Dreams Come True

My publisher, Founder and Chairwoman of the Board of Whimsicalidocious Arts, the nonprofit overseen by the Academy of Omniosophical Arts & Sciences, should be catwalking Cloud Nine. In July, two of her decade-long dreams finally came to fruition.

Whimsicalidocious Arts “cultivate(s) and nurture(s) performing and culinary artists, fine artists, handwork crafters, authors, musicians, and other creatives with an emphasis on literacy advocacy and cultural connectivity.”

The Academy of Omniosophical Arts & Sciences (aka, Omni, the Ocademy – “where you’re always in your element”) "offers a whimsical interactive approach to education, entertainment, and enrichment.”

Early in the month, the first annual pirate-themed Shared Treasure Hunt (STH) launched at a beachside park in SoCal. “Shared Treasure Hunt is the Academy of Omniosophical Arts & Sciences' kids-helping-kids program designed to aid homeless and impoverished children while teaching more fortunate youths the value and joy of philanthropy.”

Later in the month, she hosted a Patron Appreciation ParTea to launch and celebrate the Academy of Omniosophical Arts & Sciences with element-based dining tables, during which a few participants recreated a tea scene from her Peyton Drake fantasy series with a skit.

Through Omni’s social group, the Tea Travellers Societea, I have attended numerous themed events and traveled the West Coast from San Diego to Vancouver Island, Canada.

Omni’s in-house publishing arm, E. Gads Hill Press, publishes my books and anthology contributions.

I first met my publisher at a mystery-themed tea event at Pamela’s Tea Room. We meet there often for tea, and last month I asked how she describes her work. She said she runs a “creativity academy with an emphasis on philanthropy.” That sums it up nicely.

She doesn’t have time for the catwalk, but Cloud Nine has definitely become her address.

 

Adding POV

In my last post, I’d pruned the deadwood from a scene’s rough draft.

Next, I infused the character’s point-of-view into the scene to add interest and draw in the reader.

Saturday morning, August 8

Bzzzzz.

Disneyland Paris gif from giphy.com

Lynn groaned and reached out to slap off the alarm but hit an empty tabletop. She opened her eyes, and an involuntary smile lit her face. The B-and-B. The spa. She turned off the alarm and jumped out of bed.

She vocalized a triumphant version of Beethoven’s ‘Ode to Joy’ as she showered. After drying her hair, she browsed her wardrobe choices. The spa package included manicures and pedicures, facials, and massages.

She selected a calf-length sundress suitable for the warm summer day. She laid the dress on the bed and fanned its wide skirt. Large red flowers popped from white fabric. Small green leaves accented the pattern.

Lynn reached into the closet for sandals but, instead, pulled out a short, hot-pink dress. She held it against herself and admired the reflection in the mirror. The color set off her complexion and golden hair, and the style complimented the curves of her figure.

The doorknob rattled, and Roni walked into the room. “Hey, no fair being sexier than the bride.”

Lynn chuckled. “Scott can’t keep his eyes off me when I wear this, but I’ll wear a longer dress for the pedicure. Can’t be modest in a short one.”

Roni grinned as she smoothed her blonde hair into place. “Becca and Delaney are downstairs drinking coffee. Breakfast will be served in ten minutes. See you there.”

Lynn hummed a reprise of ‘Ode to Joy’ as she dressed. The full skirt of the red-and-white floral sundress billowed as she twirled in front of the mirror. Happy with her choice, she opened the door and followed the aroma of freshly baked cinnamon rolls to join the other bachelorettes for breakfast.

Dressing for the Part

Although authors spend time learning about their characters before writing, most of the backstory shouldn’t show up on the page. Lynn’s dress choice is important later, but my existing scene didn’t advance the story.

While preparing a ‘Deleted Scene’ post, I trimmed the scene (waking up in the hotel room, talking with the bride-to-be, getting ready, and having breakfast) and realized I liked what was left. The scene needed revision, not deletion.

Saturday morning, August 8

Bzzzzz.

Seven o’clock already? Lynn rolled over and slapped off the alarm. After showering and drying her hair, she opened the hotel closet and debated what to wear. The spa package included manicures and pedicures, facials, and massages.

She selected a calf-length sundress suitable for the warm summer day. She laid the dress on the bed and fanned its wide skirt. Large red flowers popped from white fabric. Small green leaves accented the pattern.

