Safe Novels

By Kelly Bridgewater

I rejoice when any author I have followed on Facebook earns the right to become published. It is a lot of hard work. Either producing a publishable manuscript or doing all the market work to have the book reach the hands of an agent or editor who finds the book worthy of publication.

I'm proud to say they have reached the stars. Congratulations!

I surely can't do that.

 At least, not yet. (Lord, willing.)

But . . .

I have noticed lately that a number of authors have been published with safe stories.

What is a safe story do you ask?

I believe it is a story that checks off all the elements of a certain genre. It is well-written with all the senses involved. Deep Point of View is invoked. The story begins with friends who hate each other or a dead body. Then the romance story follows with love you and then hate you moments before beginning with the end where the couple realizes their growing feelings and declare their undying love to the predictable happily-ever-after. In the romantic suspense or mystery novel, the story begins with a dead body or a suspenseful element then the police officers or reporters talk to suspects, follow clues, and end with a climactic moment where the heroine or hero is captured by the bad guy hence revealing the bad guy and the motive.

While I have read TONS of novels that feature this plot movement, I want something different. Something that strikes it out of the park with a different element or a twist to the novel that has me studying the novel with post-its in hands. The last suspense novel that shocked me was The Knight by Steven James. I did not guess the killer, and when I finished the novel, I stepped back going "No Way. No Way. How was that guy the villain?" I actually went back and studied the clues and found them. James did a good job at covering them that I didn't even notice them. Still my favorite suspense novel.

Some books lately have been written so safe that fans of that genre enjoy and devour these books because they are safe, but they have been boring me. Already read that. Knew exactly what the end of the story would be. Totally predictable and not original.

What about you? Have you found any "safe novels?" Don't list any titles because I really don't want to offend anyone but are there some "safe novels" you found?