This Writer's Wish List

I know, I've blogged about this before, but one of the hardest things for me as a writer is naming my characters. One of the perks of writing a series is that the main characters names stay the same throughout the novels. I am just terrible at coming up with names.

One time I came up with the perfect name for one of the women in the last book I was working on. Loved the name, totally invested in it and then, I was watching a rerun of an old TV show and there was the name I was using! It was a main character in a former TV show I used to watch! No wonder I loved it. Had to find another name for her. So sad.

My wish list? I would love to have a magic hat I could reach into and pull out the perfect name for the character I'm writing about at the moment. That would be so great! But since that' s not likely to happen I go through all kinds of shenanigans to get my character names.

I have posted here on this blog asking for help, posted on facebook and twitter. I put out an all call to my facebook friends asking if they'd give me permission to use their names in a book, which they did. That worked really well.

I've gotten programs from graduations and used the names in them, gone through phone books, read through the credits of movies and television shows looking for interesting names to use. I pester my kids and my husband to give me names.

Titles of books seem to come easily to me, so I'm not sure why names are so difficult. I didn't have this kind of problem naming my children or pets. So what's up?

If you know where I can find my magic hat, drop me a line. Or if you have some names to pass on please! I'm five chapters into the new Maeve and Kate mystery and once again .... Where'd that hat go anyway??

A New Book Released, A New Book Started

This is a busy year for me. In May the second Maeve and Kate Mystery, Lethal Prescription, was released. A new romance, set at Christmas, has been finished and is being edited, and I started the third Maeve and Kate book. Whew!

I'm also working on getting the cover for the romance novel designed and made which is a lot more work than you might think. In addition to these two projects, I also started a new cozy mystery based on an idea my husband gave me. I have the first few chapters written but have put it on the back burner for the moment while I get working on Maeve and Kate. Sometimes I wish I didn't need to sleep or deal with household chores (laundry, shopping, cooking, etc.) so I could get all the writing done that I'd like to.

In the meantime I write as much as I can and get done what else I can as I can. I also have a hard time with the lovely weather we have this time of year. I so want to be outside playing than inside working, but then, who doesn't?

The good thing about this is that after writing two novels and one short story with these characters, Maeve and Kate are real to me. They have their own quirks, personalities and strengths and weaknesses. I really love spending time with them. I like Elkhorn and the people they know in their hometown. I like going to the Koffee Klatch and visiting with their friends there, and I sometimes with Pizza Station was real so I could take my family there too!

Yes, my writer's life is busy, but when you're fortunate, as I am, to do what you love, it's also a wonderful life!

Having Fun With Writing

Writing is fun. Let's just say it; making up stories is something most of us like to do when we're little. To do it as an adult and to have other people read these stories is a childhood dream come true. It is for me. I love most of the aspects of writing a book. Creating a setting, characters, plots. Twisting things so they come out the way you want them to. Mysteries are a way of making things come out the way they're supposed to -- the good guys always win and all that. Your characters always have the right comeback in a tense situation; because the situation isn't tense for you as a writer. You can take your time and formulate the words that fit the scene without having to do it off the cuff.

In my lastest cozy mystery Lethal Prescription, I had a lot of fun writing about the latest adventure of Maeve Haile and Kate Hanson. The characters are near and dear to my heart because they are based on the women I have known through my life and the depth of the friendships we have shared. Maeve and Kate share such a friendship, along with their love of Nancy Drew, which is what spurred them into the practice of solving crimes in their hometown. They argue, they laugh, they support each other, listen to each others problems and concerns, and know that no matter what they have each other's backs. Isn't that what we all wish for?

One of the most fun parts of writing this book was the character names.  Giving names to the people in my books is difficult for me. I constantly change the names, meddle with them, update them and wish I liked them better. I named one character and loved it, only to realize a few weeks later that I'd used the name of a character from an old television show I used to watch. Hah! And I thought I'd dreamed it up all on my own.

