Hello Reader!
Welcome to summer! Are you ready?
The big news in my house is dog news. It is a year ago that we had to say goodbye to our wonderful Violet. In the past it has taken many years since we were able to get a dog after losing one, but this last week we welcomed Dove into our family. She's a 4(ish) year old Belgian Malinois, (relatively) calm for a Mal, and my new editing assistant. We are now a 4 walk a day house, and we'll be starting obedience training soon for all of our sakes. We also need to find her a job so she doesn't get bored and start making her own fun. I'm hoping she can be a therapy dog, but we'll see.
I'm hard at work on my butlers book, deep in the revising stage. For me this is involving a lot of additional research as I revise. Since I have a tendency to stay overly involved in the research stage (I can't help it, it's so much fun!), I've been developing strategies that make me stop and get back to writing as needed. Does anyone else have hang ups like this? Should I share my process? Let me know if you're interested in more details that you might apply to your writing.
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!
Karen Odden & An Artful Dodge
Q: Your main characters in An Artful Dodge are women thieves. This is very different from your usual book. What made you decide to write this? What's its backstory?
A: As usual, this book began with a profound surprise, a discovery that fell in my lap. My daughter Julia studied abroad at Oxford for a semester, and I met her in London afterward. It was December, and one rainy, windy night, our umbrellas in disarray, we popped into the Great Scotland Yard Hotel, in Whitehall. It's a Victorian-themed hotel (run by Marriott), and the lobby had glass cases full of 19th-century crime memorabilia—mug shots, police whistles, truncheons!! (Be still, my nerdy little heart). The formal restaurant was full, so we went to the bar, called The Forty Elephants. Curious name, right? I figured it had something to do with the British Empire's activities in Africa and India, where real, gray elephants live. But no, according to the QR code on the table (labelled "Want more information about the 40 Elephants?") it was an all-women thieving gang out of Elephant and Castle neighborhood, south of the Thames, begun in 1870s and active (despite the Yard's best efforts) until the 1930s. Who knew? And when I have that kind of surprise, that jolt, I've learned to heed it.
Q: How long did it take you to write this book and get it published?
A: That trip was in 2021. I was in the middle of writing Under a Veiled Moon (2022), so I scribbled down the idea and set it aside. In 2023, I pitched the idea of a book about an all-women thieving ring to my publisher, and he wasn't interested; in fact, he canceled the Corravan series. It's always a demoralizing moment for a writer, when you get dumped by your publisher—but my agent shrugged and said, "Hey, it happens. Just write something new." I had a few ideas I was playing with, thieves being one of them. I started researching and found the book Alice Diamond and the Forty Elephants, by Brian McDonald, which covers their later years, but was great fodder. In spring 2024, at Left Coast Crime Conference, I pitched the idea to Juliet Grames (Soho Press), and her eyes LIT UP. She said, "Write me a synopsis, I'll buy that book." (Some of the biggest steps forward in my career have happened at mystery conferences; this was one of them.) I started writing, sent her the first three chapters to be sure that our visions matched, and then wrote the book in about 9 months; it was finished in December 2025, for a June 2026 pub date. Soho Press usually counts on about 16-18 months from handing in the first draft of the manuscript to pub date, which is on the long end for pub houses, but they're meticulous about editing and covers.
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: That is a great question. I'd say my biggest challenge is plotting through the murky middle. I know where I begin (inciting event: a shipwreck, a dead body, a stranger comes to town), and I have a good idea where I end (the satisfying resolution, the solve). But the middle requires a slow curve of escalating suspense/plot points, paired with the intensifying character arc, so that the two meet in a satisfying way at the climax. I used to use index cards on my floor, with differentnt colors for plot, character arc, subplots. Now I use the software Plotter, which works great for me. Other people like Scrivener or even spreadsheets to organize their chapters and outlines.
I'd say the character arc is the most important piece, and the most delicate, nuanced element—because I have to learn what beliefs the main character has at the beginning—beliefs he's come by honestly and that he holds onto, but which cause him trouble and must change by the end so he can get what he wants. For me, that's the core of the story. The plot elements must help him change, with two or three pivotal moments. That's the important work of the middle.
