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The Writing Life: Wandering Off the Beaten Path with Annie Leibovitz

Posted on April 19, 2016 by

by Sherri Burr

For creative types, there is often a tension between concentrating energy to become known for a particular type of work, and wandering off that path to create something new and different. This tension confronted Annie Leibovitz, who is famous for her unique portrait photography such as that of a naked Demi Moore sporting a sizable baby bump, a naked Whoopi Goldberg immersed in a bathtub of milk, and a naked John Lennon with his arms wrapped around his wife Yoko Ono, taken just hours before he was assassinated. Leibovitz owed Random House a fourth work under her four-book contract when she came up with the idea to photograph objects of dead creative types rather than the people themselves. The results were on display at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in Santa Fe in 2013, and can be found in the book Pilgrimage.

On a press walk through the O’Keeffe Museum in February 2013, Leibovitz discussed what drew her to photograph particular objects, such as Georgia O’Keeffe’s bed, her pastels in a drawer, or the door in the adobe wall of her Abiquiu, New Mexico home. Leibovitz considers O’Keeffe to be a great American artist. “We think we know who she is and we don’t,” she said. When she saw the pastels in the drawer, Leibovitz thought, “It’s all the colors in her landscapes.”

Leibovitz also photographed the bed of psychiatrist Sigmund Freud, the desk of author Virginia Woolf, the nightdress of poet Emily Dickinson, and the television of Elvis Presley. This TV is notable because it has a hole in it. Leibovitz explained that during her second trip to Graceland, she was given a tour of the basement containing items Elvis never threw away. The Graceland staff informed her that every time Robert Goulet came on the air, Elvis would pick up a gun and shoot the television. Because Leibovitz photographed this object, we learned something novel about one of the most examined musicians of our times. About Graceland, she said, “The second time I went I felt it was just a house, when you ignore the red carpets and the velvet ropes.”

There was another reason to explore another trail. “Forty years in the magazine world wears you down,” Leibovitz said. “Pilgrimage presented an opportunity to do something different.”

At Niagara Falls, Leibovitz observed her young children staring at a horizon, as if they were mesmerized. She walked to the location, stood behind them, and took the picture. “As a photographer, a lot of times I have to work to get the picture. This time my children saw the picture first.”

“Walden Pond was about an idea, not a place,” Leibovitz informed us as we stood by her picture of Henry David Thoreau’s bed. “He walked to town every day. It’s about being out in nature.” Thoreau first published Walden; or Life in the Woods in 1854 to explore experiences gained from the two years, two months, and two days he spent living on the shores of Walden Pond. Of her depiction of Thoreau’s bed, Leibovitz says, “It’s not a photograph, it’s a document.”

She paid homage to Ansel Adams by traveling to Yosemite to recreate one of his famous photographs. “To get the picture,” she said, “I had to push back about forty people.” Additionally, she visited Adams’ darkroom that had been turned into a wine cellar. She removed all the wine bottles before capturing the darkroom as it once existed.

The exhibition featured framed photographs shot using digital equipment. “I think digital is closer to how we see color,” she said. “We all see color differently. You’re still doing the work that Ansel did in the darkroom when you’re sitting in front of a computer.” She adds, “One of the reasons I’m interested in landscapes is because they present true color. What’s interesting about digital is that it has more detail.”

Leibovitz’s exhibition (and book), also contained photographs of the hat and gloves Lincoln wore the night he was assassinated. Being in the presence of these objects was “very powerful,” she said.

After departing the O’Keeffe Museum, the exhibition made two more stops before concluding its tour at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library in Springfield, Illinois in 2014.

“When you do something new, you don’t know how it’s going to be. I wanted to know if I could find my own way. You have to feed your heart and your soul,” said Leibovitz.

The exhibit was, and Pilgrimage still is, an inspiration to all of us who feel it’s time to innovate.

Sherri Burr is the Regents’ Professor of Law at the University of New Mexico School of Law where she teaches Entertainment Law, Intellectual Property Law, and Art Law. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, Princeton University, and the Yale Law School, she has authored or co-authored 20 books, including A Short and Happy Guide to Financial Well-Being (West Academic, 2014). Sherri is also a long-time member of SouthWest Writers and a regular contributor to the organization’s newsletter SouthWest Sage.

This article was originally published in the May 2013 issue of SouthWest Sage and is reprinted here by permission of the author.

An Interview with Author Paula Paul

Posted on April 14, 2016 by

Paula Paul is a native Texan who began her writing career as a newspaper journalist. She now makes her home in Albuquerque, New Mexico where she writes “extraordinary stories that touch the heart and challenge the mind.” Her 28 books (including mysteries, historical fiction, YA, and literary novels) have been released through major publishers, as well as small presses. For Dead Men Only (Alibi, 2016) is the fifth book in her Dr. Alexandra Gladstone historical mystery series. You can find Paula on Facebook and her website at PaulPaul.net.

What is the elevator pitch for your newest novel, For Dead Men Only?
I’ve never heard the term “elevator pitch” (see below*). However, the publisher used this pitch: “Hailed as ‘an intriguing mixture of mystery, romance, and history’ by Lois Duncan, the Alexandra Gladstone series from award-winning author Paula Paul continues as an ominous horseman heralds the emergence of a secret society, hidden riches—and a string of chilling murders.”

What is it about your main protagonist that makes your readers connect with her? Will those who know you recognize you in any of your characters? After writing five novels in the Dr. Alexandra Gladstone series, does your protagonist still surprise you?
I believe readers connect with Alexandra Gladstone because she is a strong woman who is dedicated to her profession. At the same time she is naïve about some aspects of human nature and often too trusting. I think readers also connect with her humanness which includes all the mistakes she makes. I have never heard anyone say, “Oh this or that character in the series reminds me of you,” although I’ve heard it about some of the characters in other books I’ve written. In truth, I think there’s a little of the writer in all the characters we create. Yes, Alexandra still surprises me sometimes when I’m writing. For one thing, I didn’t expect her past to be quite so colorful, which she revealed in Half A Mind To Murder. As for the antagonist in For Dead Men Only and in all the books I write, I work hard to not make them two-dimensional. I want to understand in the end why they act as they do and how they are as fully human as the protagonist.

What unique challenges did this work pose for you?
The greatest challenge in all of the Gladstone books is the relationship between Alexandra and Lord Dunsford. They are clearly attracted to each other, but their different social positions—he is an aristocrat and she is working class—makes the development of a romance difficult. I want to keep it realistic and not make it just another Cinderella story. That means there are certain lines that are usually never crossed. Also, I get annoyed at Lord Dunsford because he wants to throw all caution to the wind with no thought of the consequences.

Why did you decide to use a seaside village in 1880s England as the setting for the book?
The setting and time for the Gladstone books were established several years ago when I first started writing the series. An editor asked me to write a historical mystery series. He told me I could set it in any time period and in any place except the American West. That was like throwing me a curve ball since I’ve lived all my life in the American West. However, the editor said at that time there were too many books set in the west. I didn’t want to set a story in the eastern United States because I thought all of the editors who lived in the east would know the history better than I. Since I’d always been a bit of an Anglophile, I chose England. I chose the date arbitrarily, simply because it was the year after the birth of my grandmother. I chose a seaside village because I wanted the name of the village to be Something-Upon-Sea.

Did you discover anything unusual or surprising while doing research for this novel?
I can’t say that the research I did about Freemasons and Knights Templars revealed anything surprising, but it was certainly intriguing. I also did some research into beekeeping in Victorian England and was surprised to learn that it was not as common in the 1880s as it is now.

Tell us more about the book.
The idea for the book came from my past reading about Freemasons and Knights Templar. A secret society is always intriguing and lends itself well to a mystery novel. I wrote the book in nine months because that is the length of time the contract allowed. The editing cycle (which was included in the nine months) is always long and arduous for me because I write the first draft quickly without censoring myself, and I don’t go back to read what I’ve written. That means that uncontrolled bursts of creativity have plenty of mistakes that need correcting.

