It's Getting to Be That Time of Year Again!

And I don't mean Halloween! Nope, it's almost time for the annual writing fest known as National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo!

I participated last year and it was a ton of fun. It was also a ton of work, but I found it an uplifting and satisfying experience. I also found myself challenged, and felt I grew more as a writer as a result.

From November 1st through November 30th you are to write a 50,000 word novel. It can be about anything you like. Just write 50,000 words. The point of the project is to get people writing.

If you like, you can also participate through Smashwords (http://bit.ly/ajLNlb) where you can also publish your novel as an e-book is you like, and sell it to donate the profits to NaNoWriMo's young writers program. It's a worthwhile cause on many levels.

So, if you have ever thought about writing a book, look into it! Visit their website http://bit.ly/nj2e58 to get more information, and see what else they do. I think you'll find it a rewarding experience!

It's Not a Race!

So many times we get into the mind set that we need to get our work done as quickly as possible. For some reason we seem to think speed adds to the value of what we're doing; that's its better if we get it done fast.  I've noticed this trend in most jobs incuding writing. If you're not in journalism, is speed really of the essence?

There's been a trend amongst authors who are extremely successful to get a book out every year. Since I don't work with or through a traditional publishing house I don't know how much of this is due to contractual concerns and the publisher wanting to strike while the iron is hot. But at what cost?

One well known mystery/detective writer was highly criticized for his last novel, which critics complained read like it was written on a plane as he flew to his destination. Other authors seems as if they start using a template, just change a few names and situations around, and main characters begin to feel stale and uninteresting in popular series.

So my question is: at what cost is this rush to publish getting us? A high cost for the readers.

Isn't it more important to write a quality story rather than just getting a book out there? Of course it is. We all of us as readers want the next installment from a writer we particularly like. However, it isn't worth being disappointed in the results when there's a rush to produce.

So whether you're a file clerk, an accountant, a proposal manager, cleaning your apartment or writing a novel, take your time.

Remember how your grandmother always said, a job worth doing is worth doing well?

She was right!

Book Give Away!

Anyone out there interested in a free e-book?

If you like romances, and are willing to post reviews on Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Smashwords for me, I'll be giving away 15 copies of my book Finding Normal.

Leave a comment here, post on my Facebook page http://on.fb.me/g1z5Jt or send me an email at maureenmullis@hotmail.com.

Looking forward to hearing from you!

Where DO Those Ideas Come From?

Anyone who is creative is asked at some point or another where they get their ideas. Is it based on personal experience, come from a dream, overheard in a conversation, or do the ideas just come out of thin air?


For writers there are a variety of ways to get ideas for books. Magazine and newspaper articles can be a source of inspiration. Shannon Hale takes folk and fairy tales and reworks them into novels, while some mystery writers take old, unsolved cases as jumping off points for books.

On a couple of occasions I’ve asked myself the question “What if?” to get started telling a story. What if two good friends who had loved the old Nancy Drew books as girls found themselves in the middle of a murder mystery? And what if a woman is left alone in a seaside house with a mysterious portrait of an unknown woman while a storm rages outside the house and inside her mind?

Sometimes just carrying around a notebook so when an idea strikes you can jot it down can get you going. But the main thing is to keep your eyes and ears open. I’ve gotten story ideas from others that think I could use them, and I have!

One particular story happened to me personally, though not to the extent I wrote about it. I woke up one night to hear to men arguing in the street below my bedroom window. It started to turn violent so, after shaking the sleep out of my brain I made my way to the window and looked out on an empty street. That got me thinking too!

Wherever, however you get your ideas the thing that I believe is that you need to follow through with them. It may turn out or it may not. If you’re a writer too, just give it a shot and see what you wind up with. Probably a pretty darned good story!

How Much To Reveal

Vacation has been over for awhile and I've been extremely busy. I have a new novel coming out the end of October, I've been working on the next Maeve and Kate mystery, and I have also been working with a new writer who's trying to write his first YA book.

One of the things we've been discussing is how much do you need to reveal to your reader? As a writer you know a lot about your characters, the situations, the setting, etc. Usually you know much more than you can put into the book. These past few weeks I feel as if I'm pulling hard on the reins of this writer, telling him to hold back more.

As a reader as well as a writer, I think most details should, and will, reveal themselves as the story unfolds. Though I don't write young adults novels, I don't think readers are interested in much of the banalities of every day life. That's why we're reading. We like this experience of voyeurism into someone elses experiences, which are usually going to be much more exciting than our own.

And some of the intimacies of a character's personal life are not necessary to move the story along. If there is a question of why that character is acting a certain way I think it will be revealed the more they interact with other characters and situations in the story.

While this is easy to point out to someone else, it is more difficult to keep in mind in my own writing, and I find myself also reining myself in.

Modern Times

Vacation time is here! Er, no, I'm not going to Jamaica or anything as luxurious as that, I just liked this picture! My family and I are getting ready for vacation. The housesitter/dog watcher is all lined up and reservations are made and, of course, I have my reading material waiting for me.

Writers are generally people who love to read. That's why we become writers. Unfortunately as a writer, plus a wife and mother, there is not enough time for me to read all that I would like to. Vacation time, whether its spent at home or on a trip, is a time for me to get some serious reading in. In between the sightseeing trips, time in the pool, or picnics, I like to read. A friend of mine confessed to me that when she and her husband went on a cruise not long ago, he spent the time in sports activities, seeing shows, hitting the buffets and the like while she sat in a deck chair with a cold drink and ... you guessed it! A long list of books. It was the perfect vacation for each of them.

But what my friend and I also have in common is that modern device: the e-reader. While it used to be that you could only bring a couple of books with you, or you had to hit a bookstore on your trip, you can now take a whole library with you! It's so great! I'm usually reading a couple of books at a time, and having an e-reader allows me to easily take all the books I'm interested in with me wherever I go and switch from one to another effortlessly.

I think ebooks are amazing anyway, but if you're a traveller, be it for pleasure or business, there can be no better way to go!

Sitting in Time Out

I've been out of the blog-o-sphere for quite awhile now. My life has been fraught with ... well.... stuff. Now as summer is winding down I'm getting back into my writing groove. The thing that has been the most difficult is dealing with a serious case of what I thought was burnout or writer's block. I just read an interesting article in Psychology Today and I'm starting to think it wasn't burnout or writer's block at all.

Fear is the thing that professional writer Gene Perret says causes writer's block and burnout (http://t.co/PLqtjyc). I have to agree with Mr. Perret. It is a terrifying thing to write a book and put it out there for people to read and critique. In addition I struggle with marketing my books; not sure of exactly what I'm doing there. And, quite frankly, I'd rather write!

But I think what happened to me this summer was a mild form of depression. I don't think it's too uncommon for writers. I mean look at the bios of Ernest Hemmingway, Sylvia Plath and Virginia Wolf. Writing can be gut wrenching. It is also deeply satisfying. Sometimes it feels very frustrating.

I have made too many promises to people to read/review books, to interview and post those interviews, and to help others with their writing. Sadly, not too many offer to reciprocate.  Writers, like all of us, need to pace themselves. Burnout is all too easy in any job, even if it's one you love.

I have a new book coming out this fall, and am working on a sequel to my cozy mystery. I know I need to work on marketing and selling my books, but I've decided to work on writing. For now, that's what I need to do. And hopefully my mojo will come back to me and this self-imposed time out will come to an end.