This book needed quite a few names; some for characters who participated in the story, and some for characters who were used as part of background. At first I struggled with it all, and then I came up with the idea of asking my women friends if they would give me permission to use their names. Many did, and I used them in the book. It was fun to use the names of these women who've befriended me and given their support with my writing. We even had a little fun with it all when one friend said I could use her name but she didn't want to be killed in my book. Of course, she was a victim! We even had a moment of silence for her passing, all in jest with a great deal of humor. I so love and appreciate my friends.

As they read this book I hope they enjoy seeing their names and have fun with it as much as I did. I hope you do too.

The Joy of Editing (Not!)

One of the first things I remember learning when I was in journalism school was that no one should edit their own work. This is great if you work on a newspaper because there are copy editors who do that for you. But if you are an aspiring author, and an indie author at that, what do you do? Editors are pricey, and most of us just starting out don't have the funds to allow us to hire a professional.

The first thing I do when I have finished a manuscript is to put it away for a couple of months. I work on my next book, take care of things that got left as I was absorbed in writing, whatever. When I pick it up again my eyes are fresh to be able to give it an initial edit/rewrite pass and make it as good as I possibly can.

The next step for me is to get some of my beta readers to read it and mark it up for me with the problems they find. After all that than it needs another fresh set of eyes to look at it and edit it. But, as an indie author who hasn't quite hit the big time, what do I do?

Swap with other authors who are in the same boat I am, or ask friends who are good editors to edit for me in exchange for being able to be one of the first to read it. Sometimes I promise a free copy of the book after it's published. Also offer to mention their efforts in the acknowledgements in the book whereby they may be able to get some work from other authors.

I'm sure there are other resources out there and ideas that I haven't tapped into yet, but there are always ways. My goal is to, at some point, be able to hire a professional service. But until that happens I have to be as creative in editing as I am in writing. We'll see what happens next!

Should You Be Writing Right Now?

I saw this on Facebook and just had to share!

Speeding toward my deadline, this reminds me to keep at it and quit goofing around on the internet! Back to the Work In Progress for me!

Going Walden

Every morning the first thing I do is connect with the virtual world. I check texts and voice mail to see if there is anything I need to respond to right away. Then I get online and twitter, respond to comments, friend requests and what others are talking about on facebook, and then I check my email accounts (yes, I have more than one). I’ve noticed that it generally takes me over two hours to get all this done.

After having had the past six weeks or so off for personal and family matters and the holidays, I’m preparing myself to get back in the swing of things and I’ve decided enough is enough.

I’m going Walden.

Taking a page from Thoreau, I am no longer going to “connect” the first thing in my day. I want to write. Delaying getting to what my heart desires is not a good thing. Emails, facebook and twitter will wait for me. I can check them on my own time, not because I’ve been “summoned” by the clicks, dings and vibrations emitted from my electronic devices telling me my attention is needed. It’s not.

While keeping in touch, connected and communicating with the world is important, it’s not what moves me forward. Writing does, and for me to delay my work every morning for virtual communicating seems crazy. After two hours of checking all that stuff I needed a break from being on the computer so that I did not get to my manuscript until close to lunch time.

I’m taking back control of my life, and New Year’s Eve seems like a good day to do so.

Here’s to an amazing, successful and most of all HAPPY 2012!

Hitting the Half-Way Mark!

I can't believe it's already November 15th! National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is halfway over, and it's just as challenging, maybe even more so, than last year.

This year I am using NaNo to kick start me into my next book. I'm hoping to get the first 50,000 words written this month so I can feel like slowing down a little as I get ready for Christmas.

I'm still not participating much in social networking this month, and feel a little out of touch. But the writing is going really well. I'm working on the second full novel in my Maeve and Kate Mysteries series, and it's taking some surprising turns. One of the grand adventures of writing is that you don't always know how things are going to turn out in your book, not matter how well you've outlined and plotted it out. Sometimes the characters take you where they're going to take you, and you just need to follow along.

Case in point, this is a murder mystery, and I was sure I had the murderer down pat. Not so. Turns out, the person I thought was my killer isn't. Strange. I had a friend ask if Agatha Christie ever met with this dilema. I don't know, but I would suspect so!

