February 4, 2002 Crime fiction author Laurie R. King to reflect on 'The Mystery of Writing' By Ann M. Gibb "I often feel like I'm picking my way through a dark labyrinth, with very small candles." This could be a quote from one of Laurie R. King's mystery novels, but it's actually the author herself reflecting on "The Mystery of Writing." Laurie R. King, a UCSC graduate, often uses Central Coast and San Francisco Bay Area settings in her novels. At 7 p.m. on February 11, at the Santa Cruz Central Branch Library, 224 Church St., King will talk about the mysterious writing process, writing mysteries, and her forthcoming novel, Justice Hall. Jointly sponsored by the Friends of the UCSC Library and the Friends of the Santa Cruz Public Libraries, King's talk is the first in the annual "In Celebration of the West" writers series, which is free and open to the public. A best-selling author of 12 crime fiction novels and winner of the 1993 Edgar Allan Poe Award from the Mystery Writers of America, King has plenty of experience exploring the writing process. "Where do you get your ideas?" is a question that makes many writers cringe, but King shows great compassion for novice writers and curious readers. "Since I'm in the final stages of a book at the moment, the writing process is of more than academic interest to me; it's urgent that I think about it," says King. She explains her dark labyrinth analogy as "following the story," or the leads and directions suggested by the characters she creates. "A lot of times, especially with beginning writers, it helps to know that others depend on this technique," she says. "Her writing is really, really strong," says Jody Greene, UC Santa Cruz assistant professor of literature and women's studies, who will introduce King at her book talk. "She pushes the boundaries of the novels she works on." King is known for her strong female characters. "Contemporary genre fiction that features female protagonists usually doesn't champion the intellectual side of life. But all of her heroines have these arcane knowledges. That's what's outstanding to me about her work," explains Greene. An intriguing feature of King's writing is the recurring religious and theological themes. King has a B.A. in religious studies from UCSC, where she did her senior thesis on "The Holy Fool in Western Culture." Some years later, her thesis provided the germ of an idea for a novel. "I wondered what a Holy Fool would look like in the 20th century, rather than medieval times," she recalls. Development of this speculation became the second book in her Kate Martinelli series, To Play the Fool. "I have a lot of ideas in the back of my head, and I have a long lead time, sometimes two to three years, before I work on them. Like grit in an oyster, it takes a long time before it turns into 'a pearl of great price.'" A third-generation Californian and a resident of Watsonville, Calif., King often uses central California coast and San Francisco Bay Area settings in her novels. The protagonist of King's popular Mary Russell series experiences a key turning point in her life on the Pacific Coast Highway south of San Francisco. "I was totally skeptical about the Mary Russell series," says Greene about King's novels pairing a middle-aged Sherlock Holmes with a young woman, "but not only did they turn out to be interestingly quirky, they don't play it safe. The series does something potentially incredibly difficult: inserting yourself into someone else's narrative, and not only someone else's, the father of detective fiction." Those who attend "The Mystery of Writing" will have the chance to learn how King achieves what Greene calls "exactly the perfect combination of pleasure reading and thinking reading." Return to Front Page