Home for the Holidays

At my house, holidays are juggled. My adult children have multiple commitments, so we celebrate Thanksgiving during the weekend and Christmas on Christmas Eve. It works well for everyone involved.

The house was full on Christmas Eve. I set two tables for our party of eight (and four dogs) to allow for comfortable spacing, and everyone brought a part of the meal. It was delightful hearing simultaneous conversations and laughter as we ate.

After dessert, we opened presents. The kids surprised me with their thoughtful writing gifts. My son gave me a ‘smart’ mug to keep my tea warm (he’d seen me reheat a cup multiple times while I’m working on a book), and a ‘space pen’ designed to write at any angle and even underwater.

My daughter gave me a spa day – a very appreciated and privately humorous gift. She has no idea that the character she inspired for my series was kidnapped from a spa in my current work-in-progress. The plot revolves around the detective trying to find her while she’s trying to escape and find help.

I’m glad my holiday commitments are over, but I’m already looking forward to the next family get-together.

Hitting Refresh

I survived November’s holidays, home improvement projects, busy schedules, and social commitments. But I didn’t write during the month. Now it’s time to take a breath and refocus.

Today’s critique group meeting was a learning experience. My critique partner’s well-written submission was a shining example of the elements belonging in a cozy mystery’s opening chapter. A main character with conflicts and personal problems was set against a community backdrop with an interwoven layer of intrigue. A corpse coupled with overheard comments pointed the finger of suspicion toward the main character who must solve the murder to clear her name.

The submission triggered ideas for sharpening the writing, conflict, and action in my police detective story. I considered revision ideas, made a plan, and wrote down my goals. Step by step, I’ll reach the finish line.

 

Book Party

Detective Scott McGregor’s second mystery, Murder Goes on Vacation, was set in Las Vegas, so what better way to celebrate the book’s publication than having a casino-themed party?

The event was held at the same location as the first McGregor book launch, Pamela’s Tea Room in Southern California, which was renamed “Pamela’s Las Vegas Casino” for the party. A fake business license made the gambling site legit for the day.

A horse racing form featured horses owned by characters in the book. Party favor packs included playing cards, poker chips, dice, and a fortune in fake money.

As always, the food was incredible. Broccoli-cheddar quiche, sausage rolls, turkey-cranberry-cream cheese sandwiches, salad, scones, and lots of tea. Dessert was a cake decorated with an icing picture of the book cover.

Detective McGregor’s third case is set in Washington state’s Puget Sound. I’m already kicking around ideas for that launch party.

Help from my Friends

Whenever you’re in need, don’t hesitate to ask for help.

I’m working on a novel in which my protagonist is beginning to realize the depth of his feelings for his girlfriend.

Lacking in the romantic dialogue category, I asked a close friend for love lines she’d heard throughout her life. She raided the local book exchange and gifted me with novels from Danielle Steel and Nora Roberts.

I’ve got some research reading to do – right after I lock the doors for the night and open a bottle of wine.

Emotional Depth

I’ve been trying to show emotional depth through dialogue for my protagonist and a secondary character who are crucial to the success of finding the protagonist’s kidnapped girlfriend. An author friend suggested that I think about the characters speaking to me and how I'd like that to sound.

I hadn’t thought about creating dialogue from that perspective. I try to look at the world through my main character’s ‘eyes,’ but when I tried to put myself in his ‘head’ and ‘heart,’ all I found was empty space. It's my job as a writer to fill those voids.

A basic tenet of writing is “know your characters.” I flunked that part. Back to the drawing board for more character development.

Update: I was working on a scene to add more emotion, and I guess I succeeded. My eyes filled with tears, and I sniffled. My dog came over to offer comfort.

Writer’s High

As a writer, you learn what times and conditions are most productive for your writing. I write best in the morning, before I distract my mind with emails, chores, and daily life.

I was thinking about my work-in-progress before I fell asleep, and it was on my mind when I woke in the morning. I scribbled seven pages on how to escalate the conflict for my protagonist’s love interest who escaped her kidnapper but is lost in the forest.

She hears a chainsaw, and she’s following the sound to where she’ll find people and rescue—but a ravine is between her and them. She’s injured and physically unable to climb down, across, and back up the other side, so she must find another way. I wrote such a high energy, physically active scene that I sprained my wrist.*

I’m on a writer’s “high” even though the pages are on top of a stack of papers that have yet to be typed into the manuscript.

(Dirty little secrets… After my first and second books were published, there were still scribbled pages of notes that hadn’t been typed up. *The sore wrist is really from yesterday’s heavy yardwork.)

 

Character Rights

Can literary characters file complaints for the treatment they receive from an author?

Case in point, Lynn Carter, the love interest in my current work-in-progress, is living a nightmare. She’s been kidnapped, injured on the job, and expected to perform dangerous feats of physical strength and endurance without the proper training. On top of that, she’ll disappoint many people if she doesn’t show up at the scheduled time to perform her maid-of-honor duties in a few days.

Admittedly, I am interfering with her personal activities for which she has pre-approved vacation time. And she wasn’t informed of the hazards of the plot and setting when she took the job.

I think Lynn filed a complaint with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA would never approve of the hazards in my book’s plot and setting. They left a message on my voicemail last week – something about a workplace inspection.

As the author, am I legally responsible for characters’ health, missed commitments, and any lasting psychological impact my plot lines might have on them?