Writers make a lot of choices. We make conscious decisions about if, when and how we integrate our own experiences into our characters. Throughout early drafts, I had a vision about the hero of my latest book. I knew her. Beta readers loved the character and hope she anchors a series. So did I.
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All of us are actively involved in the writing and reading communities. We’re members of groups like Sisters in Crime (aka SinC) and Mystery Writers of America (aka MWA). These organizations offer fantastic opportunities to both writers and fans of crime fiction at national and local levels. A lot of conferences we all know and love are sponsored in part by these organizations. Those that come immediately to mind are California Crime Writers Conference, New England Crime Bake, Left Coast Crime, Mystery Writers Conference, and Bouchercon. Even if you can’t attend a conference, local/regional SinC and MWA meetings and events are often open to the public. Here are some of the folks I follow on social media for news of readings, mixers, and to get hyped for conferences: Sisters in Crime National Mystery Writers of America National Lori Rader-Day, President of SinC National and one of my heroes Meg Gardiner, President of MWA National and one of my heroes SinCNorcal and as many regional chapters as I can find MWANorcal and as many regional chapters as I can find Crime Writers of Color, a bunch of my heroes in one place Dru’s Book Musings, book world hero to us all […]
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It’s not often my worlds collide. Ransomware – malicious programs that lock up files and demand payment to recover – landed at the crossroad of books and cyber crime this month. Libraries are falling victim to attacks.
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One question has been asked of me in every interview I’ve given. I’ve heard the same question asked of other authors at book launches, readings, and conferences. “Where do you get your ideas?”
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Food is an interesting subject to write about. We all need to eat, but how and when is circumstantial. A character I’m writing right now demonstrates his love for his wife (one of 2 main characters) by cooking her favorite dish, pasta primavera. Sounds simple, right? Yeah, that’s what I thought, too. Then I looked up a recipe.
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We can’t let Thanksgiving week go by without a nod to gratitude. All of the Miss Demeanors are involved in the writing community in one way or another – officers of regional or national organizations, podcasters, conference faculty/chairs. It’s pretty clear we each enjoy giving back yet we’re all very busy people. How did you get started down that path?
Read MoreI had the opportunity to meet up with my fabulous agent in real life a couple of weeks ago, along with one of my mentors. Paula Munier and Michael Neff provide coaching and instruction at an annual writers retreat on the West Coast that’s within (relatively) easy driving distance for me. I got a later start than I planned which added an extra 45 minutes or so to the drive. That gave me a lot of time to ruminate.
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My dog has been sick for the last few months. It’s been a process to try to figure out what’s wrong. We started keeping a journal to see if we could figure out the triggers to her symptoms. I mention this because, first, it’s extremely helpful for vet visits, and second, because it’s introduced a level of discipline to make sure my partner and I are consistent and diligent in logging what the dog eats, when, and what happens next.
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I just started reading Michelle Obama’s “Becoming” and a passage from the preface resonated with me: “Now I think it’s one of the most useless questions an adult can ask a child – What do you want to be when you grow up? As if growing up is finite. As if at some point you become something and that’s the end.”
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Driving alongside the Pacific Ocean in Kauai, I listened to a radio show talking about the positive effects of water. Not just the benefits of drinking water, but also seeing it, being in it, and listening to the sounds of waves lap the shore. One of the positive effects discussed on this show was boosting creativity. I don’t know why that revelation surprised me. Most writers I know live near oceans, lakes, and rivers.
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