The Good, the Bad, and Texas

The moment I hit Texas, my friend of over fifty years whisked me off for barbeque, cole slaw, fried okra, and iced tea. Friends, family, and food draw me back “home” regardless of the exact geographic location.

My friend is one of my muses. She helped spur ideas for a plot I’m writing as a short story. During the visit, she read the story’s draft and gave incredible feedback. Nothing beats a beta-reading muse.

I reaped the benefits of having a beta reader who matched the demographics of a major character in the story. I did my best to imagine how an octogenarian character would think and react but missed the mark. My friend hit the bullseye.

In addition to visiting friends, my two-week cultural and culinary vacation included Houston’s Museum District, afternoon tea, lots of good Southern eatin’, and local distilleries and breweries.

But Texas temperatures flirted with either side of one hundred degrees the entire time I was there. And the mosquitoes … the Texas mosquitoes have such hardy appetites they should be blood donors afterwards. (Hmm … Could a slapped mosquito deposit an innocent person’s blood and DNA at a crime scene?)

I got lots of inspiration on my trip and added characters and plot points for a cozy mystery featuring a volunteer worker at a Victorian house museum.

 

Unexpected Benefits

Before writing, my network of friends and family included one fiction author. She encouraged me to write, and I met a couple of online friends in the National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) community.

I joined local and national writers’ associations and met more writerly people.

I took online classes offered by the National Sisters in Crime Guppy Chapter. The classes are filled with writers in all stages of their career—from beginning writers to published authors.

But it’s through the in-person and Zoom meetings that friendships bloomed with other writers.

Developing a network of writing friends was an unexpected benefit of writing. Now when I browse mysteries in physical or virtual bookstores, I personally know some of the authors.

I met Karen Sue Walker through a local writers’ organization. I enjoy her three series—the Bridal Shop mysteries, the Haunted Tearoom mysteries, and the Arrow Investigations action-adventure mysteries. Because I know her, I feel a special connection to her characters and stories.

I often read at tea, and one of Karen’s Haunted Tearoom mysteries is the perfect companion.

Fan Club

My fan club has doubled in size recently. From 1 to 2.

One of my daughter’s friends was visiting her and saw “Murder Goes on Vacation,” the second Detective Scott McGregor mystery, lying on her table. He was reading it after another friend had shared the book with him. My daughter told him her mother wrote it, but he didn’t believe her — until she showed him the dedication and my picture on the website.

The anecdote gave me a warm feeling of accomplishment. Readers beyond my social network of family and friends felt the book was worth sharing.

(And for the sake of honesty, the other club member is really a fan of the children’s book illustrator, Deborah Anne. Isn’t she cute?)

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.