Your first three books in the Gladstone series were indie published, but later books in the series (Medium Dead and For Dead Men Only) were published by Alibi, Random House/Penguin’s digital-only imprint. Tell us how that change came about, from indie publishing to publishing with a big house.
The series was originally published by Berkeley. The books went out of print for a while and an indie publisher picked them up. They sold fairly well, so Random House/Alibi agreed to continue the series. In the confusing world of publishing, Berkeley is now a part of the Random House group.

When did you know you were a writer?
Like most writers, I have always been an avid reader. Reading everything I could get my hands on led me to making up stories in my head when I was quite young, and that led to writing. I can’t think of a moment when I knew I was a writer. It seems now that I always thought of myself as a writer. I have certainly had many moments when I thought of myself as a not-very-good writer!

What are the challenges in writing a series?
For me, the greatest challenge is having the characters grow and change over the course of several books. It is much easier to do that in just one book.

Do you have a message or a theme that recurs in your writing?
A recurring theme is the struggle of women to gain equality in modern times and throughout history.

What are your strengths as a writer, and what do you do to overcome your weaknesses?
My greatest strength is perseverance. My greatest weakness is self-doubt. I overcome that by writing almost every day and by self-critiques in order to find ways to improve.

How has your experience as a journalist helped you in your fiction writing?
A journalist writes to be understood. There is much less emphasis on style or creating a poetic phrase with metaphors and similes. While fiction writing frees a writer to wax poetic more often, I think it is of tantamount importance to be understood—to be easy to read. If you work at it, you can do both. While I did some magazine writing, I spent most of my journalism career as a newspaper reporter for daily newspapers. That certainly teaches one to write fast and to meet deadlines, and I’ve found that helpful.

What is your writing routine like? What is your writing process like?
As for routine, I usually start writing in the late morning or early afternoon and write until I have completed my quota of 1500 to 2000 words a day. I try to do that five days a week, but if I get too far behind, I work on weekends to get caught up. The process is to first work out what I’m trying to say in the book, then write a skimpy synopsis. Using the synopsis, I make a chapter-by-chapter outline, except some of the chapters are left blank or some have only one word such as “danger.” Then I start to write, filling in the blanks and shuffling things as I go along. I may change my mind about a motivation or an event as I write, but I just write myself a note to go back and change it while I just keep forging ahead, writing to the end. It’s a creative process that’s almost like being in a trance, and I don’t want to tamper with it by thinking about editing.

Of all the books you’ve written, which one did you enjoy writing the most?
I have two books that I really enjoyed writing. The first was Sweet Ivy’s Gold (now out of print) set in 1880s Cripple Creek, Colorado. The second was Sins of the Empress, the story of Catherine the Great set in Russia in the 18th and 19th centuries. I enjoyed writing them because they required a great deal of in-depth research, which I love. In the case of Sins of the Empress, it was both challenging and satisfying to make real characters come alive. Since Catherine the Great has such a salacious reputation, it was challenging and satisfying to make her a sympathetic character.

What are the hardest kinds of scenes for you to write, and what do you do to break through this “block?”
I can’t say that any particular kind of scene is harder for me to write than any other. When I hit a block it is almost always because I am trying to force the story into a direction that isn’t right. When this happens, I sometimes have a “conversation” with my characters. To do this, I will start with a question such as “This story isn’t moving forward, what’s wrong?” Or “Why won’t you let me put you in that situation?” Or something similar. Then I let the character talk, and I just type whatever comes into my head. Usually the character wants to talk about himself or herself, and sometimes it takes a while to see how that relates to the story, but I just keep typing and letting him or her talk. Eventually a solution comes. It’s not always the one I expected or even wanted, but it seems to work for me.

Do you have other creative outlets besides writing?
At the moment, my other creative outlet is playing the piano. I’m adequate at it but not particularly good at it. I think it helps my creativity because it helps me teach my brain to learn and then to act automatically. I used to enjoy sewing and cooking as creative outlets, but I would let them interfere with my writing time. The older I get, the more protective I am of my writing time and the more willing I am to let other interests go.

What is the best encouragement or advice you’ve received in your writing journey?
The best advice came in the form of a paper weight my daughter gave me. Etched into the metal weight is this sentence: What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?

What writing projects are you working on now?
The book I just finished—it doesn’t have a pub date yet—is Closet Murder. It’s the first in a series set in Santa Fe in modern times. The protagonist (and sleuth), Irene Seligman, is the owner of an upscale women’s clothing consignment store in Santa Fe. Irene has just returned to Santa Fe from Manhattan where she was an assistant DA. She came back to help her mother, Adelle, an aging socialite and a genuine pain in the…neck. When she finds a dead woman in the closet of her newly-opened store, the game is afoot. I’ve started work on the second book in the series, but it is as yet untitled.

*An elevator pitch is a quick, focused summary of your book that can be told to someone (a reader, agent, publisher, etc.) in the time it takes to complete a ride in an elevator. It’s the kind of thing you might find on the back cover of a book (or in a movie trailer) that hooks the listener into wanting to know more.

KLWagoner150_2 KL Wagoner (writing as Cate Macabe) is the author of This New Mountain: a memoir of AJ Jackson, private investigator, repossessor, and grandmother. She has a new speculative fiction blog at klwagoner.com and writes about memoir at ThisNewMountain.com.

Revising Fiction: 12 Ways to Build Suspense

Posted on April 12, 2016 by

by Kirt Hickman

For many writers, the challenge of story lies in how to plot, rather than plod, through the long, languid, middle of the novel. The key to holding your reader’s attention lies in the art of maintaining suspense. This article presents a list of elements that will increase the suspense in your story. Build as many into your plot as it can accommodate.

1. Make at least one character especially violent or adversarial. This character is a wild card. He should have the ability and inclination to severely and unexpectedly hurt your hero (or at least hurt your hero’s chances of achieving her goal).

2. Spring surprises. Keep the reader guessing. Provide many obstacles that come at your hero when she least expects them and when your reader least expects them. Provide at least one surprise turning point in each chapter. These surprises must not be contrived events, however. They must all stem from the characters, their goals, and their motivations.

3. Mislead your reader. If you mislead your reader, the surprises will have more impact. Nevertheless, you must play fair. Leave clues that are consistent with who your characters are—even if the characters are different from how your reader believes them to be.

4. Do your worst. In every scene, ask yourself: What is the worst thing that could happen to the hero? Then make it happen.

5. Take away that which is most important to your hero. What does your hero care about more than anything else? Take it away, or better yet, destroy it. At the very least, put it at risk.

6. Haunt your hero with memories of a past failure. Relate the failure to the events in the book. Put your hero in the same situation she was in when she experienced her failure. Use her memories of that failure to undermine her confidence and make her challenges more difficult and more personal.

7. Turn the environment loose upon your characters. In my science fiction novel, Worlds Asunder, the vacuum of space lurks beyond the walls of the buildings, vehicles, and pressure suits that keep my characters alive. I frequently turn it loose inside.

For the purpose of building suspense, “environment” doesn’t have to mean “natural phenomena.” It can refer to any element of the character’s surroundings that is beyond the control of the main characters, including sociological, political, or economic circumstances and events. To keep an environmental event from seeming contrived, establish early that such an event is possible.

8. Employ phobias. What is your hero afraid of? Make him confront the source of his fear. If you choose something the reader also fears, it will heighten his emotional response.

9. Never make anything easy. Turn all your minor challenges into major ordeals. Make even simple tasks difficult if circumstances can justify your doing so.

10. Show that the danger is real. Hurt your hero, kill a good guy, or both. If you kill someone your hero cares about, it will raise the personal stakes and inject a strong emotional element into your plot. At one point in Worlds Asunder, my hero is hospitalized for his wounds following a battle for his life. In addition, several good guys die, including one of my hero’s closest relatives. This shows that the threat to him is very real.

11. Impose a deadline. This is the ticking clock. It need not be a clock the hero can see, or one with a specified time to zero, but one way or another you must create a sense of urgency.

In Worlds Asunder, the political events surrounding my hero’s investigation escalate toward war. If he can solve the case in time, his findings might defuse the building crisis. He doesn’t know how much time he has, but he and the reader can see the escalation. In alternating scenes, the hero takes a step toward solving the case, and then political events expand. This creates an unseen clock. My hero and the reader are never quite sure it hasn’t already reached zero, the point beyond which no one can stop the war.

