Very early Wednesday morning, I turned in the macro or substantive edit for my next book, Lethal Intent. With this book I spent a lot of time on the hero and heroine because I wanted to make them deep. And that meant lots of flow charts and things. In my office I have a blank wall right next to my desk and computer, so I turned it into a "white board" where I posted my ideas. This is what it … [Read more...]
How to Encourage (or Discourage) a Writer on Deadline
I triumphantly wrote THE END on a manuscript last summer, and here I am again on deadline. I came across a post I wrote (but never published) while I was on that squeaky tight deadline last summer. I’d been noting the things that enabled me to finally finish that first draft—along with the things that had not been quite so helpful, and thought I'd share a few of them with you. After more than … [Read more...]
When Life is Research
As I've been working on the fourth book in my Chicory Inn Novels series, I've been very aware of how much of the research for these novels, more than any others I've written, has been simply living life! So many of the scenes in these novels come from my experiences as a daughter, mother, grandmother, granddaughter, daughter-in-law, wife, sister, aunt... I've truly pulled from just about every … [Read more...]
The Mystery in Writing
I'm racing to finish another book, and I'm deeply embroiled in thoughts of what makes a story work. Which reminds me of a favorite scene from the movie, Shakespeare in Love. It goes like this: Philip Henslowe: Mr. Fennyman, allow me to explain about the theatre business. The natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster. Hugh Fennyman: So what do we … [Read more...]
Looking Back: God’s Miracles in my Writing
I love #ThrowbackThursdays on Facebook. I love looking at photos of big hair and bell bottoms. I love noting changes in my friends and in my kids. (They were such cute babies!) Likewise, I enjoy taking time to look back and see how my writing has changed. More than that, I like to replay how God showed up, meeting me as I worked. When I was researching for my novel, Arms of Deliverance, one of … [Read more...]