Let's Do The Mash, Let’s Do the Genre Mash!

HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN:  All hail the truly amazing J. T. Ellison! I have been a fan of  the brilliant J.T. from the very beginning–I profoundly remember reading her first book–and (I wonder if she remembers) wrote her gushing a fan letter.

Now, ten million (at least) marvelous books later, JT continues to prove she's an authentically wonderful  and hard-working writer–she raises the bar at every turn, and readers can tell that she’s always pushing, pushing pushing to be even better! And  as an innovative and riveting author, she’s flying sky high.

Her newest, LAST SEEN, is again a tour de force. Special, different, unique, and truly JT. 

AND lucky lucky you reds and readers: , one of you will win a copy of LAST SEEN! Just leave a question of a comment to be entered to win.

How Genre Mashups Elevate the Story

by J. T. Ellison

What makes a mystery unforgettable? A hint of something unexpected. Many of our favorite writers are layering in elements from other genres to make their stories fresh and new. Whether there’s a Gothic edge, setting-driven folklore, a touch of romance, or even the supernatural, the modern mystery is full of surprises. These genre mashups are breathing new life into the time-honored tradition of the who-done-it. 

There’s an excellent resource out there, John Truby’s The Anatomy of Genres, for any writers who want to explore how to craft the merging of genres. But for the readers, finding what works and what doesn’t can be hit or miss. 

In LAST SEEN, I wanted to be mindful about adding elements from outside of my genre. The book is a mystery, featuring a main character, Halley James, who discovers that her entire life has been a lie. She was told that her mother died in a car accident, when in fact, she was murdered. The why behind the mystery—why her father would lie to her—is quickly brought to the fore when he admits who the killer is.

 Halley is shocked, but her father insists that hiding the truth was necessary. He’s only sought to keep his daughter safe. Who could blame him?

With that set up, I knew I wanted to play with the tone of this novel, and the best way to do that was to have a nameless narrator whom I simply referred to during the writing of the book as the Monster. (A note: Scott Brick is reading this part in the audiobook—astoundingly creepy.)

My monster in this story is a man, but he is also a mythic creature, someone who lurks in the darkness, hides in the night, and even has an underground lair. Mythologically, he is the embodiment of chaos, bringing intense creepiness and the element of horror that pervades the topical mystery, giving the story a dark and unsettling turn.

I wanted to use the element of darkness as a core theme, both literally and figuratively. Monsters create eerie atmospheres and blur the line between human and inhuman culprits. Is he a man, or beast, or a ghost? He could be any—he might be all of the above. 

This mashup of suspense with a subtle element of horror gave the book a darkness and an insularity that played incredibly well with the story I was trying to tell. Every page grew darker and more impactful, and when the Monster narrator appears, it becomes even more compelling. The suspense became more suspenseful because it’s impossible to know what his next move might be. 

I loved it, and I will definitely continue to do so in the future. It adds complexity to the story, making it very enjoyable to write. 

But it’s not just me. Many wonderful stories blend these elemental genres. Some of my favorite authors are incorporating facets from other genres to create new and unexpected stories. Lucy Foley, Lisa Jewell, Ruth Ware, Lisa Unger, Riley Sager, Lisa Scottoline, Silvia Moreno-Garcia, S.A. Cosby, Tana French—all are recent reads who’ve brought something unique but universal to their recent books by taking familiar stories and merging them with elements from other genres. 

I’d love to hear some of your favorite genre mashups! Who does it well?

HANK:  Such a great question! Certainly the brilliant Lisa Scottoline, whose Tuscany books  and historical fiction break away from her usual thrillers, but still keep the Lisa touch! And so agree about Riley Sager.  Shari Lapena took a chance–and succeeded wildly–with WHAT HAVE YOU DONE–she actually calls  it a ghost story! Rachel Howzell Hall  added romantasy to her work. And our own Rhys Bowen and Jenn McKinlay push the genre boundaries every day. (I did it,too, in ALL THIS COULD BE YOURS...more I cannot say.)

Another question for you all: if your favorite author tries something new–are you willing to follow them to their new genre?

Leave a question of comment to be entered to win LAST SEEN! (and do you recognize the "inspiration" for the the title of this blog?)

J.T. Ellison is the Nashville-based New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of more than 30 psychological thrillers, and the Emmy® award-winning co-host of A Word on Words on Nashville PBS. She created the Taylor Jackson and Dr. Samantha Owens series, co-wrote the Brit in the FBI series with Catherine Coulter, and has penned multiple standalone hits like A Very Bad Thing, It’s One of Us, and Lie to Me. With millions of books sold across 30 countries, her work has earned the ITW Thriller Award, Indie Next picks, Amazon Editor’s Pick, Book of the Month, among other honors. Last Seen is her most recent thriller.

Follow her @thrillerchick and read about the process of writing Last Seen at The Creative Edge Substack. (https://jtellison.substack.com)