12. Prevent your hero from running away. You don’t need to impose a physical barrier, but make your hero’s need to stay in the conflict stronger than his desire to escape it. The same must be true for your villain. In Worlds Asunder, my hero wants to retire and go home to his family—that would be his escape—but averting war is much more important. He won’t quit, even when the stakes rise and he must risk losing his own daughter.

Use these techniques in combination. Don’t restrict yourself to one suspense builder per scene. Stack these elements one upon another, particularly in key scenes. This will compel your reader to keep turning the pages.

Kirt Hickman is a technical writer turned fiction author. His books include three sci-fi thriller novels Worlds Asunder (2008), Venus Rain (2010) and Mercury Sun (2014), the high fantasy novel Fabler’s Legend (2011), and the writers’ how-to Revising Fiction: Making Sense of the Madness (2009).

This article was originally published in the December 2009 issue of SouthWest Sage and is reprinted here by permission of the author.

Connecting at Writing Conferences

Posted on April 5, 2016 by

by Chris Eboch

Writers mainly work alone, so a conference can be a great chance to meet peers, feel connected to the industry, learn more about the craft and business, and maybe even develop a relationship with an editor or agent. So let’s talk about making the most of your conference time.

When people hear the word “networking,” most imagine trying to impress bigwigs who could help their career. But many writers don’t feel comfortable selling themselves. If your goal at a conference is to grab an editor and convince her you’re wonderful, you’ll feel anxious. And if you fail to wow—or even meet—the editor, you may feel like a failure.

Instead, think of networking as making friends. During her first major conference, children’s book writer and illustrator Holly Cupala decided to “think about making connections with people who share a love of children’s literature—future friends rather than future contacts.” During the four-day conference, she talked with dozens of people, including many of the famous speakers. She says, “I chatted with people I never would have dreamed of walking up to if I was in ‘networking’ mode. I connected with people by being open and letting go of expectations.”

Talk to everyone, from beginners to the pros. You never know who might be fascinating—or helpful in the future. Today’s “nobody” may be tomorrow’s success story, on a first-name basis with top editors and agents. Even better, he or she may be interesting and fun.

Ready, Set …
Armed with the proper attitude, you’re sure to have a good time. Get even more out of the conference by planning ahead.

Read books to learn the basics—how the publishing industry works, standard submission guidelines, the genres—so you won’t be confused when speakers throw around industry terms. You can also direct your questions better, to take advantage of a particular speaker’s expertise.

Next, investigate the conference speakers. Review editors’ submission guidelines and study the books they’ve edited. Read books by the other speakers. Be prepared to offer honest compliments of their work or to ask intelligent questions. Then you won’t go blank when you’re suddenly faced with your idol. The web is a great place to find articles by or about the speakers.

Prepare for opportunities by practicing one-sentence synopses of your manuscripts. You don’t want to ramble and stammer when someone—especially an agent or editor—asks what you’re working on. If they don’t ask, don’t be pushy, but try asking them what they want. According to children’s book author Shirley Raye Redmond, “I sold my very first juvenile novel (Grampa and the Ghost) by simply asking the editor what she was looking for. She told me and I said, ‘I think I have something you might like.’”

When you meet someone, it’s nice to have an official way to exchange information, so get business cards (you can order them online inexpensively).

Go!
On conference day, arrive early and practice your networking—or friendship—skills. Smile, say hello, and ask a simple question. Take an interest in people. Ask what they write. Offer compliments, ask questions, and listen. When I’m feeling shy and alone, I find someone who looks even more shy and alone. I walk up to them, smile, and say, “How are you enjoying the conference?” They are always delighted to talk.

It can be easier to pair up with a friend for the conference, but be careful not to spend your whole time with just one person. After all, your goal is to make new connections, so work together to meet people. Go to different workshops and share notes.

When you exchange business cards, jot notes about the giver on the ones you get. You might write something like, “2011 SWW. 40s, short brown hair. Writing sci fi.” Then when you get back from the conference with a handful of cards, you’ll find it much easier to remember who gave them to you.

The Finish Line
All that hard work only pays off if you follow-up. Write “nice to meet you” notes to people who gave you their business cards. Thank anyone who gave you advice. Type up your notes while they’re fresh in your mind. A few jotted phrases that made perfect sense during an inspiring talk can read like hieroglyphics a month later.

Then set some goals based on what you learned. A good conference may provide you with dozens of pages of advice and ideas. Don’t try to do everything at once, or worse, ignore it all because you feel overwhelmed. Instead, choose three things to focus on. They might involve craft, research, or marketing. Review your notes in a few months and set new goals.

Finally, critique the conference. Think about the workshops, speakers, events, other attendees, and your own behavior. Was it worth your time? How can you prepare better for next time? Make notes to review before your next conference, so that one will be even better.

Chris Eboch writes fiction and nonfiction for all ages. In Bandits Peak, a teenage boy meets strangers hiding on the mountains and gets drawn into their crimes, until he risks his life to expose them. The Eyes of Pharaoh is an action-packed mystery set in ancient Egypt. The Genie’s Gift is an Arabian Nights-inspired fantasy adventure. In The Well of Sacrifice, a Mayan girl in ninth-century Guatemala rebels against the High Priest who sacrifices anyone challenging his power. Her writing craft books include You Can Write for Children: How to Write Great Stories, Articles, and Books for Kids and Teenagers and Advanced Plotting.

Learn more at www.chriseboch.com or her Amazon page, or check out her writing tips at her Write Like a Pro! blog. Sign up for her Workshop newsletter for classes and critique offers.

Chris also writes novels of suspense and romance for adults under the name Kris Bock; read excerpts at www.krisbock.com.

This article was originally published in the September 2011 issue of SouthWest Sage and is reprinted here by permission of the author.

An Interview with Corrales Writing Group: On Writing

Posted on March 31, 2016 by

This is part two of an interview with Corrales Writing Group, a closed group of six members who encourage each other in their individual writing journeys. Together they produce an annual anthology of essays and short pieces of fiction and memoir. The current group is made up of authors Christina Allen, Maureen Cooke, Sandi Hoover, Thomas Neiman, Jim Tritten, and Patricia Walkow. Their third anthology, Currents, was published in 2015. You can visit Corrales Writing Group on Facebook. To read the first part of the interview, go to “On Group Structure and Indie Publishing.”

Chris Allen lives in Corrales, New Mexico with her husband and a menagerie of animals. She prefers to write stories that spark a smile or a laugh.
My career involved technical writing—telling, not showing. The feedback from Corrales Writing Group pushes me to write in a way that provides the reader with imagery, not simply facts. In addition, as a procrastinator, the routine of twice monthly meetings has imposed a structure and rigor to my writing that enables me to complete stories that have rattled around in my head for years. I also learn how to improve my writing at every critique session, whether the work discussed is mine or that of another member. Ideas come to me from my life experience. In order to convert these ideas to text, however, I need deadlines as I work better under pressure. Also, as someone who has always worked with groups, I need activity around me. I have set a schedule to write twice a week at a local coffee shop where I concentrate solely on completing my stories to present to the group. I love to entertain, to tell stories, especially to provide people with a laugh or a smile. I also enjoy writing concisely and logically. I have no difficulty conveying facts and truth. However, moving past facts to creative imagery, embellishment, exaggeration, etc., has been difficult for me. I now have the benefit of the experiences of my fellow group members, and they have helped me to understand it is ok to be creative.

Maureen Cooke is originally from Bay City, Michigan. She began writing in second grade at St. Joseph’s School, under the tutelage of Sister Mary Earl.
I write every morning. I get up really early—somewhere between 4:30 and 5:30—when the world is still dark, when the animals are still asleep, and when I’m not distracted by other responsibilities. I’d say my greatest strength as a writer is being a word stylist. Any weaknesses come from self-doubt and resistance to write, both of which I overcome by writing early in the morning when I’m more apt to enjoy it and less apt to doubt my ability to do so. I’ve actually used writing as a type of therapy in the past; consequently, first-draft writing has taught me how to deal with the stress of life. Creating the first draft is probably my favorite part of the process, although I do enjoy every aspect of a project. Scenes involving a lot of people are the hardest for me to write, because I’m not sure the level of descriptive detail to include. I’ve known I was a writer since second grade when Sister Mary Earl first inspired me to write. She shared my work with the nuns in the convent, and that was the best encouragement I could have gotten.