Q: Can you talk a little about your editing experience for new writers?
A: In my experience, each editor and publishing house does it slightly differently. But generally, these are my steps. (1) Once the contract is signed, I take 6-9 months to write the first pass of my manuscript and send it to two trusted beta readers (my friend Mariah and my daughter Julia) and to my agent Josh; one they send feedback, I revise and send it to my editor. (2) She sends back an edit letter suggesting developmental edits—big picture items, such as character arcs and pacing, plot holes she sees. I revise, send out to two other beta readers and return it to my editor in 6-8 weeks. (3) My editor sends back line edits. These tend to be marginal notes on the manuscript, rather than an overall edit letter. I revise again and return. (4) A copy editor suggests changes. This is where we're getting down to nitty-gritty—making sure no characters are changing eye-color, my characters aren't walking south in London but ending up north. At this stage, I read the entire manuscript out loud. I need at least 4 weeks for this. My ear catches awkward phrases, missing words, and glaring repetitions. With each manuscript I have what my editor calls "weasel words"—where everyone seems to be sighing, or grimacing, or shrugging. I notice things like too many characters have last names beginning with B. I make changes and return the manuscript. (5) A proofreader offers a few final questions and changes, and I reply to those.
Q: You've always been a traditionally published author. Why did you decide that was the path you wanted to take, instead of going indie published?
A: Some of this has to do with the changing landscape in publishing. When I was querying editors, beginning around 2010, indie publishing wasn't what it is now. (Querying was still done by snail mail!) I didn't even know it was an option, to be honest. I just started querying editors I found on Publishers Marketplace because a friend told me that's what she did. I received so many rejections. There's a funny story about Amy Stewart (bestselling author of the fabulous series beginning with Girl Waits with Gun) decoupaging a dresser with her rejection letters. I couldn've decoupaged a room with mine. I was about to give up when a friend introduced me to a developmental freelance editor. I figured, Ok, I'll give it one more shot. She helped me reshape the book, and I sent out ten more queries, had five people reply, and two offers of representation.
Q: Can you describe your publishing experience for writers who hope to publish one day?
I've been with my agent since 2014, and he's seen me through four different publishers and six editors. And that's nothing . . . I was at a dinner with authors a few months ago, and some of them had been with 10 publishers over their careers! (These are bestselling authors who are Guests of Honor at conferences and have numerous awards.) My agent had a hard time selling my first, A Lady in the Smoke (2016), but it eventually went to Alibi, which was the ebook division of Random House. The division is defunct now, but it was actually an interesting business model; that book has sold over 35,000 copies and has never been in print (it did go to audiobook). My editor left Alibi and took me wither her to HarperCollins where I had a two book deal. She left just before the first book published (in the industry this is called "being orphaned" by an editor) and I was let go after the second book, A Trace of Deceit (2019). At this point, I thought my writing career was over. To my surprise, my agent called one day and asked what I was working on. "Um, I don't have a publisher," I replied (possibly sniffling). He chuckled. "Just write something else. What was that story you were telling me about a Scotland Yard Inspector who finds dead women in boats? Write that." I did, and he got me a two book deal at Crooked Lane, a small publisher distributed by Penguin Random House. My CL editor signed me and then left within 6 weeks. Orphaned again! Although my books had earned out my advance, Crooked Lane opted not to continue with the Corravan series. Then I pitched the women thieves to Soho Crime, and I have An Artful Dodge out this month and am in revisions on the sequel, tentatively "A Thieving Season" for publication August 2027. I'm hoping the series runs a long time.
Q: What is one piece of advice that someone gave you that you'd like to pass on to other authors?