I hope, if your participating in NaNoWriMo this year, that you are having fun. I know writing is work, and writing a book is a LOT of work. But try to remember to enjoy yourself. This is an experience that few get to have, and while you are writing this particular book it too is a unique time. So have fun, enjoy it, and hopefully by November 30th you'll have something to be proud of.

And So It Begins!

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) starts today! I'm very excited to get going. I have my novel plotted out and a character list ready. Still don't have a title, but don't really need one yet. This will probably be my last blog post for awhile, and I'll be absent from my other social networking while working on getting 50,000 words written in 30 days!

My background is in journalism, and as a newspaper reporter I was trained to work under a deadline. NaNo is right up my alley in that regard. I may not finish my novel this month, but I will get the 50,000 words written, and that has me excited. Will this be a novel I publish? Who knows. I just like the exercise of writing like this for one intense month. It's challenging, it pushes me, and I think it sharpens the grey cells.

An author I admire greatly, L.J. Sellers, has the philosophy of "write first, clean later." This is the perfect situation for that. Write. Just write. If you have a good story, then over the next several months you can clean it up, edit, rewrite, make it the way it needs to be. I've found that the creative process of  writing is really a very small part of it. Most of getting a book out is rewriting and editing, formatting and marketing.

So, since this is a month of almost nothing much but creating, I am anxious to get to work. It's the part of being an author that is the most fun.

Join me, if you like. I would be happy to be your writing buddy should you decide to participate in NaNoWriMo. And if you do, enjoy it. Don't stress about it. It's basically 1,600 words a day. Easy to achieve. If there's a part of you that's always wanted to write a book, boot up the computer, open a blank page, and do it!

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!

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.

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.

Don't Rely on Your Memory!

Ever since the weather has finally gotten nice I’ve been having a heck of a time writing. For the current book I'm writing I had this great code worked out somewhere in my grey matter, and started writing a chapter with it a couple of months ago. Trouble is that I got sidetracked for awhile doing some cleanup on another project. When I got back to my WIP I couldn’t remember what the heck I was thinking! Number one rule: when you get an idea OUTLINE IT!!

But of course I didn’t follow my own advice. After brainstorming with my husband and youngest son I came up with new ideas--now outlined and saved-- and am back into it and doing well, thank you very much.

I’m not much of an outliner but have discovered that it’s important to take notes, lots of notes, about your plans for your writing. Even names you come up with should be jotted down. Trust me; don’t expect to remember these great ideas later. I’ve even taken to keeping a notepad by my bed. I’ve learned the hard way that those great things that come to you in the middle of the night won’t necessarily be there when you wake up!

I also like to write a brief synopsis (usually around ten pages) of where I see the story going. It’s not carved in stone though. As any writer can probably tell you, as you write the characters claim their own lives and often tell you what’s going on in the story. That’s one of my favorite things about writing; how the story lives on it’s own! You think one thing is going on, and then something else happens.

When I was writing my novel In the Company of Women, one character in particular was intriguing to me. Jane was a young woman with a secret. I knew she had a secret but I didn’t know what it was. Her pain was evident to me, and as I wrote the story I described her as someone with something to hide; something that was drastically affecting her life.

Then one day as I wrote, she whispered to me what her truth was, and suddenly things became clear to me and I was able to see why she acted the way she did, and also how the other characters would be able to help and support her. It was an exciting experience for me as an author, and hopefully for my readers too.

So now, as I work on my next Maeve and Kate mystery, I’m trying to document more the ideas and thoughts that come to me as I work on their latest adventure. I want and like things to be revealed to me as I go along, but not to the point that I can’t support what is actually happening in the book.

I guess I’ve learned my lesson a little too well!

Moving Forward

Character development is one of the most important steps in writing a good book. If your characters are not well-rounded and believable your readers will not buy into the story you are trying to tell them. Your audience needs to feel as if there is a past and a future for the characters you are writing so that they are real to them and help them invest in the story.

