Time in a bottle

If you’re like me, there are certain instances when you expect time to stand still.

Have you ever gone to a high school reunion expecting everyone to look the same (I haven’t, but it seems like a reasonable expectation, eh?) Or movie stars? I always thought Sean Connery was handsome, even when he got old as sin. Maybe it was due to excellent makeup artists. Steve Martin? There’s a man who never changes - or maybe he does. Which brings me to the latest “when did he get so old?”

I saw a video clip featuring Steve Martin and Jackson Browne. (You can see it here.) Those of you who are of a certain age might remember "Running on Empty" (among other songs). It so happens a few years back I'd seen a Jackson Browne soundstage concert while I was writing Cookie Therapy. I modeled my fireman after him. Granted, JB was already aging then, but I looked up some pictures of when he was younger because he had a distinctive look and some of us 😏found him attractive. So watching that new video clip sort of took my breath away. That couldn't possibly be Jackson Browne. Could it? It must be the beard that makes him look different. Here's me, off to Google him. How many years ago was he making music? How many years ago did I write Cookie Therapy? HOW OLD AM I?? Which reminds me of something my writing buddy often says - she looks in the mirror and there's an old woman looking back--where did she come from? 

My mother used to say you're as old as you feel. After having some health challenges at a relatively young age, I was feeling pretty darn old before my time. Once those challenges were corrected, I felt remarkably better, but ever conscious of my age. I'm not one of those people who wants to be younger. To look younger. I've earned my stripes, in a manner of speaking. I am who I am, and this is what I look like. We all have our own vision of what "old" is. I've been told I'm an old soul, which might account for why age doesn't bother me quite so much (not that I'm THAT old). I'm the youngest of my sisters, and I still remember one of my sisters' boyfriends asking (when I was still a teenager!) if I was older than she was. By some measures, I've always been old. Still, it's somewhat of a shock when you see contemporaries or childhood idols who no longer resemble the heartthrob they once were. We can't all age like Dolly Parton or Paul McCartney, but the characters in my stories will be forever young. Here's looking at you, Matt Billings, the man I modeled after Jackson Browne.

Chasing Squirrels

I admit to being distracted when I write. Sometimes. 

There are days the words flow forth like a faucet opened to full stream. Then there are days the words dribble. On those days, distractions are more effective at getting your attention. Some days, I give up to the distractions, and others I firmly denounce them. What kinds of things distract me?

The "I don't know what I don't know" squirrel

I'm in the middle of writing something and one of my characters, who is in a profession I'm not knowledgeable about, has to wax poetic about their job. What do I do? I reach out to a professional and ask them how it works. How do I get around that? I write what I *think* and go back to it after I've heard from the professional.

The "what's the correct usage/idiom/word?" squirrel

This one can be tricky, because once you go out to the world wide web to find what you're looking for, the browser might distract you with something else, and then you lose track of what you went after in the first place. For example, I have a real blind spot when it comes to the correct usage of lie/lay. In order to get it right, I'll search the sentence I wrote to see the proper usage. If I remember why I went to the browser in the first place... This problem also leads to doom scrolling if you have news on your default browser page. 😟

The "I don't know what to write next. I must need sustenance of some sort" squirrel

So I go into the kitchen. Open the refrigerator. Open the pantry. Stare at the food and decide no, I'm not really hungry. Hey, at least I got a few steps in walking back and forth, right?

The "Wow, I didn't know that!" squirrel

This is the going down the rabbit hole trap. I look something up to make sure I got it right and learn more than I bargained for. Oftentimes, I find the answer so interesting, I keep reading, or if I don't find what I was looking for, I keep looking, which can provide more information than I needed, or divert me from the given path altogether. 

The list of distractions isn't comprehensive. We all have our own personal squirrels. Likewise, the amount of writing I do on any given day varies greatly. As mentioned, there are days I am fully focused for several hours and write until my brain runs out of words. It's like watching a movie, and let's face it, it has to end at some point (even if the story hasn't finished). Then there are the days the chart above is 100% accurate. The goal is to write 1,000 words a day. It's a reasonable expectation and gives me a focus. Even if I'm distracted, if I can get to the goal, I can quit and chase those squirrels. Or I can keep going and exceed my own expectations. 