A: Build your writing community early. Writing is solitary, but it need not be lonely and unsupported. I'd suggest finding a community of writers that fits you. I belong to Sisters in Crime (an active, generous-spirited group, with frequent workshops on the craft of writing and the business end of publishing) and always say that membership is the best $60 I spend all year. I also belog to Mystery Writers of America, which has a good newsletter. Other organizations around include the Historical Novel Society (which has local divisions) and the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (for YA, middle-grade, and picture books). There are local writing organizations all over the US. Also, find some people who will exchange manuscripts with you. This can be tricky, but often I ask for what I call their "reading experience." That is, I don't need (or want) beta readers to tell me how to fix an issue; but comments like, "This feels slow, I feel bored" or "This pulled me up short. Would this character really do this?" are the most helpful to me. Meet librarians and bookstory owners and employees. Take writing classes. Attend conferences. Read books, and when you like them, write to the authors (they never mind, trust me), review on Goodreads (or wherever you review), and post on your social media, if that's your thing. Ask questions of other authors, ask them to share their writing journey. Be willing to share what you know with others. It's all about participation in ways that feel genuine to you. It's been my experience in the writing world that the good energy I put out there comes back to me.
You can find out more about Karen and her books on her website
Writing Historical Fiction
What is it that attacts us to historical fiction, mystery, and romance? For me, it is reading a well-developed plot and excellent characters with the added enjoyment of time travel. Whether the book takes place in Victorian England or pharaonic Egypt, our readers have certain expectations we need to meet to keep them coming back and pre-ordering our next book.
World-Building
I would aruge some of the subtlest world-builders are historical fiction writers. They need to create a world that is (usually) background for their plot and characters to move through, invisible and yet there when the reader pays attention. A few careful details can sometimes tell a reader everything.
But while descriptions are important, you don't want to overdo it. Just because you spend months researching something for your book doesn't mean your readers want to feel like they're reading your months of research. They want small details, folded in as naturally to the story or dialogue as posslible.
Big Picture vs Character Focus
When you tie your book to a major historical event: a war, the Great Depression, etc. it can be tempting to want to focus on the big picture. After all, maybe it was your interest in the Civil War that started you on your writing journey in the first place. But remember, in historical fiction, you aren't writing about the big picture. You're writing about your characters and what is happening to them. And your characters are only seeing a small piece of the world and what is happening in it. Do they even know they are in the middle of a Major Historical Event? As tempting as it is to think big, try thinking small: what will affect your characters—and only your characters? This might help you narrow your research. You don't necessarily need to read every book on World War II, but you're going to want to look for everything telling you about what it was like living in Brighton in 1941 in that's where your charaters live.
Research
We can't talk about writing historical fiction without talking about research, because you can't write historical fiction without doing research—and probably more than you think you'll need.
Don't overwhelm yourself. Start with the basics of your plot and your characters. What time period is your focus? What city does your story take place in? Then write a list of questions based on the book you're writing—and be aware, it can vary widely! What people wear, what they eat, how they live, are going to be things you need to know whether you write a historical mystery, romance, or fiction. Keep track of the books you read and take notes—treat it like a research paper, because you're going to want to come back to these ideas again and again (especially if your book turns into a series!). Assume at least one of your readers is going to know about the era you're writing in—and will call you out on it if you get something wrong.
What's important to remember about writing historical fiction? You aren't giving your readers a history lecture. You're telling them a story, just as if you were writing any other fiction, mystery, romance, etc. You need a compelling plot, great dialogue, and characters your readers will relate to. You just happen to be putting all of that in a specific historical setting instead of a contemporary or fantasy setting.
If you think of it that way, it might make you feel more at ease when writing the world your characters will be inhabiting.
My Reading Shelf
Martha Wells' latest MurderBot adventure, Platform Decay, sends our favorite SecUnit on a mission to rescue hostages, including children, it doesn't know. This time there's not only corporations to deal with, but an annoyingly designed living platform, a promise to do emotion checks (we should all do those, and we'd probably feel about the same) and—kind of rogue SecUnits? A fun addition to the series!
I had the pleasure of reading an ARC of Karen Odden's An Artful Dodge before this Tuesday's release and loved it! If you're looking for a historical mystery with suspense & capers, as well as brilliant descriptions of Victorian London, you won't want to miss it!