When you are developing a character an author very often does know much more about them than what appears on the page. The trick is in writing it so that what has come before the reader is introduced to this man or woman is sitting there, waiting to be discovered as the storyline unfolds. You do this by showing how your character reacts to different situations and people as they go through the story. The drama of the story allows you to do this, to show who this person is. And hopefully your readers will come along the journey with you, interested in finding out just what it is that makes this character tick.

In addition to all the steps in character development there also needs to be forward movement with your characters, particularly in writing a series. As a character “ages” throughout a book or, even more so, in a series, you need to be able to see that there has been some growth or change of some kind. If your character(s) stay the same book after book they grow stagnant.

There are a lot of ways to do this. You can bring or remove characters from their world. Have them face various crises in their lives, personal and professional. One character that comes to mind as an example of this is Marcia Muller’s detective Sharon McCone series. Her character started out working for a small legal co-op. She briefly dated a police detective. The co-op grew, she gained an assistant and dated a radio DJ. She broke away from the co-op and went out on her own, met a new man on one of her cases and became involved with him. She learned how to fly and began hiring more people for her agency, and faced situations with her family and her own health.

In other words, Muller’s character has done anything and everything but remain inert. The first Sharon McCone book was published in 1977, and 28 books and all these years later this series is a fresh and vibrant and alive -- more so even --than when it began.

I’m writing the second in my cozy mystery series, and this is uppermost in my mind. I want my characters to live and breathe and, like real life, change, grow and move forward through their lives. As writers I hope we all do.

There's More to Self-Publishing Than Meets the Eye

My mind is boggled. There is so much going on in the publishing world right now that it’s almost too much to take in. Almost. The fact of the matter is that there are more opportunities for writers now than ever before. Along with those opportunities come some immense responsibilities. If you are self-published, as I am, there is a mountain of work you need to do to keep your name and your books out there. There is no vast marketing machine behind you. And that impacts your day in a big way.

As an indie writer you need to allocate a certain amount of time every day to working on marketing. Blogging, tweeting, facebook interaction, emails, online forums. Book trailers, covers, beta readers and interviews, blog tours and more. There’s a lot more to self-publishing than simply writing a book and downloading it to a website to turn it into a print or an e-book. This means less time for writing, rewriting, editing, creating.

And while the work sometimes seems daunting, I wonder how much support a new author would get within the cogs of a big publishing house. Celebrities and established authors will always get the most attention, and with the economy being what it is exactly what would a publisher do for someone just starting out anyway?

There’s been a lot of discussion lately on other blogs asking if traditional publishing routes are better than self-publishing and I have to ask the question too. In my mind traditional seems like the Holy Grail. That’s what every writer out there would love to have: a book in print. To see it on a bookstore shelf or in the stacks at the local library would indeed be a heady thrill. I just don’t see it happening like it used to.

Agents are more reluctant to take on untried writers and publishing houses aren’t as likely to be interested in taking a chance on someone new. E-readers are becoming more prevalent and more affordable which allows readers to experience a greater variety in the books they buy. Independent writers generally keep their prices in the lower range which buyers find attractive and reading our stuff.

So for me self-publishing is the way to go. For now. Who knows what the future will bring? I want to write. I want people to read my books. I’m not looking to be a millionaire, I want to write. So my day must be divided up into other areas to allow me that time to write then that’s the price I pay. And readers will get my books and read and enjoy them so my efforts are not in vain.

That’s the payoff for me.

I Hate Rewriting!

Okay, I really don't hate rewriting, it's just a pain to me. At least this time it is.

I'm currently writing a cozy mystery. In fact it's the second Maeve and Kate Mystery (after What Would Nancy Do?) and I made a major plot change in the book after writing one third of it. Most of the book I am keeping as is, but with this one change there is so much rewriting to do! Who knew that one small change would affect so much else in the narrative? Almost every other aspect of the book needs to be looked at and checked to see if it needs to be updated because of this one modification. Conversations, reactions, etc. all need to be re-read and then possibly re-written according to the new idea. Whew!

