What I Learned about Writing and Life from Dogs

Disney and Riley are the Jack Russell Terriers who live at our house and keep us on our toes. They have two settings, warp speed or napping.

Here's what I've learned from them...

• Live in the moment. Today is what's important. The past and future don't matter that much.

• Play hard. Life can't be all work. Everything is a game to a Jack.

• Nap when you need to. You need to recharge every once in a while. You need to take care of yourself.

• Don't waste a beautiful day inside. Go outside and have fun.

• Know when it's time to cuddle on the couch with a good book.

• Bark if you need to, but not too much.

• Wag and make friends. Relationships are important.

• Don’t obsess too much about the things you can’t control. Those squirrels will never stay out of our yard. And people will continue to walk in our cul de sac. Okay, so the Jacks may need a little work on this one.

What is something your pet has taught you?

Why The First Draft is Just the Beginning...

When I talk to groups of new writers, I’m asked often about editing and revising, and they’re often surprised when I mention the number of rounds of revisions before the manuscript is ready for my agent and editors.

I love typing, “The End” on that last page, but it really is just the beginning. I print off a paper copy and do multiple (sometimes as many as 8 or 9 read-throughs). I’m looking for different things each time. Here’s what I always check…

• Are there plotholes? Does something not make sense? Did I make sure all the clues/red herrings were addressed? Are there multiple motives? Are you sure the protagonist isn’t too perfect? Is the technology and the actions plausible?

• Is the dialog pertinent? Get rid of the chitchat. Does the dialog all sound the same? Is the chatter boring? Can readers tell who is speaking? Are there enough dialog tags? Are there too many dialog tags? Did I use slang or regional sayings that most readers won’t recognize?

• Is there enough description of settings and characters? Is there too much description? Is there too much backstory?

• Are there continuity mistakes? Did your character eat lunch two times in the same chapter? Are all the details consistent throughout the manuscript? Did you change a character name in ALL the places? Is the timing of events in the right sequence?

• Check the grammar and punctuation. Do all the quotes have a beginning and end punctuation? Did autocorrect substitute any weird or wrong words.

• Do you have words and phrases that you overuse? I have a list of my biggest offenders, and I always search for these.

• Are all the chapter endings neat wrap-ups? Make sure you build suspense and cause your readers to stay up past their bedtimes. Neat wrapped up chapters make good stopping points.

What would you add to my list?

Where Do You Write?

I can write just about anywhere. I’m a plotter, so I do a pretty detailed outline of each mystery before I start the first draft. When I’m in first draft mode, I usually write at my desk. I have daily writing goals that help me stay on track. By having an outline, I can usually put down the manuscript and pick it back up without having to spend hours trying to get back to where I was. I also compose at the keyboard. It wasn’t productive to handwrite pages and then retype them.

I like to write at my desk. My monitor faces the woods, so I can watch the sunrise, squirrels, hawks, and other birds in the woods. I usually revise/edit/proofread on hard copies. I print out the chapters, and I can take them anywhere. My favorite spots are my sunroom and my deck on a warm day.

I need to have plenty of chocolate and caffeine when I’m in writing mode. And music. I always have some kind of music streaming in the background. It’s usually instrumental, jazz, or one of the calming stations when I’m writing. I like rock and the faster stuff when I’m editing. Music is fine when I’m writing. I just can’t have a TV on anywhere nearby. I also had to buy a pair of noise-cancelling headphones for the days the neighbor’s lawn service breaks out the leaf blowers.

What are your must-haves for your writing sessions? Do you have a specific habit or ritual to get you in writing mode?

What's in a Name? The Importance of Character Names

I’m often asked where I get the names of characters. How do you come up with all the character names and keep them straight? They come from all over. I am constantly jotting down interesting names. I want my characters’ names to reflect something about his or her personality. Here are some things that I look for when I’m choosing a name.

• Know the name’s meaning. You want to associate it with some trait your character has. Is it a family name or something that was popular during that generation?

• I use the SSN baby name lists by year to give me ideas of what was popular when my characters were “born.”

• Avoid having multiple character names that start with the same letter. The fabulous Kathy Mix gave me this advice this early on in my career. She said it’s often confusing for readers. She would always make a list, and when she used a name, she’d cross off that letter.

• Avoid having multiple names that sound similar (e.g. Christy, Kristi, Chris). This is often another point of confusion for readers.

• You want a character name that is pronounceable. I was going to name a main character Veronica, and she was going to go by Roni. (Rah-ni was the way I heard it in my head.) The gals in my critique group kept calling her Row-knee, so I ended up renaming her. It was too much to explain.

• Create a character list (especially if you write a series). I have a giant spreadsheet for each series with all the facts about the repeat characters. It also helps me not to use the same name over and over for minor characters.

