106 - Kat Rosenfield - Mistress of Murder

Follow Kat on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/katrosenfield

Kat’s website:
https://katrosenfield.com/

Some of Kat’s non-fiction writing, for UnHerd and Spectator World:
https://unherd.com/author/kat-rosenfield/
https://spectatorworld.com/author/kat-rosenfield/

Purchase Kat’s new book, No One Will Miss Her, here:
https://www.harpercollins.com/products/no-one-will-miss-her-kat-rosenfield

Listen to Kat’s podcast, Feminine Chaos, here:
https://shows.acast.com/femininechaos

Support Feminine Chaos here:
https://www.patreon.com/femininechaos

References:

Who Is the Bad Art Friend? - New York Times:
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/05/magazine/dorland-v-larson.html

Feminine Chaos episode discussing the Bad Art Friend controversy:
https://shows.acast.com/femininechaos/episodes/conflict-is-stored-in-the-kidneys

Papers in the Wind by Eduardo Sacheri:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Papers-Wind-Eduardo-Sacheri/dp/1590516427

Timestamps:

2:20 Kat introduces and reads an excerpt from her new novel, No One Will Miss Her.

7:03 Kat discusses her previous novels in comparison to her new one.

7:45 Why are women attracted to murder mystery novels? Is it because women constantly feel at risk from men and want to take control? Why was Kat drawn to the genre?

11:43 The historical and current associations between women and the novel—both in general and with murder mystery/whodunnits in particular. The particular expectations of women writers/readers vs. male writers/readers.

14:27 The connection between the novel of manners and the murder mystery.

15:43 Kat’s literary (and musical) influences and inspirations.

19:58 Is there a difference between the way men and women write in this genre or is the individual’s approach more important?

20:58 Kat’s experiences of the differences between writing YA fiction and adult fiction. What restrictions and freedoms are there in these genres? The passing of the early 2010s ‘YA moment’ and YA now—the current constricting focus on identity in YA and literary fiction.

25:03 Is there a real distinction between ‘literary fiction’ and other forms of fiction? ‘Literary fiction’ as a social scene or community rather than a distinct mode of writing. Pulpy fiction vs. literary fiction. The Bad Art Friend controversy.

30:43 Is fiction by and for women devalued because of its femininity? Male novels vs. female novels in the 18th century. ‘Trashy’ masculine novels. ‘Chick lit’ and ‘dick lit’.

34:22 Have there been surprising reactions to Kat’s new novel? One maddening review. How to construct mysteries and twists effectively. The pleasures of reading well-constructed plots.

37:08 The importance of plotting and how literary fiction is often lacking in this regard. The difficulty of coming after Agatha Christie, the master of construction and plotting. Good surprises in fiction vs. bad ones. The pleasures of re-reading well-constructed plots.

42:47 Kat’s feelings on her new novel being finished and ‘out there’. Her anxiety over surpassing herself in her next novel.

44:55 Kat’s choices about the ‘left-behind town’ setting of No One Will Miss Her. The challenges of writing mystery in the age of the internet and constant interpersonal connection.

49:15 Connections between Kat’s fiction and non-fiction: exploring the same questions via different angles.

50:00 Is there a specific theme running through Kat’s writing that she sees as ‘her own’? What are the subjects and questions that interest Kat? How women’s traditional social skills give them an advantage in the digital age.

52:08 The differences between male and female violence/aggression.

53:50 Kat discusses why she loves the process of writing.