The Three Rs

Everyone occasionally needs some R&R but we writers sometimes need the three Rs: rest, relaxation and research. I love to travel so, for me, a change of scenery is the ticket. It gets my imagination going full speed, sparks my creativity and it helps me to recharge my batteries so that I’m ready to take on my next writing project.

Bridge linking Mt. Pleasant and Charleston, SC

View of Charleston Harbor from the pier in Mt. Pleasant

The pool where I spent every afternoon

As you may have figured out by now, I just got back from a vacation to Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina and, although I love my hometown, Cincinnati, it felt good to get a break from my everyday life. Freedom from responsibilities and routine. I had so much fun and I enjoyed seeing new sights, going to the beach to gaze out at the ocean and I met some very nice people on my trip. It was restful and relaxing.

Sullivan's Island lighthouse

Folly Beach

The Morris Island lighthouse

But, a writer is always writing in one form or another so, while I was there, I took a lot of pictures, bought more than my share of postcards and picked up literature about the area wherever I could find it. Not to mention initiating conversations with the locals whenever the opportunity presented itself. Why? Because my fifth Malone Mystery will take place there and it was the perfect opportunity for the third “R,” research. 

A view from a horse drawn carriage ride in Charleston

Bubba Gump's restaurant in Charleston

I especially love this stage of writing, when the ideas swirl around in my head and I scurry to find paper and a pen to jot them down. Plotting a novel reminds me of putting together a jig saw puzzle. So many pieces, many of them colorful and interesting but, until each one is put in its proper place, we don’t see the whole picture. So, over the next several months, I’ll be fitting together the pieces from my research and my imagination until they all come together to form my next book.

Write What You Know

One of the things writers learn early on is to write about what they know. Toward that end, the setting for my first three Malone mysteries is the west side of Cincinnati, Ohio, my hometown. But, in my fourth book, Mistaken Identity, I decided that it was time for my characters (and me) to step outside of their comfort zone and travel to Fripp Island, South Carolina, an island I visited on vacation one year.

Even though I write fiction, I want my books to be as accurate as possible. So, whenever I travel, I pick up brochures, maps and any literature I can get my hands on – and I save it – because I never know when I’ll use it in another book. As we all know, places change constantly. Streets are renamed, buildings are torn down, etc. and, even though lots of information can be found at the library and online, having information on hand for the time period I’m writing about is worth its weight in gold. For example, one of the times I visited Charleston was in 2009, which is within the time frame for my series. Fortunately, I had gotten a street map, brought it home and kept it. Believe me when I tell you that that map is going to come in handy in a future book. 

When I write, I use settings I'm familiar with because I need to have a "feel" for a place in order to write about it. So, in Mistaken Identity, which will be published by Post Mortem Press in just a few months, I also used Charleston, Beaufort and Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, other places I’ve been. I do a good bit of research for my books too but, to me, nothing beats “hands on” experience. And I take lots of pictures wherever I go. (Go to “Places” under “Pages” on the right side of my blog to see several photos of locations that will appear in Mistaken Identity.) 

Three things to make you happy

I've heard it said that it takes three things to make a person happy: someone to love, something to do and something to look forward to. Makes perfect sense to me.

Of course, someone to love doesn't necessarily mean you have to be in a "relationship." It can be your spouse or significant other but it can also be your child, a close friend, a family member or a combination of any or all of them.

Although I'm divorced and not currently in a romantic relationship, I am blessed with so many wonderful people in my life, good friends and family, and I love them all.

Something to do can mean a job you enjoy, a cause you're committed to, a hobby or a passion. The important element is that it be something that gives you a reason to get out of bed in the morning and that it gives you a feeling of satisfaction and makes you feel you've been productive at the end of the day.

For me, that something is writing. Each morning, I look forward to some phase of my writing process. I'm either plotting, researching, writing, editing and/or promoting my Malone Mystery series. Writing is my passion and it's been my life-long dream to become a published author.

And now we've come to something to look forward to. That can be almost anything you're eagerly anticipating. A vacation, a visit from a friend, a promotion at work, anything.

Throughout the year, I try to schedule outings with friends, book signings and other events so that I almost always have something to look forward to. But, the highlight of the year is my annual vacation. I usually travel to the ocean but this year I'm doing something different. I just made my reservation for a trip to West Virginia in the Fall and I'm looking forward to a train ride through picturesque mountains, to meeting new people and, since a change of scenery tends to spark my imagination, to coming up with some ideas for future books.

I've shared the three things in my life that combine to make me happy and now I'd love to hear from you. If you leave a comment with your three things, you'll be automatically entered to win a signed paper copy of my most recent Malone Mystery, Desperate Deeds.