Last week, I self-published The Case for Killing on Amazon. People ask me how I came to write this book.
The answer to this question changed over time.
I started in May, 2012 because I needed a project to distract me from life challenges. I’d written a lot when I was younger and it was natural for me to return to writing fiction.
The initial idea was to follow an unidentified person transitioning from thoughts of murder to a plan. That character interested me enough that I kept writing.
Then other surprising (to me) characters emerged, particularly that of the proposed victim. The writing became, more or less, a daily activity, generally for a few hours, just to see where the story went. The book wrote easily. Each day, after writing a few pages, I felt I’d achieved something. And the next morning, I looked forward to the next paragraphs.
There was no better moment than reaching the end of the first draft. I felt there was a real story, with a credible plot, set of characters and psychology. Others agreed.
After that, there were months of editing, deciding what to do with the book and self-doubt. The “why” of writing the book had become creating the best version of the book I could.
Now I would say I wrote The Case for Killing to be read. Of course I hope some readers like it and that this endeavour is not an embarrassment. I’m even embracing the book’s release as something of a commercial venture. Whatever the outcome, it’s better to risk putting it out there than not.
Many thanks to readers of The Case for Killing. You’re very appreciated.