All in the Name of Research...

Surprisingly, fiction writers do a lot of research to ensure that the details in their writing are as accurate as possible. When you’re a mystery writer, some of this research can put you in sticky situations (e.g. You may not want to Google the best ways to a dispose of a body.)

I’m fortunate that my dad is a retired police captain, and I have other family and friends in law enforcement who are always willing to answer my procedural or odd questions. I can’t tell you how many times, I’ve had questions like, “What does a meth lab smell like” or “what size of a hole would this bullet make.” People are always willing to help and are very generous with their time.

I am also thrilled to be a part of Sisters in Crime. Our local chapter has great programming. We bring in experts to answer questions and explain procedures. I now have two awesome bail bondsmen in my contact list (or in case I need them). We’ve also had an arson investigator, medical examiner, FBI agent, ABC officer, Railroad Enforcement Officer, an expert in human trafficking, and a state conservation officer talk to our group.

I’ve also found that Twitter is a solid resource for finding experts and people who know things. I’ve put out questions before and received good information quickly. Social media sites are great for research, finding contacts, and networking. I’ve received several referrals that were quite helpful in my research.

My Private Investigator, Delanie Fitzgerald, is always getting herself in and out of humorous situations. In book three, she gets a gig to go undercover at a drag show to find out who is stealing from the talent. I’d never been to a drag so, so my writer friend, Rosemary Shomaker, arranged a research trip for brunch. (The bananas foster French toast was wonderful!) We had so much fun, and I ended up with a lot of details to add to my story, and a subject matter expert to answer my questions.

I always keep a list of folks who help me with ideas and answer questions for the book’s acknowledgments page.

Okay writers, what adventures have you had in the name of research?

How Productive Are You with Your Writing?

With work and life’s distractions, I don’t have a lot of writing time. I admire writers who can create multiple novels a year and stick to a daily writing schedule. I’m a binge writer. I write when I have blocks of time, and I don’t always keep to a set schedule.

But I did an experiment this year to see what was possible, and I had one of my most productive years to date. This year, I completed a cozy mystery, and I have a sloppy draft of my third Delanie Fitzgerald novel. I wrote a dog-themed mystery novella that was published in November in To Fetch a Thief. I wrote a short story, “Art Attack” that will be published next May, and I wrote a nonfiction piece that will be published next year too. And before December, I hope to start on another novella for the Mutt Mysteries collection.

It is possible to increase your writing output. Here’s what I did:

1. I cut out a lot of TV time.

2. I edited, proofread, and did rework during times that I normally didn’t write. I would print out chapters and put them in my purse for wait times like in the doctor's office or at the DMV.

3. I started tracking my word count for the week. This helped me stay on track. It also gave me a visual of what I had accomplished.

4. I tried to find some writing/editing/blogging time each day. It didn’t always work, but I made the effort.

5. I was a little more choosy and protective of my writing time. I learned how to say no politely.

6. I used my critique group to keep a monthly deadline. We submit 50 pages for review each month. I didn’t skip months this year. I had something to review each month.

Best wishes with your writing projects. What else would you add to my list?

Getting Back on Track...

I finished my SAFe (Strategic Agile Framework) training and passed certification exam recently. And it’s been a while since I’ve studied and crammed for an exam. I spent a lot of time over the last two weeks reading and studying (and learning hundreds of acronyms).

Needless to say, my book marketing and writing projects have been neglected, and I’ve lost some of the momentum I had on my WIP (work in progress - which is also an Agile term).

Stuff happens. Life and work will often throw your writing off schedule. The holiday season is fast approaching, and that always affects my productivity. Here are some ideas to get your writing back on track.

1. If you’re an early bird or a night owl, capitalize on that. Start your day earlier or stay up later to build in some extra writing time.

2. Turn off the TV or electronic gadgets and use that time for writing.

3. Use your lunch or meal times to build your word count.

4. Print out chapters and use waiting time to proofread or edit.

5. Don’t beat yourself up if you neglect your writing. Life happens. Get back to it as soon as possible.

6. Set a reasonable schedule or goals for the week and try to stick to it. You’ll be surprised how much your word count will grown when you write every day.

7. Find a writing buddy or someone who’ll tell you if you stray. I have two friends on Facebook who remind their writer friends that they should be writing. Public shaming can be a motivator.

What would you add to my list?

10 Things About the Writing Life

When I do interviews or panel discussions, someone always asks what advice I would give to other writers. So I decided to put together my list of 10 things I’d tell someone about writing or the writing life.

1. Do not give up. If you want to be published, be persistent. Keep writing.

2. Turn off the TV (or phone or Internet surfing) and write.

3. Work on your craft. Learn as much as you can about your genre and writing. You need to know about the writing conventions that readers expect.

4. Learn about the publishing industry and the business of books. (It’s ever-changing.)

5. Find yourself a writing group. Writing and editing are solitary. You need to be around other writers to share celebrations and disappointments. I learn so much from my writer friends who are generous with their time and advice.

6. Writing/publishing books is a business. You need to treat it as such. Be professional.

7. Learn all you can about book marketing and promotion. It’s often harder than writing the book.

8. If you get stuck, don’t give up. Do something to get your creative energy back.

9. Don’t be too hard on yourself. Learn from mistakes or from something that didn’t go well and then move on. Don’t get stuck wallowing in self-pity. It’s a mire that’s hard to get out of.

10. You will doubt yourself and your choices. It happens to everyone. Set goals and look for ways to improve. Don’t get stuck in the pit of self-doubt.

What would you add to my list? I wish I’d known this in my teens and twenties when I started dabbling with writing.

