Hello Reader!
How's your summer going? Just flying by isn't it? I know mine is—how is it July already?
Dove has been with us for a little over a month now and we're all still adjusting. 4 walks a day, much ball throwing, and obedience lessons. We're trying to teach her focus. She focuses when she wants to, on what she wants to—rarely on us when we want her to. So, a work in progress. But she's been to our cabin in Canada and experienced the lake for the first time. She wasn't sure about that at first but within a few days she was practicing jumping off the dock. A bit like how I approach new writing projects.
My writing is going slowly as I keep coming up with ideas that require "just a little research" and then down the rabbit hole I go—despite my plans for that not to happen. Maybe that's the good part of not being on deadlines and I should just let my brain do what it needs to. We all need to trust our creativity processes, even when it looks like not much might be happening on the outside.
How is your writing looking right now?
Thanks for inviting me into your inbox this month.
Happy writing!
Anne
MEET THE AUTHOR
I want to help authors celebrate their accomplishments! Do you have a book getting published soon? Email me: I'd love to interview you about your experiences to share with fellow writers!
Olivia Yates & The Three-Story Murders
Q: What made you decide to write this book? What is its backstory?
A: I spent decades as a journalist, editor, newspaper columnist, and nonfiction author, knowing one day I'd take a deep breath and try to write a mystery. Interviewing British 'queen of crime' novelist P.D. James for a magazine article was the AHA moment for me...yes, I think I can do this! The Three-Story Murders is Book #2 of a cozy mystery series set on the sparkling Chesapeake Bay (I love how the artist's covers make it come alive). And the heroine and lead amateur sleuth is...ta-da...a 74-year-old resident of an assisted living facility!
The setting for the Dingle Point Cove Mystery Series happened when my sister was in a local assisted living facility for three years before passing away last spring. I spent boatloads of time there and got to know and love the place, the staff, and the residents. I thought, violence and mayhem in a nursing home? Why not? In fact, I placed the first dead body behind a loveseat in a fictional version of my sister's room, which tickled everyone. Now I run a mystery book club at that same facility and read the group a chapter a week from my first three books, usually from my laptop, if the book isn't released yet. They love hearing similarities between their facility and the one in the books!
Q: How long did it take you to write this book and get it published?
A: I spent about six months plotting and writing the book, losing sleep and falling into every trap and error possible. I sent the final draft to a few dozen friends of all ages for feedback and almost wept with relief to find they loved it! Trying to find an agent was pretty discouraging, so I finally sent 50 pages direct to several publishers, and Camel Press (an imprint of Epicenter Press) gave me a thumbs up. From concept to release of the first book was almost two years, but now they publish one a year. Book #3 comes out next May, and I’ve just signed a contract for Book #4.
Q: What particular challenges do you face in your writing? What is difficult for you? Do you have any tips for writers who face similar challenges?
A: The writing itself is such fun, and being retired gives me the time. However, being an older writer means that I’ve seen the publishing industry change radically, and my challenge is staying up with it. I didn’t grow up online, and I spend waaay too much time figuring everything out! For anyone else who, like me, is out of their comfort zone, I’d suggest joining a few solid writer’s groups and participating actively. I’m still scrambling, but it helps.
Q: Can you talk a little about your editing experience for new writers? What made you choose your editors?
A: The Sisters in Crime organization has a lot of discussion and resources about choosing and working with editors, and I know it’s a big need. Since I’ve actually been an editor, I haven’t had to go that route. I edit the heck out of my drafts, and even after the books are in print I would keep editing if anyone allowed me to! The best advice I received from a senior editor at Camel Press is to let the finished draft sit for a couple of months and then go back for your final edit. It works like magic…as if you have a whole new set of eyes!
Q: Are you a traditional or self-published author? Why did you decide this was the path for you?
A: My fiction books are traditionally published. I self-published a nonfiction book a few years ago and the process almost killed me. Most of my writer friends and associates are self-published, however, and some very successfully. With today’s tools and opportunities, it’s clearly a popular and viable option, but here again being part of writer’s groups to benefit from the wealth of resources and experience available seems essential.
Q: Can you describe your publishing experience for writers who hope to publish one day?
Years before I began writing mysteries, I was reading them, absorbing the pace and flow, the development of characters, the plots, and the atmosphere. When I got into reading cozy mysteries, I took them in like a drug and became completely comfortable in the genre. I found this made a big difference when I began to write my own. I put my own lighthearted, humorous stamp on my stories, but being so thoroughly familiar with how a cozy mystery works has been critical for me. Reading a lot of what you want to write makes great sense to me.
Q: What is one piece of advice that someone gave you that you'd like to pass on to other authors?
A: My dad was a prolific academic writer, and he could hardly wait to get to his typewriter, and later his desktop computer, every morning. I think you have to write what you love. Why do it, otherwise?
You can find out more about Olivia and her books on her website
The Importance of Taking Breaks
Are you feeling guilty for taking a vacation from writing this summer? Or are you sitting at your computer/notebook writing away, wishing you were taking a break and enjoying the lovely weather? Those of us who write with the goal of getting published can be harder on ourselves than anyone else: pushing to write when others rest, telling ourselves we don't need breaks, apologizing for stopping because our bodies demand it.
Summer is a great time to remember a universal truth: no matter what we do and how much we love it, breaks are important. Here are a few things to keep in mind all year long, but often easier to start practicing in summertime.
Breaks Can Help Stop Burnout
Burnout, writer's block. Whatever you want to call it: it's real. Usually it's stress related. And between work, life, and everything in between, if you aren't stressed about something then I need you to share your secret to success!
By breaks I'm talking about more than setting a Pomodoro clock and stretching before getting back to work. I mean mixing things up so you aren't just working. Read for fun, take long walks, maybe a fun class (baking, yoga, pottery? There's all kinds of things out there!). Meet up with a friend once a week for a coffee and pastry break and try a new coffeeshop each time so you're also getting out of the house. Choose a day of the week or even a weekend where you don't work at all. These regular breaks help your mind and body recharge and destress, which helps you stay healthy and top up your creativity.
Breaks are Important for Drafts
I'm sure you've heard (maybe even from me) that it's important to put a draft away for a few days when you finish it before starting the next round of edits. Why should you take a break from a draft? Your subconscious is still working on it but giving your conscious mind a rest means you come at it with fresh eyes. You can better see what you've written and compare it to what you thought you said, and realize scenes may or may not work as well as you originally thought they did. You'll be writing and revising your manuscript for a very long time. Taking a break helps you remember why you are so excited about the idea in the first place—and that's a big help!
You Have a Life
Whether you have a book deal or just a brilliant idea that needs to get written down, you also have other priorities. Family, friends, your health. And here's what we always forget: we should not feel guilty about making time for all those things. Including ourselves. Treat writing like every other job: give yourself days off. Take a vacation once and awhile. Breaks help you stay healthy both mentally, emotionally, and physically. Which leads to you being a happier, more successful writer in the long run.
My Reading Shelf
Clare Mackintosh's The Butler is an excellent summer read. Butler Baxter is hired for the Cannes Festival to take care of a villa and its guests. They're annoying, but does that really mean murder should be the answer? When the police seem incompetent, Baxter and the rest of the staff set out to find out whodunit. After all, there's no one more competent than a butler.
Jayne Castle's latest paranormal romance Enter the Nightmare is a high-octane adventure of kidnapping, murder, attempted murder, and a hotel that would get terrible reviews—if the guests lived long enough to fill out the surveys. Castle's trademark witty banter, character chemistry, and a charming dust bunny make this another winner for the series.