And for now, the beat goes on (#MyLifeIsAMusical). Working my way through the next book, which follows on from Through the Viewfinder. My editor wanted to know the secondary characters' stories, so I'm indulging her (and me. Who am I kidding?)

See you next week.

Writing is like a box of chocolates?

You never know what you're going to get. 

I've have close to forty books under my belt now, and every one of them has been a different experience. I'm not a firm believer in writers' block, so I can't say any of them has ever stumped me, per se. The trick is to keep writing. Even when it's nonsense. One thing I can say, however, is that each book has presented itself differently.

Some books practically write themselves. You sit down and the characters play nice with you. They walk you through their stories and tell you everything beginning to end. You might hit snags along the way, but overall, it's a clear picture. A well-defined path. 

Then there are those books that are like buying a box of chocolates without any idea what flavors are inside. The characters play close to the vest and while getting them to show you the way, they turn their backs on you. That's the closest I've come to "writers' block." Trying to figure out what comes next. Where are they going? What is their journey? When you figure it all out, though, it all comes together in an "a-ha" moment that is very satisfying.

Through the Viewfinder was a box of chocolate truffles without a flavor key. I had all the pieces. I knew the characters. I knew the basic plot, but when I tried to fit it all together, it didn't track. It didn't make sense. How does this part of the story relate to the other? Why does this happen this way? How do these flavors go together? But I kept writing (and this is the lesson for this blog post, keep writing). I was at least half, and maybe further along when I reached the "A-Ha! Now this all makes sense!" Once you figure it out, you can fit in the missing pieces where they go, layer in the foreshadowing that gets you to that once piece of information that had been eluding you but now makes perfect sense. It's like taking a bite of one of those unknown chocolates and finding a new favorite flavor. There's an immense sense of satisfaction once it all comes together, that perfect blend of chocolate and [add your favorite filling here].

This time around? The secondary characters from Viewfinder are stepping forward for their story against a backdrop that both creeps me out and fascinates me. I took them on a field trip, found the ghost story (because that's what I do, after all) and instead of wondering what flavor I'm going to find, it's like I have a whole box of my favorites. I know what I'm going to get in every bite. So satisfying! 

When you're writing, as frustrating as the unknown flavor might be, it keeps me fresh. Keeps me thinking. If every story was easy to write, as with eating your favorite thing every day, you might lose interest. If I didn't have to work for it, I might take it for granted and write a boring story. Not everyone likes vanilla caramel every time.

I have favorite authors. At least two of them write "vanilla caramels" every time. I like vanilla caramels, but every time? Every now and then you want a cherry center. Or English toffee. That's when I switch off and read someone else. Well, you get the idea. 

The good news is that the current work in progress, tentatively titled "Unidentified Remains," is a perfectly balance chocolate truffle. I know this recipe, and I'm pretty sure you'll love the results. 

Doing the research

As an author, there comes a point in every book where I don’t know what I don’t know. Time to ask an expert. But how does one go about that?

The internet is a fabulous source of information, and now there’s AI, but let’s face it. Those sources don’t always get it right. Not only that, they don’t always answer the questions. For the “easy” stuff, it’s a quick search. But more in depth? And where do I go?

There are groups of professionals that help authors out. An online crime scene writers group is made up of policemen, firemen and other public servants who can provide a quick easy answer on those questions, but they usually limit their answers, and unless it’s an easy question, I’m usually left wanting more. I’ve found the best way to get the information you need is to interview a live person. Most people are happy to talk to you about their professions, and you usually get extra information in the process. “There was this one time…” Conversation. Where do you find these people? Everywhere. 

I have a friend who is an architect. After touring New Orleans and admiring the Garden District, I wanted to write a character who was an architect. Her first comment? Architects are boring. After helping me with the eponymous book (THE ARCHITECT), she gave me information that gave the book more depth, and she liked the story, too! I’ve interviewed policemen and firemen. They always have extras to provide a story with more depth, and when I stopped them in the grocery story or on a lunch break, they were more than happy to talk to me or set up a time to chat. 

Authors are often introverts, myself included. Talking to strangers is a difficult thing to do, but every time I put on my big girl pants and make the effort, I’ve been rewarded with more information than I was looking for, which made the books that much better.