Andrea Johnson tells readers How to Craft a Killer Cozy Mystery

 

Welcome to cozy mystery author, Andrea J. Johnson!

Andrea J. Johnson is the author of the Victoria Justice Mysteries, a series of cozy courtroom whodunits (think Murder, She Wrote meets The Pelican Brief). She is also a freelance entertainment writer for the women’s lifestyle websites Popsugar and The List Daily. Moreover, she’s written several articles on the craft of writing for websites such as LitReactor, CrimeReads, Funds for Writers, and DIY MFA. Her education includes a copyediting certification from UC San Diego and an M.F.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University. Her latest book is the author instruction manual How to Craft a Killer Cozy Mystery. Visit Andrea at ajthenovelist.com or @ajthenovelist on Instagram and Twitter to learn more about her work. 

Author Links:

Website: https://ajthenovelist.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ajthenovelist

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/andrea-j-johnson

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/19764533.Andrea_J_Johnson

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ajthenovelist/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/ajthenovelist/

Mailing List: https://ajthenovelist.com/sign-up/

What would you say are your strengths as an author?

Many people may be surprised to learn that long before I decided to become a writer and editor, I trained in machine stenography (also known as court reporting). The job involves capturing the verbatim transcript of a trial’s testimony using machine shorthand. To succeed in such a profession, one must master the rules of English — grammar, syntax, punctuation, capitalization, diction, et cetera. When I later received my copyediting certification and MFA, those skills were further enhanced in terms of the content, style, voice, and developmental issues writers face in the areas of revision. So, that’s my long-winded way of saying my strengths as an author are in the latter stages of the writing process, revision and editing.

How often do you write, and do you write using a strict routine?

When I first started writing, I didn’t have a specific routine. I was one of those misguided people who believed they must be struck by the muse in order to get things done. While I was indeed able to get a book deal with this approach, what it actually led to was a lot of wasted down time and missed opportunities. So eventually, I took a writer productivity course with Becca Syme. She teaches that the strategies we develop to accomplish our writing goals should be based on our personal strengths. That is to say, if you’re a competitive extrovert with a Type-A personality, a daily writing habit may be just what the doctor ordered. But if you’re an introverted Type-B personality, setting a weekly word count goal you can do in one or two sittings, might be an easier way to maintain momentum than the daily habit. Either way, the key is to have a definitive system rather than winging it. Obviously, I am simplifying her philosophy; however, my point is that after taking the course, I discovered it was more efficient and effective to adopt a routine tailored to my personality. So for now, I rise at 5AM to do a couple hours of writing while my mind is at its peak because that’s what works best for me. I’m not as creative or focused after 4PM, so a daily writing habit that starts early yields optimal results.

Five years from now, where do you see yourself as a writer?

Currently, I write for the women’s lifestyle website Popsugar and run a private editing service for fiction writers, but I eventually plan to move away from those endeavors to write full-time as a hybrid author. I have been inspired by such artists as Elizabeth Spann Craig and James Scott Bell with hopes to shape an author platform similar to theirs. To that end, I have recently self-published the first book in my Writer Productivity series, How to Craft a Killer Cozy Mystery with other titles such as Mastering the Art of Suspense and How to Craft Killer Dialogue already on pre-order. I also seek to expand my traditionally published fiction series, the Victoria Justice Mysteries, and launch two new series in the romance genre.

If you could offer once piece of advice to a novice writer, what would it be?

Rather than give the standard advice people always give — read and write as much as you can — I will take a different tact. Because even though the aforementioned advice is key, there is an element to that statement that folks rarely articulate. And that’s the idea that if you’re going to be a writer, you need to set aside a special space for such creative endeavors. A space that is all your own — one that is not shared by other members of the family — even if it means going to a café or the public library. Now, I know most writers start at the kitchen table or the couch, but I found that using a communal family space leads to disaster (e.g. all your neatly organized scene cards get tossed to set up dinner) or distraction (e.g. your kid turns on the TV while you’re typing on the couch). The best thing I did for myself was build an office where I could post my vision board and create a fortress of solitude. Knowing I have a special place where creativity can run free without judgement makes sitting down to write a lot easier. Productivity is up, and the muse always arrives on time. Of course, I also understand that commandeering a whole room may be tough for some people, but I urge novice writers to find a work around in this regard (like no kids in the TV room MWF 9-10) if they’re serious about turning their writing into a career.

