even though I also enjoy the others.
ReplyDeleteIn some ways it’s harder to write a rich straightforward story
DeleteI like both the complicated and the straightforward stories. Dreaming of the Bones is one of my absolute favorites from Debs' series. Rhys, I loved The Rose Arbor, it's so well told! But I am also a huge fan of your Royal Spyness series and those stories are usually very straightforward. Your new opus sounds intriguing and I know that you will pull all of the storylines together. In the meantime, I have pre-ordered your stand-alone and the new Molly Murphy is waiting at the library! Yay!
ReplyDeleteI enjoy writing the Spyness novels because they are so easy and strsightforward
DeleteThe other day we were talking about puzzles; authors must enjoy them, too, or we wouldn't have these complicated stories and plots, no?
ReplyDeleteSome days I enjoy the braided storylines, and other days I just want to know that the lumberjack will ripple some muscles at the new girl in town.
Oh yes. Me too!
DeleteI like to mix things up and not read the same style all the time. After a great complicated story, I prefer to read something straight forward. Luckily for me and other readers, we have many to choose from, starting right here at JRW. I can certainly appreciate though the challenge for a writer being able to successfully pull off that complicated story. We know that you will do it beautifully and make it look like it was a piece of cake! Or to mix my metaphors, you are the duck who seems to go along serenely on the water, while paddling like hell under it!
ReplyDeleteSometimes I’m paddling furiously too only perhaps you don’t see it!
DeleteRhys, your comment on do you like books that hop around through time zones, reminded me of one of our book club members. That year for some reason, all of the books seemed to flip back and forth through time. After book 1, she decided to read all of one time zone, and then all of another – for instance all of today, all of the war - (or replace that strategy for books with what she considered too many characters to keep track of, with the same type of action). Somehow, she strung it all together in her mind at the end to talk intelligently about the book. I don’t know that I could do it, and enjoy it, and for me I question would it not ruin the build-up, the wonder and really the plot of the book?
ReplyDeleteWhen I write in various times I write one story, then the other then put them
DeleteTogether
That makes perfect sense for you to do as a writer, Rhys. Margo’s friend doing it as a reader sounds, well, insane is a bit harsh, so I’ll just say it would be hard for most of us to do. ;-) — Pat S
DeleteI like both. But it can get hard to follow going back and forth between characters and time periods. I am reading Horse By Geraldine Brooks. It takes place in the south around the mid 1800's and current day in Maryland. It weaves the two time periods together nicely with a story in the present that is trying to solve a mystery of an art piece of a horse done in the mid 1800's.
ReplyDeleteA far as straight forward stories, I enjoy the cozy mysteries because they often focus on the characters - their lives, friends, family, activities, etc.
Rhys: want to add that I love the title - Sea to Skye. :)
DeleteThank you! I hope we keep it
DeleteRhys, my question to you will be, how do you write it or hold it in your imagination - one time frame at a time, or jumbled writing while time-skipping.
ReplyDeleteIn the other books I’ve written one story then the other. In this I’m writing all as I go along. We’ll see if it works!
DeleteRhys, you write all kinds and we love them all! hats off in admiration xo
ReplyDeleteThank you. I guess I like to push myself
DeleteAs an archaeologist, sometimes I'd find a site was a single occupation at one period of time. At other times, you might have entire villages from different time periods superimposed upon one another. Both types of sites interesting, with different stories to tell. That should tell you that I think a story well-told is what matters--not how straight-forward or complicated. You excel at both, Rhys, and I'm confident you'll pull off the new book successfully.
ReplyDeleteYour work must be so interesting, Flora. And transposes to writing yoo
DeleteI wonder the same thing Margo asked. How do you write the separate stories, how do you keep them clear in your mind, and how do you weave them together? The new book sounds fabulous.
ReplyDeleteIn The Tuscan child and others I wrote the stories separately then wove them together. In this book I’m going forward with all the stories, seeing when we need to know more about each
DeleteWow! Although, that said, it's nice to know there's actually more than one approach to try. I think the situation you've set up is fascinating, and I'm eager to see the final story.
DeleteSounds wonderful! When I was a child, my mom made Skye sound like a marvelous place, an isle of romance as it was for her. (She and dad spent a week there in 1955 on their second honeymoon) As a teen, I read Elizabeth Goudge's The Middle Window and that sealed the pull of Skye for me. Unfortunately, I have only visited once.
ReplyDeleteI do like complicated stories, but not to the point where I lose track. I don't mind long narrative chapters. When I read a novel with very short chapters and lots of white space, I wonder what that says about us and our attention spans.
I was there for the first time in 1965 which is when part of my book is set. Luckily I can remember it as it was before the bridge was built
DeleteI think the story itself dictates how it needs to be written.
ReplyDeleteIf you look at the bestseller list, many of them are easy straightforward one main character in one time. Beginning middle end. And I think that kind of “easy “ book can be fun to read. And certainly more easily made into a movie or TV show.
But some books just want to be more complex. And again, the best seller list includes some of those as well.
And it’s not necessarily more difficult to write a complex book – – there’s more to juggle, sure, but you also have the narrative options of just hopping to another person and another time to keep the story going.
It’s actually quite difficult to write a single person straightforward one time period book, because that single person is all you have.
And remembering: complex, a good thing, is different from complicated, which may be not as desirable.
Rhys, you have a command of all these kinds of books – – and your books are telling you how to write them. It is what we all hope for.
And I am reading your August book right now, which is completely delightful!
Perfectly put, Hank. Complex. Not complicated.
DeleteI like them both. I'm behind on your standalones - I have to get The Rose Arbor.
