How Much of You is in Your Writing?

I’m asked a lot if my sleuth, Delanie Fitzgerald, is me. I wish. She’s my alter-ego. She runs toward dead bodies, and I run away from them. She’s a redhead who drives a Mustang and gets into way more trouble than I do. (I’ve had two or three Mustangs through the years.) We like a lot of the same things, but she’s not me. However, there is a lot of me in my novels and stories.

I set all of my books/short stories in Virginia. I write where I know. I’ve lived in the Commonwealth all my life, and I want everyone to know about all the great places, history, and culture of the area. I grew up in Virginia Beach as a CK (Cop’s Kid). It was the best place to be a teenager. We live in Central Virginia now outside of Richmond. And there are so many local attractions, festivals, and restaurants that are fun to include in stories.

A lot of my interests (e.g. reading, traveling, history, and pop culture) end up in my work. I am an 80s girl, so you’ll often find a lot of references sprinkled in.

I have always loved to people watch when I’m out and about. Snippets of conversation and descriptions often end up in my work. My family and coworkers aren’t safe. Stuff they say appears all the time. You’ll never know who or what will end up in the next book. I keep a notebook with me, and I jot down quirky things all the time.

I have two crazy Jack Russell terriers (terrors). The female, Disney (the brunette), has had two dog characters based on her — Darby in “Diggin’ up Dirt” in To Fetch a Thief and Bijou in a cozy that I’m working on. Her brother Riley was the model for the JRT in Secret Lives and Private Eyes. My Uncle’s Rottie is the model for the dog in “The Fast and the Furriest” in the next Mutt Mystery.

So while my characters aren’t me, there are a lot of my interests (or things I want to try) in my writing. In the latest Delanie mystery (that I’m still working on), she gets involved with some drag queens, contraband pet dealers, and historic artifact thieves.

The End! Or Is It?

There is nothing like the feeling of typing “The End.” But I’ve found “The End” isn’t always the last step. When I’m at the point that I’m sure I’m done, here are the things that I look at.

1. Check the word count to make sure it fits within the guidelines for your genre.

2. Spellcheck the manuscript to ensure that you caught all the boo boos that came from editing or the last round of revisions.

3. Check the last paragraph of each chapter to make sure it encourages readers to keep reading. You don’t want to wrap up things so neatly that the reader decides that it’s a good stopping point.

4. Print a copy and proofread on paper. You’ll find more than you will proofing on your screen.

5. Read your dialog out loud to ensure that it doesn’t sound stilted. It should sound like a conversation.

6. When I think I’ve done my best, then it’s time for beta readers and my critique group. They are great for looking for plot holes or things that don’t make sense.

7. Look at your chapter lengths. They should be close page number-wise. You don’t usually want a three-page chapter and then a 25-page chapter.

What else would you add to my list?

Quirky Writing Habits - What Are Yours?

Do you have to have certain things when you’re writing? Do you have any writing rituals or habits? Here’s my list.

I always have to have some kind of background noise when I work. I don’t like it when it’s too quiet. I usually have some sort of music on. I have different playlists. I usually listen to louder music when I write. I have jazz and other smoother playlists for editing or proofreading. My sleuth Delanie Fitzgerald is an 80s girl, so when I’m working on that series, I usually have a Big 80s playlist going.

When I work at home, my Jack Russell Terriers have a dog bed on each side of my desk. They listen to me plot and read dialogue, but they tend to nap during most of the writing process.

If it’s a nice day, I like to write and read on my back deck. I like writing outside. My favorite place to write outside is the beach.

If it’s cold or rainy, I have a big comfy chair in the living room where I like to do rewrites or edits. It’s also my reading chair on snow days.

I am a caffeine junkie, so there is always iced tea, iced coffee, or a soft drink somewhere if I’m in serious writing mode.

My least favorite part of the writing process is making edits and updating the main file. Sometimes, I need chocolate for this task. Dark chocolate works best for me. I don’t normally get to excited about Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, but for some reason, I love the Easter egg ones. I always stock up on those in the spring.

When I’m plotting, I do mind-mapping or cloud diagrams that show the story line. When I start writing, I color code the chapters to show where there is romance, humor, and clues. That’s a quick check for me to see if I need to spread anything out.

What are your writing habits?

Rookie Writer Mistakes - We've All Made Them

Someone recently asked me at an event what advice I’d give to a new writer. This is a list of rookie writer mistakes (in no particular order). We’ve all made at least one.

1. When you schedule an event, always confirm ALL of the details (e.g. where will you be seated, who’s handling the book sales, the date/time, location, etc.). I’ve had one outside event in January, and several in the middle of August.

2. Always bring a box of books with you to every event. The bookseller could make a mistake, or you could sell out!

3. Have a bag with your swag, book stands, pens, tape, etc. with you. Mine has bandages, mints, lotion, and scissors in it, too. At my very first book signing, my one and only pen died. Thank goodness, Mom had a supply with her.

4. If you agree to an event, guest blog, or interview, meet your commitments. People are counting on you.

5. Don’t burn bridges. Be professional. You never know who you’ll sit next to on a panel.

6. ALWAYS get reliable references for services for editing, proofreading, book covers, and book promotions. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

7. Read all of your contracts. Consult legal professionals. You and your work are your brand, and you need to protect them.

8. Treat your writing as a profession. Consult your tax advisor for advice about how to record sales, sales tax, etc. This is a business.

9. Keep all of your receipts and track your mileage for your taxes. (See #8. It’s important.)

10. Have a separate bank account for your writing.

11. When you get to the point with your manuscript where you feel the book is done, then it’s time to send it to beta readers, your critique group, or an editor. It’s not ready for agents or publication at this point.

What would you add to the list?

What's in a Name?

A lot goes into naming a character, especially for one in a series who will be around for several books. The name has to fit the character.

It should also be pronounceable. Or if you think it’s a difficult name, give the reader a hint of how you want it pronounced. I named a character “Roni” (short for Veronica) once. In my head, she was Roni (Rah-knee). Some of my beta readers called her “Rhoney” like “Rice-a-roni.”

Avoid naming multiple characters with similar names. It makes it hard for readers to keep them separate (e.g. Kris, Chris, Christian, Kristen, Christie).

My friend, the late Kathleen Mix, had a trick for naming characters in her books. She made a character list, and only one character per book could have a name with the same letter. She could have an Anastasi, Brooke, and Caitlyn, but not an Alfred and an Annie.

When I hear an interesting name, I jot it down and add it to my working ideas list.

You can Google the social security baby name lists by year. This helps if you want to know what names were popular in a particular year.

When I’m watching sporting events, I look at the rosters for interesting names (first and last).

Keep a character list for each book. This helps me from repeating names. I tend to name a lot of minor characters Bob and Joe for some reason. I also record character traits in my chart, so I can keep them consistent book to book.

I will often pay homage to pop culture in some of my character names. There are references to Van Halen and Wham! in Secret Lives and Private Eyes. In “Diggin’ up Dirt” in To Fetch A Thief, the nosy neighbors are named in honor of a namesake from the TV show “Bewitched.” My PI, Delanie Fitzgerald gets her last name from my favorite American author, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and her agency is named for Dashiell Hammett’s The Maltese Falcon.

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

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?