Author: Robin C. Stuart

Keeping Up With My Writing Peeps

March 13, 2020
Robin C. Stuart

I attended my Sisters in Crime chapter meeting last weekend and it was the salve I didn’t know I needed. Attendees were all mindful of the perils of social interaction. Everyone kept a respectful distance from one another. Hand sanitizer flowed. But so did the smiles. I think we all had in the back of our minds that we may not see each other in person again for a while. Note that I say “in person.” Just because writers tend to skew introvert doesn’t mean we always want or like to be alone. Thanks to the Internet, we can still participate in our communities, whether local, regional, or global. In the current climate of “social distancing,” keeping in touch is more important than ever. I’m not a psychologist but I do know that isolation isn’t healthy. We’re mammals, and most mammals are pack animals. We need each other. I’ve learned a few tricks in maintaining personal connections from a distance, thanks to a day job that’s 24/7/365. First, of course, there’s social networks. Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram, etc. The danger of relying solely on these is the risk of feeding fear and anxiety so I tread lightly here. I’m a […]

March 9, 2020
Robin C. Stuart

These are turbulent times. Writing, and even reading, can feel like a frivolous luxury. I would argue just the opposite. I’ve lost both my parents so I have to rely on memories when I need their comfort. The only experience I can liken to the current global landscape is 9/11. It was the first time in my life when our country faced its own vulnerability. My parents had lived through previous periods of tumult so I asked them what to do, how to handle the sometimes overwhelming fear and anxiety. My mother, the pragmatist, told me to take care of myself, check in with friends and family often, and remember to give myself permission to live my life. Go on bike rides, go to the movies, laugh. My dad, the artist, said, “What are you working on these days? A painting? A sculpture? A story?” The question took me off guard. How could he think about art when the world was so scary? I said as much to him. A man of few words, he said, “Try it.” Even though he didn’t tell me why he suggested it, I took my dad’s advice. I picked up a novel I’d set […]

February 13, 2020
Robin C. Stuart

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.

January 24, 2020
Robin C. Stuart

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 […]

January 22, 2020
Robin C. Stuart

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.

January 22, 2020
Robin C. Stuart

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?”

January 20, 2020
Robin C. Stuart

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.

November 29, 2019
Robin C. Stuart

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?

November 27, 2019
Robin C. Stuart

I 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.

November 26, 2019
Robin C. Stuart

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.