So I'm plodding along with it. It's frustrating because I want to get on with the story, not be stuck here fixing my mistake. It will make the book better, and more fun, and I'm not sure how I could have done things differently. This is part of the writing process. I tried something, and it seemed to be working okay and then it wasn't. Did some research; interviewed a couple of nurses and a doctor, and now here I am.

When it's all said and done I know I'm going to be extremely happy with how this book turned out. Then I can tackle the next hurdle with this book: A Title!

Who Are the Characters You Write?

I heard an interesting comment the other day, that when writers create their characters that they are only writing various dimensions of themselves. Hmmm.

Of course we can only write what we know, who could do otherwise? However, I also thought that that when I was writing some of the characters in my books I was drawing on the personalities of various people I have known throughout my life. The overbearing mother might have been based on the mother of a friend of mine from childhood. The nosy, busybody based on the neighbor across the street that knew everyone's business. The pompous know-it-all came from a man at church who was overbearing and dictatorial. It never really occurred to me that perhaps I was like those people too.

A long time ago I had a friend, about 15 years older than me, who often gave me insights into the world I hadn't yet figured out. She told me that those things we like about other people were things we liked about ourselves, and conversely, those things we didn't like in others were the things we disliked about ourselves. At the time I thought that was nonsense, but over the years I have come to realize that is why we are drawn to others; because we reflect ourselves in them, good or bad.

That's what we are doing in our writing too, isn't it? Our characters are reflections of ourselves. And for good or ill we know them intimately, because we are them. As we tell their stories we also reflect to our readers themselves. That's why reading, and writing, is such an amazing art. It connects us all in an intimate way that only art can.

What Are Your Thoughts on Book Clubs?

I've been a member of three different book clubs over the years.  For various reasons the clubs either disbanded, or I moved or lost interest in them.  For me, the best part of the club was discovering authors I wasn't familiar with.  It's where I first found some of the writers I anxiously await new releases from to this day. 

The discussions were usually lively and informative as well, helping me to see various points of view of the book we were reading.  Sometimes a different perspective helps enrich the story.

As a writer, how do you feel about book clubs?  Do you find they help your readership or does it make no difference?  How do you feel about visiting book clubs and talking to readers face to face? 

I am just starting my journey as a published author so this has not been my experience yet, but I would think it would be an interesting and exhilirating opportunity to talk with people who have read what I've written.  I'd love to know.... am I on the right track with my writing or am I off base?  As a reader, I would love to meet with a writer and see what was behind the story they were telling in the book? 

So for me, as both a reader and a writer, I would say that I love book clubs.  I hope I get the opportunity to visit one or be in one again sometime.

Bears Do It -- Why Can't I?

This has been a tough winter, record snowfalls and low temperatures.  While writing is a solitary occupation, this cold, dreary weather has been keeping me indoors even more so.  Barely want to stick my nose out much less get out and do things.  And when I do venture out, I'm going to the movies our out to eat not doing anything particularly productive like say, interviewing experts for info on my work in progress, or researching locales or working on my trailer.  Nope.

And what's with my body saying it's ready to go to bed by 9:00 pm at night?  One night I shut down the laptop and gave in.  I went to bed early with the idea that I would jump up in the morning, do my exercises, have a healthy breakfast and then open said laptop back up and dive into work.

Again .... nope.  Instead I was hard pressed to drag myself out from under the covers and check my email.  It was cold!  Who wanted to get out of bed?  Not me, that's for sure.

I think bears have the right idea.  Let's sleep through winter, at least this miserable winter, and wake up in spring and get back to work.

Probably not going to work.  When I do go to bed, the characters from my novel race around my brain.  I doubt they'd wait all winter for me to get back to them.  Ah well..... back to work!

Question: Do You Use Beta Readers?

I got into a discussion the othe day with someone (not a writer) who told me they thought using beta readers was not a good idea. 

"You're giving away your books for free!  If they read it before you publish, they won't buy it when you do!"

Interesting.  The people I use as beta readers aren't the only book readers/buyers in the world, and I find the feedback I get from them is invaluable.  They point out discrepancies I'm too close to see, question points that need clarifying and so forth.

So my question is, do you use beta readers and how helpful are they to your work?