This is an updated version of a post I had on the blog for a few months several years ago and then removed. Writing crime fiction vs. writing feel-good fiction… It’s topical again, because at the moment I have both a crime fiction wip and a feel-good project on the go, as I write another suspense novel and rework my novella series.

Crime vs. feel-good… So which do I prefer? We’ll look at the pros of each first.

The pros of writing crime fiction:
1. When people annoy you in real life, all you have to do is make them the victim in your next book (with a different name, of course).
2. You come across some very interesting facts as you do your research. (I could tell you ALL about the decomposition of bodies in air-tight containers.)
3. There’s a certain macabre satisfaction in choosing creepy cover images. Or maybe that’s just me…

The pros of writing feel-good fiction:
1. You don’t have to put your characters through quite the same horror-scenarios.
2. Your elderly relatives are more likely to approve of your new book.
3. Doing your research doesn’t give you nightmares.

Of course, they both have cons, too:

The cons of writing crime fiction:
1. Your browsing history could have you arrested.
2. You have to be extremely careful naming your villains. You don’t want to offend your nearest and dearest.
3. A day of putting your protagonist through hell on earth is exhausting.

The cons of writing feel-good fiction:
1. It takes you longer to get started in the morning – you need a third cup of coffee to get into a suitably feel-good mood.
2. You find yourself feeling jealous of your characters. They seem to end up with everything you’ve ever wanted…
3. It’s very frustrating having to write a happy end when you’re feeling grumpy.

So which do I prefer? The jury’s still out…

I’ll leave you with a photo of Lake Constance, where my feel-good fiction’s set.

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