But I grew up and, when I think of snow and ice now, I
think of shoveling the driveway, scraping off my car and driving in slippery,
sometimes hazardous conditions. I worry about slipping and falling and what
that could involve. Because I’m an adult and I know what could happen. If I have an accident, I know what that will entail:
dealing with insurance companies, car rentals, etc. So, I’ve come to see snow
and ice as a bad thing and, although I do see the beauty in a freshly fallen
snow, I no longer love and appreciate Winter. I’ve lost that.
Sunday, March 15, 2015
Through the eyes of a child
Sunday, March 8, 2015
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.)
Sunday, March 1, 2015
Serendipity
I love the word
“Serendipity.” The dictionary’s definition is: the accidental discovery of
something pleasant, valuable or useful. But, to me, the word also has a
mysterious, almost magical connotation. Something good happens out of the blue.
We didn’t expect it, we couldn’t anticipate it but there it is: a gift.
There are many reasons I
love being a writer and, a few weeks ago, I wrote three posts on the subject.
But, I neglected to mention one of the most wonderful, unexpected parts of being a
writer: meeting and getting to know so many other writers who support and
encourage me. I consider this a perfect example of serendipity.
Writing is hard work and,
by its very nature, it’s a solitary profession. We writers sit at our computers for hours on end, searching for just
the right words to tell the story we’re trying to tell. We want our readers to
get to know and care about our characters and we want them to become engrossed
in the plots we create. So, a good part of the time, we’re inside our own
heads.
But, as John Donne so
aptly wrote, “No man is an island.” We weren't meant to go it alone in this life; we all need each other. So, when another writer reads one of my
books and writes a glowing review, it means the world to me. Because only
another writer can fully understand what it took to get my book from one small
idea all the way to publication. I have been blessed to know several such
writers.
Recently, something
happened that put a big smile on my face. BookTown, a site I’ve belonged to for
some time, featured the book cover for Unfinished
Business, my second Malone Mystery, and two of my blog posts on their
Facebook home page. I was surprised and thrilled! Another example of serendipity!
Thank you BookTown and
thanks to all my writer friends who continually enrich my life!
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