Being funny

by Donna Andrews of the Femmes Fatales.

I have come to a sad realization: Meg Langslow, heroine of my series, is not funny. Neither is her husband Michael.

The books, I hasten to point out, are funny. At least they're intended to be, and I think they succeed. But that's because Meg is always surrounded by her family. Her relatives are eccentric, stubborn, contrary, rebellious, sometimes even crazy—but funny.

Meg has a sense of humor, of course, and that shows in the way she narrates each story. So does Michael. In fact, I suspect having a well-developed sense of humor is the only thing that keeps both of them from being driven around the bend by her family.

But Meg and Michael are also logical, well-organized, and . . . well, sane. Left to their own devices, they could probably manage to avoid the kind of crises her family tends to involve them in. Their lives would be productive, calm, peaceful, orderly, rewarding, and quite happy. But not very funny.

(This, incidentally, is why I have never written a story about Meg and Michael's honeymoon. They have never even revealed to a single family member where it took place, and I'm not telling. They enjoyed the fabulous local scenery and food; they took in all the beautiful, historical, or interesting sights; and they spent long, romantic hours in each other's company. A break before they were plunged into the ordinary chaos of life with Meg's family. Let's give them that.)

Anyway, when I start planning a book, in addition to coming up with a viable murder plot and some bird-related theme to go with the title du jour, I also have to figure out what Meg's relatives will be up to that drags them into the plot.

Not all of them, of course. After more than twenty books, my fictional world has acquired a rather large cast of characters. If I tried to give them each his or her moment in every book, there wouldn't be much time for Meg and Michael—much less a murder. So I pick and choose, depending on who fits into each plot. Meg's dad plays a big role The Good, the Bad, and the Emus, which is about the search for his long-lost mother. So I set the next book, The Nightingale Before Christmas, in a decorator showhouse, where Meg's mother could take center stage.

In those books in which I take Meg and Michael away from their home town of Caerphilly, I always need to ensure that a critical mass of family members go along. So if, for example, I decided to have Meg solve a mystery aboard a cruise ship, it would have to be a cruise on which many of her family were also going. The mind boggles at the thought of being trapped on a cruise ship with even a small number of Meg's relatives, but someone has to suffer for art. Usually Meg rather than me.

Gone Gull takes place in Riverton, the fictional Virginia town that was also the setting for The Good, the Bad, and the Emus. Picking up on something mentioned in passing in Emus, Meg's grandmother Cordelia has bought the Biscuit Mountain, former site of the family art pottery factory, and opened a residential craft class center. In the center's initial summer session, Meg will teach blacksmithing, and Michael will run a children's theater class in which Josh and Jamie, their twins, are enrolled. So far so good. But I needed a few more family members to reach a quorum. Okay—her cousin Rose Noire can teach herbology. Grandfather can teach a class on nature photography, with the assistance of Dad, Caroline Willner, and an actual nature photographer. I even found a way to recruit her cousin Horace, the forensic specialist, and arrange cameo appearances by Mother and Meg's brother Rob.

I suspect my editor, who shares my fascination with blacksmithing, was delighted to see that the book actually opened with Meg at her forge, not merely hammering iron but teaching her craft to a room full of students. And incurable romantics, like Rose Noire, will probably be disappointed that Grandfather and Cordelia will not be reuniting and living happily ever after. I think I can manage to keep them from knocking one another off, at least for a few books, but that's about it. And besides, it's funnier that way.

Gone Gull is available in hardback, as an ebook, and as an unabridged audiobook read by the award-winning Bernadette Dunne. And in honor of the latter, just mention in a comment—here or on Facebook—that you're an audio book fan, and I'll enter you in a random drawing to win the CD-set of Gone Gull.

p.s. That other cover? I also have a Christmas book coming out this year. October 24. How the Finch Stole Christmas. More on that later.

 

 

 

Comments

[Mark]

Can't wait to read the new book!

[Shari Randall]

Can't wait for the new books! BTW, my husband has me hooked on a new History Channel blacksmith competition show, Forged in Fire. I think of Meg every time I watch. https://www.facebook.com/forgedinfireofficial/

[Kim Rigazzi]

I really enjoy your books and I think the basis of the charm is watching Meg, and then Michael, deal with the zaniness that surrounds Meg's family. You write them in such a relatable manner, that as a reader, I find myself drawn to their situations and comparing their family with mine -- although, thankfully, their family always wins :-) Can't wait to read _Gone Gull_ tomorrow!

[Cathy M]

I'm a long time fan of the Langslow/Waterston clan and have enjoyed following the development of the family. I'm a fan of ebooks and audiobooks because I can take entire collections with me when I travel. And there's nothing like a good book read by a talented artist like Bernadette Dunne to take your mind off housework drudgery. Thanks for providing hours of enjoyment reading and listening to your books.

[Margaret Hamilton Turkevich]

Extreme croquet, Uncle Horace's moth eaten gorilla suit, and the Shiffley family. And Spike. Can't wait to read Gone Gull.

[Deanne Edwards]

I have this pre ordered. Can't wait until it arrives!

[Jana Leah]

I love audiobooks! Listening to the audiobook version of Crouching Buzzard, Leaping Loon is how I was introduced to Meg, Michael, & their funny family. I also love all the non-relatives. Chief Burke, Minerva, Robin, the Shiffleys, to name a few.

[Peggy Barry]

Can't wait to get my book tomorrow. I'm an audio book fan too. Thank you for continuing to write books on Meg and her family.

[hank Phillippi Ryan]

HOW do you keep coming up with those hilarious titles? You are amazing!

[Rhyan]

I find I'm buying the audio MP3 version so I can listen on my phone. I would love to have CD,s never thought of getting them that way.

[Cathy]

It was an audio book (Duck the Halls) that introduced me to your books. I then read ALL of them in record time. Can't wait for the new ones - I've missed Meg and crew.

[Kristina Lindberg]

I enjoy listening to the Meg Langslow mysteries on audio books, especially during long trips. The humor really makes trips easier.

[Christi King]

I have Gone Gull reserved at my local library. I can't wait to read it. I'm a long-time fan of Meg and Michael and of Meg's family!

[Dru]

Love seeing Gone Gull on my kindle this morning.

[Carol B]

I'm looking forward to GONE GULL at some point, hopefully, the near future. It would be great to have an audio version to listen to while maybe actually getting some housework done!

[Rebecca A]

I am enjoying the recordings Bernadette Dunne made of No Nest for the Wicket, The Penguins who Knew Too Much and Owl's Well that ends well. I'm glad you are having these older books recorded. And I hope that will continue.

[Mo Heedles]

I always look forward to another Meg book. This one was waiting for me on my Kindle this morning. Thanks in advance for the fun read.

[Marilynn Wright]

Just finished listening to Gulls. Loved it! Spike is a hero! What a fur ball! We are wondering if some of your books not currently on audio will be. Murder with Peacocks is still one of our favorites. Carry on!