Sandi Hoover finds nature both entertaining and interesting, motivating her to write natural history essays to share her findings.
Having a support group whose members are both honest and kind in their assessment of each other’s writing is critical to growth for a beginning writer—at least that’s true for me. Before joining Corrales Writing Group, my writing was confined to travel journals and descriptive letters about trips. I loved writing interpretive trail guides for a nature sanctuary, and having the pleasure of painting word pictures of exotic places in my travel journals. Writing for deadlines has made me approach writing with more discipline. I still find it easier to write nature essays than fiction, but that is an area I intend to work on more. I’m still hesitant to use the term “writer” about myself, but I am thoroughly enjoying working with the writing group to improve my skills and learn from their expertise. I like creating images on paper best, and then reworking to get them the way I see them. I binge write, ignoring the yearning for a day or two and then devote hours at a stretch to typing furiously. Lots of rereading, lots of messing with minor changes. Scenes of emotional conflict between people are the hardest for me to write. Getting that right is difficult and painful. Those are still in progress and unseen by the writing group. Loving words and finding the right word to express a situation or emotion is a strength I can rely on. My writing weakness is in finding a balance between dialogue and action—just writing more is a requirement to learn how to do that. Writing has taught me that I can procrastinate without guilt. Seriously, it has made me look with interest, and more compassion, at people’s emotions and the way they are expressed in times of stress.

Tom Neiman has been writing since 2012 and has published four short stories and one mystery novella.
My first experience as a writer, if it counts, was writing administrative code while employed by the federal government. When laws changed, I wrote instructions for bureaucrats. Not very creative, I know. All that changed when I was invited to join Corrales Writing Group. The group helped me convert an 800-word summary into my first completed project (“The Leather Truths”) which was published in our 2013 anthology. I’ve learned to take a kernel of an idea and develop it into a story, prepare an outline, and move to the actual complex sentence work. I love creating detailed characters and their dialog. And I spend time researching those areas I have the least experience with. I enjoy doing the research and the writing, but I’m not much of a copy editor. Writing has taught me that an old dog can learn new tricks. Since I retired eight years ago, my passions have been creative writing and arboriculture. Given enough time, I can be an asset in both. For me, the hardest things to write are the subjects I haven’t tried, but I love to experiment. Sometimes my technique drives the writing group members crazy. What is the best advice I’ve received in my writing journey? To paraphrase the late Al Davis, the former owner of the Oakland Raiders professional football team, “Just write, baby.” I’d like to encourage others to get their thoughts and ideas down on any media. Write, audio-record, dictate to a computer, complex sentences or stream of consciousness. Don’t worry about editing or revision, and find some like- minded people to discuss your project with, either in person or over the Internet.

Jim Tritten is a retired naval aviator living in Corrales, New Mexico with his Danish author/artist wife and five cats.
My first writing for publication was for the high school newspaper. Can’t remember what motivated me, but I suspect it was to have a venue for being funny. Or just getting attention. Or perhaps being with the good-looking girls on the newspaper staff. At work I learned I could write in an environment where very few had that skill. Writing was a way to stand out and make contributions that were frequently recognized, and I soon got paid to do what I liked to do. When I retired, more than a few people suggested I break free of non-fiction and move into other genres. Then I realized it was an excellent way to process trauma and PTSD. That is now my primary motivation to write. When I switched from academic writing to fiction I had a lot to learn. Initially I wrote memoir. I used all of my life experiences, my diagnosis of PTSD, flying, etc. and blended that knowledge with what I needed to learn about writing in new genres for different audiences. I have learned that writing about what you know does not just mean about things that you did. More importantly it means feelings that you have experienced and can describe so that someone else can experience them as well. When I worked and wrote non-fiction, I learned discipline and how to complete tasks. This was a leg up when I stopped working and shifted to totally different types of writing. Learning about emotion, and then being able to describe it, were integral steps in the PTSD recovery process taught by the VA. The next step was writing words on paper that would make the reader feel, see, etc. exactly what was going on inside an individual when faced with a variety of circumstances. When I learned I could do that, I felt good. My advice to other writers is to take every opportunity to write, even if it isn’t an article or book or something that can be published. Be a recording secretary for a volunteer organization—it will teach you good skills about summarizing what happened. Write experimental pieces that stretch your skills and abilities. My recent experiment in horror was an eye opener. And above all, don’t stop writing until someone pries the pen from your cold, dead hands.

Pat Walkow writes fiction, humor, satire, and non-fiction. Her favorite is satire, but she’ll try any genre.
Writing is something I’ve always enjoyed. I think I was seven when I knew I wanted to write. I prefer creating to any other aspect of a writing project. Unfortunately, most of my inspiration comes at night. I often find myself awake in my pajamas writing in the wee hours. But I have learned if I have an idea, to jot it down. The kind of scenes I find most difficult to write are erotic scenes, mostly because I think it is overdone in print, and I prefer subtlety. Often it is not even necessary. The best advice I’ve received in my writing journey is not to be afraid to try different genres, to take chances. Having written in a corporate environment for a while, it is a pleasure to have a voice that is my own and not a mouthpiece for another entity. Writing has taught me that it’s okay to experiment with writing and okay to seek the opinions of others. The Corrales Writing Group has made me a better writer and exposed me to new ideas and perspectives. I’ve also learned that a blank piece of paper (or a blank computer screen) is nothing to be afraid of. It is a canvas for the writer and can become anything you imagine.

An Interview with Author Jonathan Miller

Posted on March 24, 2016 by

Author and attorney Jonathan Miller has published 11 books since his 2004 debut novel. A graduate of both the University of Colorado School of Law and the American Film Institute, he draws on his unique experience to create the award-winning Rattlesnake Lawyer series. A Million Dead Lawyers (Casa de Snapdragon Publishing, 2015) is his ninth book in that series, the first of which earned him the distinct nickname of The Rattlesnake Lawyer. You can find him at his website RattlesnakeLaw.com.

What is your elevator pitch for A Million Dead Lawyers?
Saul of Better Call Saul in The Hunger Games. In 2112, there are no attorneys, and all verdicts are rendered by computer. Albuquerque lawyer Sam Marlow is dragged from the past to handle the first actual jury trial in nearly a hundred years. The governor’s son is accused of killing his wife, and the whole system lies in the balance. Nothing is what it seems, and yet some people seem strangely familiar. Is the Albuquerque of the future ready for a rattlesnake lawyer?

What unique challenges did this work pose for you?
Trying to imagine Albuquerque in the future. Also I wanted to write a science fiction/legal thriller that worked in both genres.

You normally write legal thrillers set in present day. What made you add the science fiction element to this novel?
I wanted to explore a genre that I grew up with. I actually wrote a science fiction manuscript in long hand when I was in 8th grade. I still have it. Deep down, I also wanted to explore my own mortality. By definition, science fiction lets you think about your impact in the world after you die.

Tell us about your main protagonist. Will your friends and family recognize you in your main character? What about your antagonist?
Sam Marlow is a darker version of me. He is a far better lawyer than I will ever be, but he also has far more issues. The antagonist is the daughter I’ve never had.

Why did you decide to use New Mexico as the setting for the book?
I try to write what I know. It was also fun to imagine Albuquerque in the year 2112. In my vision, it’s about 50 percent the same, but the elite have access to more technology like flying cars and genetic engineering.

What makes this novel unique in the mystery/thriller/sci fi market?
I am a trial lawyer who has done more jury trials in the past year than just about anyone else in New Mexico. The trial in the book is a fairly accurate depiction of a real trial that’s spiced up with some scientific elements. The book explores the nature of humanity—what is a jury of one’s peers if you are genetically engineered?

Is there a scene in A Million Dead Lawyers you’d like to see play out in a movie?
The scene where Marlow confronts his daughter and has to take responsibility for creating a monster.

When did you first consider yourself a writer?
On the day I graduated from film school at American Film Institute (AFI), after my first novel Rattlesnake Lawyer was published, I gave a copy of the book to the professor who had suggested I drop out.

