Conversations with Bailey Herrington
Q. How do you structure your stories? Do you outline extensively, or do you let the plot unfold?
I don't outline my stories, but I do work up a plot outline which sometimes is scrapped during the writing of the first draft. The characters drive my plots.
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Q. At what point in the writing process do you know "who did it"? Do you ever change the killer's identity while drafting?
Since my books are fictionalized versions of actual crimes, in most instances I know the killer's identity at the beginning. However, I made up the killers in all five books in the David Elliot Mystery Series. This provides cover for the actual perpetrators' and victims' families, and for me. Authors do not relish lawsuits.
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Q. Were there any plot twists or red herrings that you had to cut or change during revisions?
I don't use red herrings very often because I'm not writing to trick my readers. I changed a plot twist in Dead to Rights due to an obscure point of law I came across in my research.
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Q. How do you ensure that you leave enough clues for the reader to solve the puzzle without making the ending too obvious?
That is a good question! I don't know how to ensure I've left enough clues for the reader. It's like seasoning a recipe for friends you've invited to dinner. How do you ensure that Sally, who favors little or no salt and Dan, who never met a salt shaker he didn't like, will both enjoy the dish? Some readers focus on looking for clues to solve the mystery. Other readers concentrate on the characters, or the story itself.
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Q. In literature and the theater, what does the term "deus ex machina" refer to?
The term translates "God from Machine". It originated in ancient Greek theater when, I kid you not, a simple crane backstage lowered an actor playing the role of a god to solve the problem for the desperate humans on stage. Deus ex machina is the bane of good storytelling, especially mystery storytelling. Perhaps you've read stories in which there's a contrived solution to a seemingly unsolvable problem. For example, Red Riding Hood and her grandmother are saved from death by the sudden appearance of a woodsman who hasn't been mentioned in the story.
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Q. How much research do you conduct for your novels, especially regarding criminal procedure, forensic science, or specific historical periods?
Research in the three areas you mentioned is important to write accurately and authentically. I ignore doing research at my own risk. However, the story is of prime importance. Research must sit in the back seat. I may be fascinated with a ballplayer's batting average, but my readers probably want to know what's going to happen next in the story. If research doesn't help me to write a good story, it isn't necessary.
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