What would you consider to be the best compliment a reader could give your book?

I am always pleasantly surprised and oddly proud when someone says they find my writing humorous. Writing humor requires a level of nuance (regarding the commonality of the human condition) that takes an extremely long time to develop. In many ways, I am still in the nascent stages of my writing career, so to hear that someone sees that kind of expertise in my work is humbling.

What are you working on now?

Fans of the Victoria Justice Mysteries can look forward to a new installment — Deceptive Justice hits bookstores April 5, 2022. And as I mentioned earlier, I have two self-published instructional manuals on the way, Mastering the Art of Suspense and How to Craft Killer Dialogue. I am also working on two contemporary romance series that will be traditionally published. One is in the new adult category and focuses on the behind-the-scenes world of Broadway theater. The other actually leans more toward women’s fiction in that the characters are grappling with the choices that come with middle age, and it is set in Las Vegas. Each installment poses the question, “What do you do when you’re faced with the choice of following your dream or following your heart?” If you’d like to hear more about these works (or what inspired them), please follow me on Twitter @ajthenovelist where I share updates on all my projects.

HOW TO CRAFT A KILLER COZY MYSTERY

Crafting a killer cozy can be perilous. Fans of the genre expect authors to forego explicit gore and violence while at the same time creating a mind-boggling murder mystery with pulse-pounding tension and a twisty plot. But how is a writer supposed to satisfy such disparate demands?

How to Craft a Killer Cozy Mystery tackles this exact problem by providing an actionable roadmap for starting (and completing!) a manuscript that will leave readers dying for more. Packed with charts and questionnaires designed to streamline the writing process, this comprehensive step-by-step guide will help you create compelling characters, vivid settings, and clever storylines.

Whether you’re a new writer or just new to the genre, you will walk away from How to Craft a Killer Cozy Mystery with a checklist for everything you’ll need to complete the novel of your dreams, and you will also learn…

• The history behind the modern cozy and why they’re so popular with today’s audiences
• The 13 key reader expectations for the genre
• The 10 essential rules every cozy must follow to create a fair play puzzle
• The difference between cozies, thrillers, capers, detective stories, and police procedurals
• The difference between a premise and a hook—and how to kick-butt writing both
• The essential beats for the four-act plot structure
• How to effectively hide clues and create plot twists
• SPECIAL BONUS: How to Craft a Killer Cozy Mystery contains an extensive ★GLOSSARY OF LITERARY TERMS★ and modern as well as classic examples of commonly used mystery solutions and misdirects.

Buy Links:

How to Craft a Killer Cozy Mystery: mybook.to/CraftKillerCozy

DECEPTIVE JUSTICE

When Victoria Justice finds herself on the phone with a mad bomber, she doesn’t think twice about springing into action to diffuse the situation. After all, the Bickerton Superior Courthouse is no stranger to all manner of crimes. However, a mysterious package found in the lobby a few minutes later leads to a building evacuation that has everyone pointing fingers, that is, until a car explodes in the parking lot killing a government official. Authorities search the area for clues anddetermine a recently vindicated arsonist is to blame, but the arrest sparks an alternate theory for Victoria who believes the real culprit is still at large and that she may have been the true target.

With no leads but a manuscript of the initial bomb threat and a faint audio recording of the caller’s scrambled voice, Victoria recruits former State Trooper Ashton North and local newsman Mike Slocum to help her weather the firestorm of community outrage. But can the two men refrain from killing each other long enough to keep Victoria alive and capture the murderer?

Fans of Knives Out, Law & Order, and Murder, She Wrote will love this killer courtroom cozy with its unexpected twists and turns.

Deceptive Justice: mybook.to/DeceptiveJustice