What did you learn at AFI that you now apply to your fiction writing?
At AFI I learned about the three-act structure—the beginning, the middle and the end. I was able to take the Rattlesnake Lawyer manuscript and turn it into a three-act novel that had a great middle. I also learned how to “pitch” at AFI. (And I recently used a technique I learned in my screenwriting class in Los Angeles to successfully pitch my theory of a burglary case to a jury in Clovis, New Mexico.)

You’ve written nine books in your Rattlesnake Lawyer series. Which characters from the series have you enjoyed writing the most?
Dan Shepard is the only character where I use the first person when I write. I also liked writing the young girl Dew. As I’ve said, she is the daughter I’ve never had.

Share a bit of your journey to publication.
I started Rattlesnake Lawyer as a public defender in Roswell. I had an agent within my first month! My boss wasn’t happy that I was writing about my work. I was told that if I wrote about anyone at the office, I would be fired. If I wrote about any client confidence, I would be disbarred. I was just fired. The manuscript was optioned as a potential TV series within the first year without being published. It almost became a show on several occasions. Still, all the publishing houses said the manuscript was “not compelling” and passed. I moved out to LA and attended the American Film Institute to learn compulsion. While interviewing for potential jobs, I met a lawyer who was also a publisher. He published the book.

Looking back to the beginning of your writing/publishing career, what do you know now that you wish you’d known then?
To have my books professionally edited more than once before I submit them.

What are your strengths as a writer, and what do you do to overcome your weaknesses?
My strength is the ability to see interesting scenes in everyday life. My weakness is that I am probably dyslexic, and my books have numerous errors which I can’t always see. I have to use a good editor.

What has writing taught you about yourself?
There is a story everywhere you look.

Of the 11 books you’ve written (fiction and nonfiction), which one did you enjoy writing the most?
Volcano Verdict. Page 220 is my favorite page of writing. It’s where I have my first abrupt genre shift. Up to that point, the reader assumes Luna Cruz will inevitably be handling a jury trial like Tom Cruise in A Few Good Men. Suddenly, the book shifts into a mob story, and Luna is Johnny Depp in Donnie Brasco. I also like the “Tet Offensive” scene in La Bajada Lawyer because it’s so theatrical. I even had two actors do a staged reading for YouTube.

If you had an unlimited budget, how would you spend your money for marketing and promotion of your books? What marketing techniques have been most helpful to you?
I would do more internet marketing. Direct sales at book stores or after lectures are still the best way to sell a book to someone who will read it.

What are the rumors of “Rattlesnake karma” all about?
Some of the characters in my novels are based on actual people, and the universe seems to reward people associated with the series. The cover model for Navajo Repo is a Native American named Cheyenne Gordon who grew up on the Hualapai reservation in Arizona. Since she appeared on the cover, she has become an international model. We probably couldn’t afford her now. The character of “Gollum” that has appeared in several of my books is based on Louis, a man who works out at my gym. Gollum also appears in A Million Dead Lawyers in the year 2112, and hopefully that will bring the real Louis a good helping of Rattlesnake karma.

Has your experience as a lawyer helped or hindered you in your writing life?
Both. Law is a full-time job and it pays the bills. I have to devote my utmost energy to my law practice.

Who are your favorite authors, and what do you admire most about their writing?
I loved John Nichols because he taught me how to write about New Mexico. I like half of John Grisham’s work. When’s he’s good, he’s very good, but he’s poorly edited. I learned about writing surprise endings from Isaac Asimov. I learned about writing humor from Douglas Adams.

What advice do you have for writers who are still striving for publication?
Keep writing. Don’t give up. Write from the heart, but edit from your head. When I listen to books on tape, it’s like having a companion riding with me across the desert. That companion has to be someone who makes the ride more pleasant, even if the destination is not a happy one.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I’m currently working on Rattlesnake Honeymoon. It’s a Dan Shepard book with elements of a conspiracy thriller.

Writer’s Remorse

Posted on March 22, 2016 by

by Olive Balla

It’s a cousin to Buyer’s Remorse, which my friend and constant companion Google defines as an emotional response to a purchase. Feelings like regret, fear, depression, or anxiety. You know—the letdown that grabs the buyer by the throat immediately after he’s spent a pile of money on something he just knew he wanted more than anything.

But the feelings accompanying what I’ve dubbed Writer’s Remorse go beyond those just mentioned. Although depression is definitely part of it, the feeling is more of—as Peggy Lee crooned in the golden oldie of the same name—Is that all there is?

Regardless of what it’s called, I’ve been suffering from it.

After working for six years on my novel—six years, during which I thought about it constantly, jotted down snippets of overheard conversations to pepper into the dialogue, basically lived, breathed, and showered with it—the thing is suddenly finished. I’ve polished, rewritten, edited, and re-edited, and then found a beta reader who was a professional editor in a past life. It’s the best I can do.

But just as with the sudden cessation of any other perpetual activity, the completion of my novel left a void. I just didn’t know what to do with myself.

So I checked in with my online chat group of writers. I told them of the unexpected feelings of loss that have accompanied my novel’s completion. I poured out all my writer angst, certain that what I was going through was an anomaly. And a little fearful for my sanity. (Okay, maybe a bit melodramatic, but I was concerned.) I wondered if Stephen King had ever struggled with letting go of one of his twisted babies.

The responses that came pouring in from my colleagues boosted my morale. One savvy writer said that I have a case of what is basically empty-nest syndrome. She said I’m missing my characters. That they became an integral part of my life, and now I’m grieving their loss. And that feels about right.

Having raised three actual children, I must admit that the feelings I was experiencing were akin to those of giving birth, raising the child, and then watching her walk away to seek her fortune in the world without so much as a backward glance. The whole process was accompanied with the bittersweet knowledge that it’s all part of the beat of life—that once you’ve done your job, your services will no longer be required.

After all, I spent over half a decade scheduling my life around my writing time. I’d waken early, hurry to eat breakfast, and then happily lock myself away into my writing space—what author Elizabeth Sims calls getting into garret mode. I closed myself off to the here-and-now, completely immersed myself in a different dimension, and then for the next couple of hours I alternately dug through the darkness and marveled at the brilliant nobility of our human nature.

And then I was stricken with an energy-sucking ennui. I walked aimlessly around the house in search of something—I didn’t know quite what. Judging by the way my husband took to surreptitiously watching me out of the corner of his eye, I suspected my behavior verged on something clinical.

So I again approached my writer friends—much cheaper and less time consuming than therapy.

Within minutes, commiserations flew back across the ether and into my waiting arms. I wasn’t alone. Other writers had suffered the same feelings.

Several of them told me to get back on the horse and start another novel. Others said I should take a break and do something totally un-writer-like for several weeks before rolling up my sleeves and giving myself over to the birthing pangs of a new story.

I decided to do both. First, with unwavering determination, I powered down every piece of computer hardware in my house that could even remotely be used for word processing. And then, with an unexpected sense of freedom, I accompanied my husband on a road trip to Mount Rushmore.

The glorious scenery that flew past our car windows, the rest stops where I overheard people speaking about everything from ingrown toenails to saving wild horses, all sparked dozens of ideas, which I verbalized into the tiny digital recorder I’d snuck into my bag. I know, I know, I cheated. But the change of scenery was like a cool drink of water on my parched writer’s tongue, and I was overcome with a renewed joy in my chosen field of endeavor.

Once home, I replayed and then transcribed my recorded observations and comments. What if… and Yes, and then… cavorted and tumbled elbows over arse through my electrified imagination. I made more notes.

But I still didn’t have the heart to begin a new novel. At least, not until this morning.

Today I awakened to my Protagonist’s index finger tapping me on the forehead. She was yammering away about a woman who just moved from South Dakota and into the house across the street.

“She’s having trouble sleeping because of weird noises coming from her basement,” said my Protagonist around a mouthful of leftover welcome-to-the-neighborhood brownies.

“Aha,” I said. “Weird noises coming from her basement? That’s good. Then what if…”

And we’re off.