• I usually don’t name characters for real people, and if I do, I’ll tell you who and why in the acknowledgments. Though I have been known to name minor characters after famous people in popular and literary culture.

My first traditionally published mystery was a short story in a Sisters in Crime anthology. Years later, a lady came up to me at a book signing and told me that her husband had the same name as one of the main characters in “Washed up.” That was fun.

What would you add to my list about naming your characters?

When Was the Last Time You Paid Your Website Some Attention?

I hope your 2025 writing journey is going well! As you’re planning your writing and book marketing tasks, don’t forget about your website.

• Make sure your author photo is current.

• Check your biography. Is it current?

• Are all of your books listed?

• Review the content on your pages. Check all links to make sure everything is functioning correctly.

• Add or update your event calendar.

• With all the changes and new platforms in the social media world, are your links current?

• Could your site use some sprucing up? Think about changing your colors, adding an author logo, or adding recent pictures of your book events. Do your colors and fonts match your style of writing?

• Look at your analytics page. Do you have pages on your site that no one visits (and you don’t update)? Is it time to retire them?

• Has your blog been ignored or abandoned? Is it time to think about reviving it? This is an easy way to ensure regular traffic to your website. It also gives you links to share on your social media sites.

• Is anything missing from your website? I teach a lot of classes and workshops, and someone mentioned that I should list my specialties. I created a new page and added a contact link.

What would you add to my list?

Proofread, And Then Do It Again

I can read a manuscript ten times and still miss some pesky typos. Here are some tips that have helped me with proofreading.

READ RIGHT TO LEFT

Start at the bottom of the page and read each word right to left. This takes the word out of context and allows you to focus. This is tedious, especially for a whole book, but help you see each word and not the sentences and paragraphs around it.

WHERE AND WHEN

Try to find a quiet place away from distractions. Try not to proofread for more than two hours at a time. Get up and walk around or take a stretch break.

HOW MUCH

You are going to read and revise your manuscript multiple times. Try to schedule some down time between revisions. Work on other projects. The time away helps you focus when you return

PAPER VS. ELECTRONIC

Proofread a paper version of the text. It is difficult to catch mistakes on a computer screen.

TOOLS

Do not rely solely on the spelling or grammar checker. These help, but they’re not always correct. Many word processing applications have a “read aloud” feature. This helps you to hear misused words that a spell checker wouldn’t catch.

FIND A PARTNER

Find a partner or a critique group to read your manuscript and provide feedback. Another set of eyes can always spot typos and mistakes that the writer misses.

What else would you add to my list?

All the Stuff I Didn't Know Writers Had to Do...

When I dreamed of being a published writer, I had no idea how much work was going to be involved. I was going to write books, do book signings, and spend my royalties. It wasn’t until that first contract arrived that I realized I didn’t know what I didn’t know.

Even if you have a publisher with a team to support you, there are still marketing and other tasks that you’re expected to do to promote your work.

Here are some of the things that turned my little hobby into a second job. What would you add to my list?

• Be prepared. You will read your manuscript more times than you’ll ever want to count to look for plotholes, typos, inconsistencies and areas to improve.

• Find a critique group or partner to give you feedback on your manuscript.

• Build and maintain a website and your social media presence.

• Schedule events.

• Organize your writing and promotional calendars.

• Network with booksellers, librarians, book clubs, reviewers, and podcasters.

• Network with other writers.

• Learn how to ask for blurbs. Write blurbs for others.

• Create a newsletter.

• Build a newsletter list of followers.

• Write a blog. Write content for your socials. Write content for your newsletter.

• Write guest blogs and do interviews.

• Prepare for interviews and speaking engagements.

• Create a street team of super fans.

• Learn how to use a variety of different software for book stuff.

• Be social on multiple social media sites and build your following.

• Get all the tax, sales tax, and business stuff straightened out.

• Add information to your will to take care of the business of your books.

What are Your Overused or Crutch Words

I know that I overuse certain words when I write, but it happens anyway. I don’t find them until the revisions, and then I’m shocked that I did it again. I finally made a list of the worst offenders that my critique group and editors have noticed over the years. Now during the early edits, I do a search and replace to get rid of the nasty critters.

Here’s my list:

• A lot

• Come on

• Definitely

• Few

• Going to

• Good

• Grabbed

• Hopefully

• Just

• Last

• Lately

• Little Dog

• More

• Only

• Other

• Out of the

• Probably

• Really

• Several

• Slightly

• Still

• Sure

• That

• Very

If you find that you have repeat words, make your list. If you weed out the duplicates during the editing stages, it will help make your writing stronger. (And you’ll be surprised how many times you use some of them.)