Lynn turned back to the closet for sandals but, instead, pulled out a short, hot-pink dress. She held it against herself and admired the reflection in the mirror. The color set off her complexion and golden hair, and the style complimented the curves of her figure.

She chuckled. “Scott can’t keep his eyes off me when I wear this dress.” But, for modesty’s sake, I’ll wear a longer dress for the pedicure.

Lynn dressed quickly. The full skirt of the red-and-white floral sundress billowed as she twirled in front of the mirror before leaving the room to meet the other bachelorettes for breakfast.

 

Pathway to a Plot

I began planning the third Detective McGregor mystery three months into writing the first in the series.

I started with a conflict premise: a woman attending a bachelorette party is kidnapped. Then I brainstormed ideas for plot, plot twists, characters, and setting.

The brainstormed outline became a living document. I copied the plot points into the manuscript and wrote the scenes in that order. As I wrote and revised, I restructured the original plot. Some of the early plot ideas were eliminated, and others were heavily modified or moved. Many of the characters were cut or combined.

I chose a setting I loved and spent countless hours online researching specific locations and the logistics of the plot. Then I took a research trip to the area to test the logistics and experience the setting so I could describe it realistically.

Now all the scenes have been written, and I’m continuing to revise and refine the rough draft.

Deleted Scenes - Puget Sound Bound

During the book creation process, much of the first draft is revised, moved, or deleted. The following was my original introduction to Scott and Lynn in ‘Forever After,’ the third Detective Scott McGregor mystery. It was deleted during the draft’s revision.

Wednesday afternoon, August 5

Fresno Police Detective Scott McGregor looked forward to attending his friends’ wedding in the Puget Sound, even though it meant he and his girlfriend were members of the wedding party.

He chuckled. How did that happen? Being a groomsman was suggested so skillfully, I was honored to be asked. His girlfriend, Lynn Carter, worked with children, and he suspected she had used her child management skills to persuade him to agree.

The abrupt ringing of his desk phone interrupted his musing. “Detective McGregor.” He listened a few moments, grunted in agreement, and replaced the handset. He picked up his well-worn notebook and headed to the next meeting.

* * *

Lynn Carter, Speech-Language Pathologist, hummed in happy anticipation as she walked through the hallway of the Sierra Children’s Hospital in Fresno. Three hours until my summer vacation begins. She restricted her happy dance to an extra wiggle or two as she headed toward her final meeting.

Plans were in place for therapy sessions with the children currently in her care. The speech clinic would cover her caseload while she was gone, and the other SLPs could assess and treat new patients.

For the first time, the children would not weigh heavily on her mind during her time off.

Shameless Shilling

My brother snapped a photo of me enjoying a murder mystery last week while we were cruising the South Pacific.

The road to paradise (i.e., French Polynesia) is paved with good intentions. Early one morning, I sat on the ship’s observation deck to edit my work-in-progress. I began analyzing each scene, writing down its goal, motivation, and conflict. But the ship’s rocking was most pronounced on the top level, and I became queasy. Good enough reason to stop working and fully enjoy the vacation.

During the five-day National Geographic expedition, we explored islands, atolls, and lagoons. One of the highlights was swimming in the grotto, a freshwater-filled cave on Makatea, a raised coral atoll in the Tuamotu Archipelago. Other favorite memories include snorkeling in the lagoons and viewing colorful fish, sharks, Moray eels, and an octopus from a glass bottom boat.

Yeah, I’m Revising

In my euphoric last post, I’d finished the rough draft of my work-in-progress. My ‘next-steps list’ included … after a short break, the revision begins in earnest.

I’ve taken the list to heart. I’ve earnestly been enjoying my break. I’ve spent time with family, friends, and dogs.

But I’ve also been thinking about readers, specifically who and why they will enjoy the book.

My brother and sister-in-law will like it because it’s dedicated to them. (Vacationing in – I mean – researching the Puget Sound was hard work.) And I hope my brother’s best friend likes it; his name was used for an illegal tree poacher. (I hope he doesn’t lose his forestry department job.) My daughter will like it because the heroine’s actions are based on a comment my daughter made. My dog-lover friends will like it because a stray dog found a ‘forever home.’ My publisher will love it because she can mark the book’s (long overdue) publication off her To-Do list.

Then we party. Funny how the book’s launch party was planned long before I reached ‘The End.’