Olive Balla, author of suspense novel An Arm and a Leg, is mother of 3, grandmother to 13, great-grandmother of 4, a retired educator, and part-time professional musician. Having been everything from secretary at a used car dealership, a university student, and a high school Spanish teacher, Balla states her characters are, in part, amalgamations of people she’s met. Living with her husband Victor in the Albuquerque area, she spends her spare time in a small woodworking shop designing and building everything from breadboxes and wine racks, to a porch bench. Visit her website at omballa.com.

This article was originally published in the March 2014 issue of SouthWest Sage and is reprinted here by permission of the author.

The Writing Life: Juggling Priorities

Posted on March 15, 2016 by

by Sherri Burr

Recently, I read T.D. Jakes’ book Instinct and was startled by the chapter on juggling priorities. The author discussed juggling as “giving each object just enough of a push so that all items remain suspended and none falls out of sequence.” I thought of my efforts to make time for my writing life while working full time, attending to family obligations, volunteering to help others, practicing a healthy lifestyle, and looking after my home. In short, like the readers of this column, I have a lot of balls in the air.

As writers, we type stories, edit material, shepherd work through the publishing process, market and promote the work. Depending on how many projects writers have on their desks, they could be juggling all of these. Each takes time, and yet are required to manage a successful writing career.

Writers need sustained work time. Scheduling thirty, sixty, or ninety-minute blocks to put words on paper can be helpful. If I get on a roll, I hit the timer to add another block. When I have a passion project, I can’t wait to read and write about my subject.

So how does one decide to accept other opportunities that take time away from writing and other necessary priorities related to family, work, and home? Do you say “Yes” and add another item to juggle? How do you know when your schedule has reached its saturation point?

I know I have reached schedule saturation when even the thought of taking on another commitment causes stress. Ultimately we have to say “No” to people when a “Yes” could bring all the balls crashing down.

Adding one more meeting means less time to write, and the occasion divides the day. This can lead to missed deadlines and the inability to do any work at all because of the feeling of being overwhelmed.

Within two months this year, I received four offers to join not-for-profit boards. One group met twice a month and that was a non-starter. As I contemplated another offer from a board that met once a month, I looked at my calendar and noticed that their board meeting date conflicted with a previous obligation. Even though the group offered to move the time of their meeting, I just couldn’t see how I could add another monthly commitment to my calendar. For a third board, the executive director said they met bi-monthly and communicated by email in between. That felt worse as I often struggle to read all the email that currently descends into my box. One recruiter mentioned the seriousness of the board work. As the guardian of a brother in a coma, I already make solemn decisions. Just the mere mention of the word ‘serious’ made me want to run.

I finally decided to decline all four board offers until I finished other volunteer projects or freed up time from my university job.

I believe there has to be a good reason to nod an acceptance.

I recommend writers consider saying “Yes” to those offers that bring joy, pleasure, and peace into your life. Writers must intersperse fun activities between obligations. Fun activities and passion projects feed your soul. They make life pleasurable so you can endure the serious and take delight from the prestigious.

For example, after taking several sets of golf lessons, I finally play with enough confidence to make it enjoyable. Fortunately in New Mexico many golf courses substantially discount their fees to encourage late afternoon play. With over 300 sunny days a year, I have become enthralled by the mountain views and gorgeous New Mexico skies. If given a choice between attending additional meetings and playing golf several times a week, guess which one I’ll choose.

At the end of each day, I review what I did that was gratifying. Did I type pages for my next book? Did I help someone? Did I golf in a nice surrounding? Did I see a comedy movie or watch a fascinating television show like How to Get Away with Murder?

There are things that we have to do, and then there are those we want to do. A balanced life requires juggling between both sets of undertakings. So off I go. Today’s writing is done and nine holes are calling my name.

This article was originally published in the December 2014 issue of SouthWest Sage and is reprinted here by permission of the author.

An Interview with Author Robin Perini

Posted on March 10, 2016 by

RITA® finalist, international bestselling and award-winning author Robin Perini is devoted to giving her readers fast-paced, high-stakes adventures with a love story sure to melt their hearts. She sold fourteen titles to publishers in less than two years after winning the prestigious Romance Writers of America® Golden Heart® award in 2011. An analyst for an advanced technology corporation, she is also a nationally acclaimed writing instructor and enjoys competitive small-bore rifle silhouette shooting. She makes her home in the American Southwest and loves to hear from readers. Game of Fear is the third novel in her Montgomery Justice series. Visit her website at RobinPerini.com.

What is your elevator pitch for Game of Fear?
“Brilliant kids from all over the country are disappearing—but no one knows why. Until now.” You can watch the book trailer here.

What sparked the story idea for the book?
Two separate elements came together. One, after reading the story of a female Army Helicopter pilot and her heroism, I knew I had to tell her story. I also knew that she needed a reason to quit a job she loved, so I gave her a mission that was doomed from the start and a sister who needed her. When this pilot leaves the military, she not only leaves her military family, but a distance is created between herself and her father and brothers who are deployed. When the heroine meets the hero—and his family—it’s a reminder of what she has lost. I was able to meet with several military pilots and get some fantastic insights in flying helicopters in combat situations. Amazing bravery, and they don’t get the credit they should. Though, of course, they would never ask for any.

And two, with the help of my literary agent and some amazing critique partners, we came up with a crazy premise: Brilliant kids who master the hottest new video game on the market vanish …and no one really notices. Why? Because those who disappear are the kids who hang in the basement, who no one understands, who seem to fade into the woodwork unless they have a controller in their hands. The farewell notes left behind seem to make sense. These kids run away, want to make it on their own. The kids are misunderstood—and forgotten. Except for one girl. One brilliant girl with a sister who doesn’t buy the smokescreen. Deb Lansing’s little sister has been in trouble before now. She hacked into the National Security Agency’s computer system. She got caught.

Here is where I must digress. I plotted my book, and as I was writing the story, within a few months Edward Snowden happened. Weird, huh. I kept writing. My plot started down an interesting path that used the internet and webcams and such to spy. Within a few months, the cell phone spying story broke. A little weirder. I kept writing…with trepidation. A member of Congress was spied upon in my novel. Gulp. It happened in the real world. The web of deceit made its way across the globe. To Russia. To Afghanistan. Sound familiar, newsworthy even? I finished the book. Thank goodness. It’s enough to make a writer pause. But then again, sometimes fiction is the means by which the truth can be heard. I spent several months writing about events that made headlines just weeks later. Gave me chills.

Tell us about your main protagonists, their flaws and strengths, and what they’re facing in the story. Will those who know you recognize you in your characters?
Gabe Montgomery is the youngest of the Montgomery brothers, but he’s been featured in the other two novels in the series, In Her Sights and Behind the Lies. Deb Lansing was briefly featured in Behind the Lies as well.

As for Game of Fear … Former SWAT Team Member, Gabe Montgomery, was almost killed in the line of duty through the betrayal of his best friend. Determined to rebuild his life, ferret out the corruption in the Jefferson County Sheriff’s office, and protect his family, Gabe now runs a cop bar as a cover for a dangerous game of less-than-legal investigations into those who abuse their power. His faith in others shaken to its core, the last thing he can afford is to become distracted or involved with someone else’s problems…he could get them both killed.

Named after Deborah Samson—the first known woman to impersonate a man in order to join the Revolutionary army and take part in combat—Deb Lansing grew up believing in heroism, honor and truth. Her family has served in the military since the Civil War. As one of the few female military helicopter pilots, she took pride in her heritage. Until she failed on a critical mission. To redeem herself, she flaunts death on Search and Rescue Operations. She will NEVER leave anyone behind. Not again. So when her sister vanishes, Deb will move heaven and earth to find her. No matter what it takes.

One way in which these characters are like me is how much they love their family and would do practically anything for them.

Which point of view did you enjoy writing the most?
In this book I actually dipped into several points of view, but the one I most enjoyed was the POV of the kidnap victim, the heroine’s sixteen-year-old sister. She has her own journey of discovery and her challenges complement the main story in a way I hadn’t expected. I also found it interesting to give this section of the book a bit of a young-adult feel. She was an amazing character to get to know.

Deborah Samson

Did you discover anything that surprised you while doing research for this book?
To prepare to write Game of Fear I researched women in the military. My heroine didn’t have a name until I came across Deborah Samson. You may not have heard of her. Not surprising. Her story isn’t well known.

