Marilyn Levinson writes several series, but is best known for her Haunted Library series, which she writes as Allison Brook. You can find out more about her here, see her books here, and read her last post here.
1. I get to write about characters I wish I knew as real people. Over the course of the series, I get to have my characters resolve problems, grow and change, and relate to one another.
2. I get to create a pretty picturesque town where I’d love to live, one where most people know and like one another, a town with traditions and a community spirit.
3. I get to plan a murder or two in each book and make other characters appear suspicious and have a motive to kill the victim(s).
4. I get to create and expose secrets. I love having my sleuth uncover some deep, dark skeleton in the closet that a suspect wants to keep. . . secret.
5. I get to create a pet—a dog or a cat as my sleuth’s companion—that may even help solve the murders.
6. I get to create my characters’ relationships and interactions with one another. See how they change or grow.
7. I get to have fun creating a denouement that exposes the murderer in a funny or unique manner.
8. I get to explore various jobs and occupations—my sleuth’s and other characters’.
9. I get to explore social issues that beset a town and personal issues that might plague a character.
10. I get to experience the good feeling of having my sleuth solve a murder(s), knowing that justice with be carried out.
Wonderful post! I, too, write cozies and what I love about writing is learning new things. I do a lot of research about the history of the setting and its people, the history of the food in Door County, Wisconsin, and the science behind baking and cooking. Writing has led me into learning, learning, learning, and that makes writing–and reading–cozies addictive for me. And cozies are always about the love of community, too, which makes them special. I love your series set in a library.
Thanks, Christine! I agree that every book we write requires some research, meaning we’re always learning something new.
Marilyn, I said “yes” out loud as I read each of your reason. I, too, love to write cozies because I can disappear from the world and enter the picturesque spaces where my responsible teen detectives live and work to right wrongs and become a kid again myself. And in many cozies, there is always something good to eat. Thanks for your post!
Yes, there’s always something delicious to eat in a cozy. My sleuth doesn’t cook that much but she likes good food.
I agree with all ten of your reasons, Marilyn, and I’ll add one more. In a world fraught with illness, brutality, and contentiousness, writing (and reading) cozies provides a peaceful and serene escape.
So true, Saralyn—a good reason to read and write cozies.
All good reasons!
Thank you, Tim!
Nice and succinct, Marilyn. All the more reason I should read more of them!
Thanks, Laurie. Cozies are fun and will take your mind away from the more serious events that surround us.
Those sound like excellent reasons, and you have a huge market of people who enjoy reading cozies!
Thanks, Sheila. Yes, the market is large.
Enjoyed this post, Marilyn! Great reasons to write and read cozies!
Thanks, Margaret!
I enjoyed this post, Marilyn. You’ve curated a wonderful list of reasons to write (and read!) cozies.
Thanks, Laurie!!
Sounds like you really enjoy the cozy genre, and you’re obviously good at it. A winning combination!
Thanks, Avanti. I enjoy writing in this genre because it suits the mood and the voice of my mysteries. It gives me free range to develop my characters’ growth and their relationships with one another.
Many of those reasons are why I write Mystery too! Especially the last one, “I get to experience the good feeling of having my sleuth solve a murder(s), knowing that justice with be carried out.”
The best!! Thanks for giving me more great reasons to read Cozies!
So true. Mysteries give us the sense that justice has been served and all has been set right—at least, temporarily.