ReplyDeleteAnd I use "doozy" all the time!
I’m glad these is another doozy out there
DeleteAnother doozy (ier) here too!
DeleteWish that your historical fiction novels existed 35 years ago when I had to write a Senior Thesis for my degree in History.
ReplyDeleteLike Margo's friend in the book club, if there are too many timelines, I will read the chapters in one timeline, then go back to read the chapters in another timeline. It is really hard for me to follow the story with the hopping around the timelines. I was surprised when I read a literary fiction with two POV (THE SIGN FOR HOME by Blair Fell) because I was able to follow the story with no problem.
Love the title Sea to Skye. I can read anything by Rhys Bowen. If the story is too complicated, then I take notes to help me follow the story. Look forward to reading the August book.
Amazing how you can juggle multiple timelines and several POVs.
The point is that I should be what Hank just said, Diana. Complex. Not complicated. If you get lost then the author has not done her job well!
DeleteDiana, I often do that - read the chapters in one timeline - usually the most current time. There is one writer I especially like who has a modern day protagonist who writes about the past in England. It is two stories but I just skip the British part completely.
DeleteRhys, could it be the editor who is not doing their job? I have seen the same author do five star reading for some novels while other novels by the same author is not as good, so I wondered if it could be the editor ?
DeleteI want a well-written story no matter what kind. I like a story that catch my attention from beginning to end. When it is not well-written, a complicated story can ruin my pleasure but when well-written, it is very enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteAs you know Rhys, I have every confidence in your writing that never ceases to amaze me.
I like both if they're well written. If too much is happening in my life I may seek out a simple, straight forward mystery. Most of the time I really prefer a more complicated story. I must admit that I've not read your books, but I recently bought 2: The Rose Arbor and Where the Sky Begins. I'll check out your Molly Murphy series.
ReplyDeleteI don’t like prologues, they frequently give too much information which affects the rest of the story.
ReplyDeleteI don’t mind complicated stories if they are not too detailed or irrelevant to the plot and characters
Accuracy is also important to me. If any major historical parts are not correct I no longer trust the author with the rest of the story.
I know from reading your books and hearing you and Clare talk about the extensive research you both do, that I can rely upon the writing to be interesting, informative and reliable. I also mention those factors when I recommend your books.
I love both kinds when well written! And doozy is good. Keep up the good work, Rhys!
ReplyDeleteWhen I'm home, in usual stresses and routines, I am all for complex plots and distant places (or even times)--but when I am traveling (and I must have a travel book) I want a simple straightforward story without too many characters (so I can be interrupted and distracted in a new environment). So just keep writing what you want when you want--just don't do too much. There is a time and place in life for more relaxation than you used to have.
ReplyDeleteOh, Rhys, I do love complicated plots but also straightforward ones too. Heck, I'll read anything you write - you're brilliant! Instead of a lumberjack love insterest, maybe a whisky distiller? Island of Skye is known for that, yes?
ReplyDeleteYes! Like you, I would read anything by Rhys. And a whiskey distiller sounds perfect.
DeleteWhiskey distiller sounds better than herring smoker!
DeleteI like Jenn's idea. You could research by drinking good Scotch whiskey! Or he could run a B&B - slash - sheep farm, like the couple Ross and I stayed with on our honeymoon...
ReplyDeleteI’m with Carol, as a reader, I choose the style of book by what I can handle at that point. I like different timelines because they keep me guessing how they’re going to connect and I like straight forward, but it depends on what I am in the mood for or have the time to sink into and absorb the story. So please, Rhys, write what you want to tell us and we will definitely read it! (And I love the title; hope it stays. I also use doozy!) — Pat S
ReplyDeleteCompletely off topic. Rhys, has anyone let you know that your name is on a crime report in the show Ludwig (on BritBox). It's season one, episode two at the very end at 55:00. I think it's supposed to refer to a male murder victim. It's on screen for all of two seconds but very readable. I love the sardonic humor of this whole series so far. And being a music fan, I enjoy all the musical references in the score to (Ludwig) van Beethoven.
ReplyDeleteI’ve been told about it and just started to watch. It’s brilliant
DeleteRhys, this sounds like a fascinating story, and even if the triple-tale plot is complicated, you'll ace it all by the end, we're all sure of that. Simple or complicated stories--it doesn't matter to me if they're entertaining, have appealing characters, and everything makes sense at the end!
ReplyDeleteI loved The Rose Arbor! What a great story that dove deeper into the children and the challenges of those times! Love is always important as well as strong women! Alicia Kullas
ReplyDeleteIf you're suggesting. a choice between the formulaic novel you describe first, and something more original, I'll always choose timo read (and write) the latter. I just finished Rob Ostler's first mystery, DEVIL'S CHEW TOY, which is funny and off beat, and before that one of Mick Herron's deeply cynical takes on the British spy operation. I await every Royal Spyness, Molly Murphy, and Rhys Bowen standalone because they have twists, and complicated relationships, and such well drawn characters.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was able to start reading fiction again, I had to keep it straightforward reading. I had too much trouble with focus, and I couldn't read much at a time, so nothing too complicated. It used to depend on whether I felt like reading a complicated one or a straightforward one, and I often gravitate towards a book with more than one time period in it. I did something in the last week that surprised me completely. I picked up a book lying on the dining room table, one I've had for a while, but it is 495 pages and has a crowd of characters and multiple locations. The book is Here One Moment by
ReplyDeleteLiane Moriarty. I swear I just picked it up to look at the beginning of it, and, well, we all know what
happened. However, that is anomaly for now. I am encouraged that I was able to stay focused an clear about all those characters and that I may someday in the near future be able to read more of the complicated sort.