Taller than average, rigorous farm work broadened Deborah Samson’s shoulders and strengthened her muscles. From Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1781 Deborah enlisted in the 4th Massachusetts Regiment under the name of her deceased brother, Robert Shurtliff. She became a seasoned combat veteran and served for seventeen months during the Revolutionary War where she was wounded twice in raids along the Hudson. She even cut a musket ball out of her own thigh so no one would discover her deceit. Finally, a doctor discovered her true identity after she came down with a severe fever. Despite her deception, she received an honorable discharge and later became America’s “first woman lecturer.”

What first inspired you to become a writer?
I’ve been writing forever, but it’s storytelling that grabbed my interest first. I lost my heart to storytelling when I was a child, sitting at the knee of my great-aunt. She mesmerized me with her tales of “The Little Match Girl” and “How the Tiger Got its Tail.” She wrenched my heart, made me laugh and cry. She fed my love of reading and learning. Perhaps it was inevitable that I followed in her footsteps. My love of writing was her gift as well. When I was eight, I attended a Camp Fire Girls’ camp for a week—it seemed like a month. I wrote tear-stained letters to my great-aunt, and after I returned home she told me I had a gift for writing. That my letters evoked pictures in her mind. My great-aunt has long since passed away, but I look up and smile sometimes. My inner fire for storytelling and writing was her gift to me. I pray I do her justice.

What is your writing routine like?
I’m actually one of those irritating morning people. I write from 5:30 am-7:00 am weekdays before the day job. Mostly to get the adrenaline pumping because I thrive on deadlines—and being panicked! If you only have an hour and a half, you have to make the most of every second. Also, I write in sprints. Twenty minutes of writing and a 10-minute break. This idea was introduced to me by my fellow writer Angi Morgan, and it really works for me. If nothing else, my body doesn’t go numb from sitting in the chair. In fact, every twenty minutes we meet in a free chat room and report how many words we’ve written (you can get chat rooms at chatzy.com). For ten minutes we brainstorm, discuss, whine, stretch, whatever. It’s a great way to keep pushing through. On Saturdays, I write for about five hours in the morning, and on Sundays I write for three hours. I’m a secondary caregiver for my mother, who has Alzheimer’s, so this time has to be agile. I try to write 16-20 hours per week if at all possible.

What is your writing process like?
I call myself a planner…not quite a plotter, not quite a pantster. Before I start writing I develop my stories from the characters out, using a method called Discovering Story Magic which I developed with author Laura Baker.

I might start with a basic plot idea, a location, a news story or a character. Whatever I start with, however, I first identify a character that will work with that idea. I then explore my character’s strengths, weaknesses and deep character. From those emotional elements, I create the plot. I start with turning points, then fill in the rest of the scenes. I try very hard to ensure that the plot of my story forces my character to face his or her greatest fear and flaw, and that each character has the strength to help the other. I’ve learned over time that I MUST clearly understand the emotional arc of my characters before I start my story. I’ve spent a lot of time studying human behavior and what makes people behave the way they do, so hopefully this authenticity comes across in my stories.

After I work through the plot, I write the synopsis. This allows me to test the logic and drama of the story. It’s also easier to write the synopsis when I don’t know everything that’s going to happen. Finally, I write the book, which is always surprising. Secondary characters and scenes and even subplots come out of nowhere. Just because I plan a book, doesn’t mean I don’t relish in the discovery. I write in fast-draft form which usually includes basic dialogue, blocking and some emotion. It takes between 5-7 weeks for me to complete the draft, which is about 75% of the final word count. I then revise. It takes somewhere between 5-10 hours per chapter to revise the book. I go through a few more rounds of edits before I turn the story into my editor (hopefully).

I should add that everyone’s process is different. There are as many ways to write as there are writers, so whatever works for you, stick to it, but don’t be afraid to try something new either. Play to your strengths and use tools to diminish or overcome your craft weaknesses. Learning is a life-long process that doesn’t end. And that makes writing so much fun. Okay, that’s not quite true. I prefer having writ to actually writing. And I prefer both to revising.

Who are your favorite authors and what do you admire most about their writing?
I have so many authors who have brought me incredible joy since I was a child. In fact, on my website I have included pages listing many of my all-time favorite books and authors. Those books typically evoke deep emotions within me. They are my window into pain, joy, insight, and wisdom. One of my favorite authors is Sharon Sala. This New York Times Bestselling Author has written novels that twist my heart through a painful journey, but end in hope. Her ability to touch my soul makes me go back to her stories again and again. Even more than that, Sharon Sala is a mentor to me. She read my first published novel, In Her Sights, several years ago. She believed in me and my book at a time when it was hard to believe in myself. I’m not sure I would be here today without her encouragement. She is an amazing writer, of course, but an even more amazing person. I’d like to be her when I grow up.

Do you have a message or a theme that recurs in your writing?
In general I have two basic themes that recur in my writing. They include the concept of wearing masks—hiding your true self beneath a mask. The other theme is the idea that it’s not your past or your family that determines your future or your value, but your actions in the here and now. Both of these themes resonate with me emotionally and give authenticity to the emotions in my writing.

What are your strengths as a writer? After completing ten novels, is there anything you still struggle with in your writing?
I believe I have a good sense of drama and the ability to create characters that people connect with. I also really enjoy creating interesting villains. If I believe my reviews, I write page-turning romantic suspense that readers can’t put down (I can live with that!). What do I struggle with? Oh, where should I begin… in short, revision. Hands down. Because once I complete my fast-draft and have the bare bones of the story, then I go through an agonizingly iterative process where I hope to tease out the heart and soul of the story, activate the scenes, develop deep point of view and so much more. I probably add another 25% to the word count after my fast-draft is completed over at least three to six iterations. I think it was Jack Bickham, the noted writing instructor, who said, “Good novels aren’t written. They’re rewritten and revised.” That may not be true for everyone, but it’s definitely true for me!

What advice do you have for beginning or discouraged writers?
1. Study the craft…always. This may seem obvious, but life can interfere with writing and learning, as I’m sure many of you know. Over the last decade I’ve worked full time, gone to school at night for my Master’s degree, survived a serious illness, and am a secondary caregiver to my mother. The most important thing I’ve done for my writing, however, is study the craft of writing and storytelling. I was lucky enough to teach an amazing online class with author Laura Baker called Discovering Story Magic. The class required me to analyze other writers’ stories. One of the best ways to learn is to teach. I highly recommend developing workshops that require you to understand the craft. It’s been a blessing to me. This advice goes hand-in-hand with a second bit of advice. Never stop learning and growing as a writer.

2. Trust yourself. I don’t know about you, but sometimes I look in the mirror and wonder how I’ve fooled everyone for so long. Don’t do the same thing! Trust your instincts. Believe in yourself. Listen to your gut. I had to learn this lesson the hard way. I had to really decide who I wanted to be as a writer. I tried writing numerous books in numerous subgenres. But I finally discovered the kind of stories I really want to tell. I love optimistic stories of suspense. I love heroes and heroines who grow and change and win. I love poignant love stories. That’s what I do. My readers step into the crossfire with heart-stopping suspense and heart-wrenching romance. That’s a Robin Perini book. Know who you are as a writer. It will help when you doubt yourself.

3. Persistence. Get a motto: Mine is: “Never give up, never surrender.” My theme song could be Tubthumping – “I get knocked down, and I get up again.” Don’t get me wrong, there are times I almost quit, but for better or worse, I am a writer. If you want something badly enough, don’t let the setbacks stop you. Learn more, grow more, find your path, find yourself. You’ll be glad you stuck with it. I know I am.

What writing projects are you working on now?
I’ve just completed the edits for my July 19, 2016 release, Forgotten Secrets, which is book one of my new Singing River Legacy series. Forgotten Secrets is a very special project for me. I mentioned earlier that my mother suffers from Alzheimer’s disease. I will be donating 10% of the royalties I receive from this book to the Alzheimer’s Association, an organization that has helped my family in more ways than I can count. Here’s a brief blurb of the new story.