What Advice Would You Give to a Younger You About The Writing Life?

What advice would you give to a younger you or someone who wants to be a writer? Here are my thoughts.

1. Don’t give up. If you want to be published, be persistent.

2. Work on your craft. You get better by writing and revising your drafts.

3. Stick with it. See a project through to a good solid draft.

4. Find a group of like-minded people. You need the support and guidance from other authors.

5. Don’t take yourself too seriously.

6. Learn from criticism, but don’t dwell on it. A bad review shouldn’t send you into a tail spin.

7. You are not in competition with other authors. You need to work to improve your skills.

8. Help others when you can.

9. Learn how to say no nicely. People will ask a lot of you. If you take on everything, you’ll stress yourself out.

10. Guard your writing time. Schedule it if you have to.

11. Find a good critique group or writing partner. You need a sounding board to read your drafts and to provide constructive feedback. Make sure everyone contributes.

12. Celebrate other’s successes. And celebrate your own. Writing is hard work.

Why Collaborators Need a Style Guide - Advice for Writers

Years ago, I hired a technical writer at my day gig, and we quickly realized we needed a style guide to define how we do certain things. We had a division called Multifamily, and the title appeared as "Multifamily," "MultiFamily," "Multi-family," and "multi-family" in our technical manuals. Consistency was important, so we created some definitions of how things were going to be used. 

I use the Chicago Manual of Style as my reference guide, but others prefer the AP or the MLA guides. 

If you're creating a collaborative work such as an anthology or collection of stories, a style guide will save a lot of time and headaches during editing. It will also stop a lot of arguments about who is right and who isn't. And it's also a good idea if you give the contributors the guide during the writing phase.

Here are examples of things you should include:

• Specify how you want the submissions formatted (e.g. spacing, font type, font size, etc.)
• Decide how you want paragraphs indented. Some folks use the tab key, while others use the margin/first line indent feature on their word processor.
• How are you going to define story or scene breaks? Do you want the author to use symbols (e.g. ###) centered on a line?
• How do you feel about the Oxford or serial comma? (e.g I'm bringing apples, peaches, and grapes to the picnic.) I'm #TeamOxfordComma.
• Define how the dialogue tags or attributes appear. Example:
  • "Go away!" said Fred.
  • "Go away!" Fred said (preferred)
• Italicize names of movies, TV shows, magazines, and books.
• Are you going to use the American or British spelling of words? (e.g. canceled or cancelled)
• Is it T-shirt, t-shirt, tshirt? What about Ok, OK, or Okay? TV, t.v., or tv?
• Use All Right and A Lot. Both are two words.

Start with some standard guidelines and then add ones that are important to the group. Remember that many publishers and editors have their own style guides, so more changes could come in the final editing stages.

I keep a style guide for myself too when I'm writing my novels, so that I am consistent between the books in a series. 

What else would you include in your style guide?

How Do You Get Recharged? Tips for Writers

Everybody hits a slump or a block from time to time. Sometimes, there's an awful feeling of being overwhelmed. The key is not stay there or wallow in doubt, despair, or fear. Here are some ideas to get you recharged and back on your writing projects.

1. I go to my monthly critique group meetings. Having a deadline for submitting work to be reviewed helps me keep on track. Plus, I love interacting with talented and creative people. I learn as much from others' critiques as I do from those of my work.

2. I also attend writers' group meetings and events. Many of these have a learning component, and experiencing new things always recharges me. It's also a great way to interact with other writers. I can't say enough about how valuable my writing network is to me. I get ideas, critiques, and support from people who have the same experiences.

3. If it's not feasible to join a group in your area, there are plenty online. I receive a digest of the threads each day. Even though I don't have the time to read and respond to every thread, I do check out interesting topics and keep up with new projects. And it's nice to know that you're not alone in your writing cave.

4. Take some time off and do something interesting or fun. Usually, the break is all I need to get back into writing mode. 

5. Volunteer some of your time. There are so many  groups that appreciate the help. Time away helps you clear your thoughts and get focused.

6. Exercise. Get those endorphins pumping. You'll feel better. (I recently got a stand-up desk at my day gig. It is wonderful. I feel so much better at the end of the day.)

7. I get overwhelmed when I have too many projects going at once, even if they're in different stages. I need to prioritize and focus on the critical tasks. That helps me quell the anxiety and stress.

8. Learn how to say "no" nicely (but firmly). It's hard. There are so many people making requests of you, and you can't do it all. It takes a lot of effort to balance your writing with the rest of your life. I would love to participate in every author or volunteer event that comes along, but sometimes, it's not feasible. Your time is valuable. Guard your writing time.

9. If you don't have a writers group, invite a couple of writers to lunch or coffee. Make time to network and share ideas. Peer groups are important.

How do you recharge? What would you add to my list?

What Made You Smile This Week?

What made you smile this week? Here's my list in no particular order...

1. 5 days off because of the Independence Day holiday. Whoo hooo! Writing time.
2. Celebrating my Mom's birthday and July 4 with a cookout (and chocolate birthday cake).
3. Submitting an article for an upcoming journal.
4. Working on edits for a cozy mystery.
5. Starting the third Delanie Fitzgerald book (and coming up with a title).
6. My husband finished the landscaping around the deck and added a firepit. I'm ready to roast marshmallows.
7. Heading to Kilmarnock, VA on Saturday to be on a fun panel at the Writers' Expo.
8. Wrapping up edits on a short story called "Art Attack."
9. Finishing all my reading early for July's critique group.
10. My dogs - Jack Russells always make me smile.

What would you add to the list?