Today I welcome my friend Susan Spann, author of the popular Shinobi Mystery series set in sixteenth century Japan. Susan has just published the fourth novel in the series. In THE NINJA'S DAUGHTER (which I
reviewed yesterday), master ninja Hiro Hattori and Portuguese Jesuit Father Mateo investigate the murder of an actor's daughter from the Kyoto theater district--
an investigation that soon reveals a mysterious golden coin, a forbidden love affair, a missing mask, and a dangerous link to corruption that leaves both Hiro and Father Mateo running for their lives. I hope the following interview with Susan will have you running to your nearest bookstore for a copy of THE NINJA'S DAUGHTER as soon as you reach the end!
THE NINJA’S
DAUGHTER is set in the theater district of sixteenth-century Kyoto, with actors
as primary characters. What about this milieu particularly appealed to you as a
rich setting for a historical mystery?
Medieval Japanese culture was multifaceted, with each social
or mercantile group coexisting but also living distinctly separately from the
others. I love exploring a different aspect of the culture in every book, and
the theater world had such fascinating customs that I wanted to bring it to
life. For example, the custom that only men could act on the stage made women
far less prominent in the acting guilds than they often were among merchant
families. The idea that an actor’s daughter might not accept her societal
role—and what might happen to her as a result—intrigued me, and that in turn
gave birth to THE NINJA'S DAUGHTER.
What is your
favorite scene from THE NINJA’S DAUGHTER and why? Which scene was the most
difficult to write?
My favorite scene is one that actually didn’t appear in the
original manuscript. My fabulous agent, Sandra Bond, read the completed story
before we sent it on to my editor, Dan Mayer, at Seventh Street Books. When she
finished reading, she sent me an email that basically said, “it’s great . . .
but it needs another death.” Without giving away too much (or any spoilers) I
added a scene in which Hiro and Father Mateo have to deal with an unexpected
(and unwanted) body.
All of the scenes involving the victim’s family were difficult
to write, because of their high emotional charge. The victim was a teenaged
girl, and portraying that loss realistically was difficult, both in the writing
and on an emotional level.
Last year you were
able to travel to Japan for research. How have your descriptions benefitted
from your sensory experience of Japan? Did cultural or historical discoveries
influence the trajectory of your plot?
I adore Japan, and spending time there definitely impacts my
novels. The biggest benefit is walking in the footsteps of my characters—seeing
the temples and shrines that form the settings of many scenes in the novel
helps me set the scenery in a more realistic and accurate way. For example,
visiting Fushimi Inari shrine helped me recreate the nō play that takes place
near the base of Mt. Inari in THE NINJA'S DAUGHTER.
I spent a lot of time researching nō theater and the
performers’ customs, particularly the treatment of the special, often sacred
masks the performers wore on stage. Although most of that research did not make
it onto the page, my fascination with masks did inspire and influence one of
the story’s major subplots.
Since I’ve never written a mystery, I’d love to hear how
you construct one. Do you begin from a forward-looking “what if” sort of question
or work backwards from a desired end result? Do you layer in different
characters’ reactions and alibis in subsequent drafts or do you have most
things worked out before you begin? As you write, how do you judge whether
misdirection and red herrings are working?
Since I write series mystery, I already have my detectives
and their basic world in mind before I start each book. Because of that, I
normally start with the setting and work from there. THE NINJA'S DAUGHTER is unusual, because it was originally supposed
to be set among the outcaste classes—butchers and tanners—but I switched it to
a theater book about halfway through the initial draft when I realized my
original setting wouldn’t work for the plot I had in mind. (Fortunately, I
already knew I wanted to write a theater book, so it was more a matter of
overlaying the theater on the existing skeleton than a total rewrite.)
With most of my mysteries, including next year’s BETRAYAL AT IGA, I start with a
setting—for that book, the mountain village that’s home to my detective’s Iga
ninja clan—and then decide what kind of death would likely occur in that
particular time and place. Since the Iga ninjas were assassins, and Hiro and
Father Mateo are traveling there to keep the peace during tense negotiations
with the rival Koga clan, the most alarming death I could imagine was the
murder of the Koga ambassador, by poison, under conditions that made it look as
if the Iga clan was responsible for his death. The rest of the plot, the
suspects, and the story grew from there.
I write an 8-10 page outline before I start drafting, and
most of the alibis, red herrings, and major clues get figured out at the
outline stage. Once I start writing, however, the outline always changes. New
characters show up unexpectedly, existing characters act in ways I hadn’t
anticipated, and I often discover subplots and additional clues as I go along.
Hiro and Father Mateo have worked together now through
four novels. How has their relationship changed since the first book? What
obstacle/character flaw/cultural restriction poses the greatest threat to their
friendship? Do you foresee a time when their mutual trust might become sorely
tested?
Hiro and Father Mateo’s relationship has definitely
deepened, and their friendship strengthened substantially, since CLAWS OF THE CAT. They’ve begun to trust
one another more, which allows me to share more about them with readers
(through their communications). Their different perspectives—Hiro’s pragmatism
and Father Mateo’s faith—continue to be stumbling blocks on occasion, but their
growing mutual respect allows them to get along despite their differences.
Their mutual trust will absolutely be tested in future
books, starting with the next installment, BETRAYAL OF IGA.
Of the numerous secondary characters who populate your
novels, which intrigues you the most? Has any character turned out very
different from what you first envisioned?
I love writing secondary characters, because they can be so
unique and so different—and because I don’t necessarily have to bring them back
in every book. Many of them do surprise me, mainly by becoming more important
to the story than I originally anticipated. In THE NINJA'S DAUGHTER, my favorite secondary character is the victim’s
younger brother, Haru. The scene in which he saves a giant Japanese beetle runs
a close second for my favorite scene in the book.
THE NINJA’S
DAUGHTER is your fourth published novel. How have you progressed as a writer
since penning the first, CLAWS OF THE CAT? How do you challenge yourself to
improve and grow, especially within the confines of a series?
I try to improve my craft with every book I write (and
hopefully, I succeed!). My dialogue skills have definitely improved since CLAWS OF THE CAT, and I think my characters
have more depth now, too. I’ve learned to tap into deeper emotions, which was
important for THE NINJA'S DAUGHTER.
From a series perspective, I don’t let myself get away with
repeating tricks. Each novel has to involve a different kind of murder, in a
different setting, and my ninja detective, Hiro, has to use a different kind of
ninja skill or tool in every book. In the future installments, I’ll also be
putting my medieval Japanese spin on a few classic mystery tropes, like the
“locked room murder”—but presented in a fresh, new way.
What advice do you
have for aspiring writers, especially in today’s difficult market?
To quote the movie GALAXY QUEST: “Never give up—Never
surrender.” Publishing is difficult, and the journey to publication can be long,
hard, and apparently never-ending. It took me ten years and five full
manuscripts to find my agent and secure my first publishing deal. Many times, I
wondered if the effort was worth it or if I should just give up. The problem
is, you never know if the last rejection really was the last one, and the next response you receive might be the
“yes” that you’ve been waiting for.
My advice is keep writing, keep believing, and
keep pushing forward. As soon as you finish one book, start the next one. Each
manuscript you write will make you stronger, and bring you that much closer to
fulfillment of your dream.
**********
You can learn more about Susan Spann and her books at her
website.
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