For Riley Lambert, being an FBI profiler isn’t just a job, it’s a calling. At the age of ten, she witnessed her twelve-year-old sister’s abduction from her bedroom. Fifteen years later and still searching for her sister, Riley has been called to another kidnapping, this time in the small Wyoming town of Singing River, to save a doctor snatched in the light of day. To complicate matters, her only witness, the woman’s grandmother, is afflicted with Alzheimer’s.

Battling against few leads and little time, Riley delves into a small town’s secrets with help from the missing woman’s brother, Navy SEAL and Acting Deputy Sheriff Thayne Blackwood. Can Riley decipher enough evidence to save Thayne’s sister, even as her past and his present collide in a shocking revelation no one could expect?

My current work in progress is called Rodeo Justice, and is the 8th Carder Texas Connections novel. I will be completing this story on April 1.

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?
First off, I want to thank you for taking a chance on a new writer, for taking a chance each time you open a book in the hopes that the story will mean something to you. If I could give any advice, it would be to keep reading and share your love of reading with others so that the world of stories and books expands and grows and remains strong.

Secondly, in today’s world, reviews help other readers find books they might enjoy. If you enjoyed a book (or even if you didn’t), consider leaving a review on the retail site(s) of your choice and/or Goodreads.

Finally, there’s nothing more I love than connecting with readers. You can read excerpts, read reviews, sign up for my quarterly newsletter or mailing list, check out my book trailers and even request trading cards or an Authorgraph on my website. I’m also on Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads and Pinterest. And, if you enjoy my stories, you may want to consider being part of the Rockin’ Robins, my street team. There are lots of special giveaways and more. In fact, you might get a sneak peek at Forgotten Secrets if you join in the next few weeks!

RobinPerini_32_crop150 This has been so much fun. I really enjoyed sharing a few factoids about me and my writing. So… you learned something about me today, I’d love to learn about you. In the comments, I’d love to know one unusual fact about you, or what type of stories you like to read, who your favorite author and/or book is… pick your poison. Comment and you will be entered in a random GIVEAWAY of an e-book of your choice from my backlist.

Still wondering if you should enter? Below is an excerpt from Game of Fear.

EXCERPT FROM Game of Fear

The whirr of the circling Bell 212 helicopter rotors echoed through the cockpit. New Mexico’s Wheeler Peak, barely visible in the dusk, loomed just east, its thirteen-thousand-foot summit laden with snow. Deborah Lansing leaned forward, the seat belt straps pulling at her shoulders.

Far, far to the west, the sun was just a sliver in the sky.

“It’s almost dark, Deb. We have to land,” Gene Russo, her local Search and Rescue contact, insisted.

“The moon is bright enough right now that I can still see a little, and we have the spotlight. Those kids have got to be here somewhere!”

Deb squinted against the setting sun; her eyes burned with fatigue. They’d been at it for hours, but she couldn’t give up. Not yet.

“All the other choppers have landed, Deb. This is too dangerous. Besides, do you really think your spotlight’s going to find a snow-covered bus on the side of the mountain with all these trees?”

“Five more minutes. That’s all I’m asking.”

A metallic glint pierced through a thick carpet of snowpacked spruce.

“There! I saw something.” Deb’s adrenaline raced as she shoved the steering bar to the right and down, using the foot pedals to maintain control.

“Holy crap, Lansing. What are you doing?” Gene shouted, holding on to his seat harness. “You trying to get us killed?”

He didn’t understand. The bird knew exactly what Deb wanted, and she didn’t leave people behind to die. Not after Afghanistan. She had enough ghosts on her conscience. She tilted the chopper forward and came around again, sidling near the road toward Taos Ski Valley where the church bus had been headed before it had vanished….

Writing Fiction: The Promise of the First Chapter

Posted on March 8, 2016 by

by Chris Eboch

Your opening makes a promise about the rest of the story, article, or book. It tells readers what to expect, setting the stage for the rest of the story to unfold—and hopefully hooking their interest.

Genre
The first scene should identify your story’s genre. This can be trickier than it sounds. Say it’s a romance, but the main character doesn’t meet the love interest until later. Can you at least suggest her loneliness or desire for romance? (And get that love interest in there as soon as possible!)

Maybe you’re writing a story involving magic, time travel, ghosts, or a step into another dimension, but you want to show the normal world before you shift into fantasy. That’s fine, but if we start reading about a realistic modern setting and then halfway through magic comes out of nowhere, you’ll surprise your reader—and not in a good way. Your story will feel like two different stories clumsily stitched together.

If you’re going to start “normal” and later introduce an element like magic or aliens, try to hint at what’s to come. Maybe the main character is wishing that magic existed—that’s enough to prepare the reader. In my novel The Ghost on the Stairs, we don’t find out that the narrator’s sister has seen a ghost until the end of chapter 2. But on the opening page, she comments that the hotel “looks haunted” and is “spooky.” Those words suggest that a ghost story may be coming. That’s enough to prep the reader. (The title doesn’t hurt either.)

Setting
Your opening should also identify the story’s setting. This includes when and where we are, if it’s historical or set in another country or world. Once again, you don’t want your reader to assume a modern story and then discover halfway through that it’s actually a historical setting. They’ll blame you for their confusion. In a contemporary story, you may not identify a specific city, but the reader should have a feel for whether this is inner-city, small-town, suburban, or whatever.

Who and What’s Up
Your opening pages should focus on your main character. You may find exceptions to this rule, but your readers will assume that whoever is prominent in the opening pages is the MC. Switching can cause confusion. You should also establish your point of view early. If you’ll be switching points of view, don’t wait too long to make the first switch. In novels, typically you want to show your alternate point of view in the second chapter and then switch back and forth with some kind of regular rhythm.

And of course, you want some kind of challenge or conflict in your opening. This doesn’t have to be the main plot problem—you may need additional setup before your main character takes on that challenge or even knows about it. But try to make sure that your opening problem relates to the main problem. It may even lead to it.

In The Ghost on the Stairs, Tania faints at the end of chapter 1. Jon does not yet know why, but this opening problem leads to the main problem—she’d seen a ghost. If I’d used an entirely different opening problem, say stress with their new stepfather, that would have suggested a family drama, not a paranormal adventure.

The Fast Start
So an opening introduces many elements of the story. Yet you can’t take too long to set the scene, or your readers may lose interest. You want to start in a moment of action, where something is changing, and cut the background. But don’t rush things—take a little time to set up the situation, so it makes sense and we care about the characters and what’s happening to them.

Fast, but not too fast. How do you find the balance?
You can test your opening by seeing how much you can cut. What if you delete the first sentence, the first paragraph, the first page? Does the story still make sense? Does it get off to a faster start? For a novel, what if you cut the whole first chapter, or several chapters? If you can’t cut, can you condense?

On the other hand, if your beginning feels confusing or rushed, you might want to start earlier in the story. Try setting up a small problem that grabs the reader’s attention, luring them in until you can get to the main problem. In my novel, The Well of Sacrifice, the Maya are dealing with famine, disease, and marauders in the early chapters, even before the king dies and an evil high priest tries to take over. That gives readers time to understand these characters and their unusual world.

Don’t stress about the opening during your early drafts, but do make sure you fix it later. Keep in mind that fixing it may involve throwing it out altogether and replacing it with something else or simply starting later in the story. In the end, you’ll have the beginning you need.

Learn more at www.chriseboch.com or her Amazon page, or check out her writing tips at her Write Like a Pro! blog. Sign up for her Workshop newsletter for classes and critique offers.

Chris also writes novels of suspense and romance for adults under the name Kris Bock; read excerpts at www.krisbock.com.

This article was originally published in the October 2011 issue of SouthWest Sage and is reprinted here by permission of the author.

Blog Archives

The Writing Life: Wandering Off the Beaten Path with Annie Leibovitz

by Sherri Burr

An Interview with Author Paula Paul

Revising Fiction: 12 Ways to Build Suspense

by Kirt Hickman

Connecting at Writing Conferences

by Chris Eboch

An Interview with Corrales Writing Group: On Writing

An Interview with Author Jonathan Miller

Writer’s Remorse

by Olive Balla

The Writing Life: Juggling Priorities

by Sherri Burr

An Interview with Author Robin Perini

Writing Fiction: The Promise of the First Chapter

by Chris Eboch

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