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A few people have approached me online to ask about my writing process. Granted, they’re mostly bots trying to do God knows what, but still… And today seems like a good day to talk about it since my process, as it were, recently all went to hell in a handcart. When writing a novel, people typically fall into two categories: plotters, who plan everything in advance, or pantsers, who prefer to write spontaneously. Personally, I fall under a third category—the planster. I like to plot a novel out so I know where I’m going, but leave myself open to new story or character ideas. (Images by heidijergovsky and Abbie Paulhus from Pixabay)
For instance, the character of Dearg, a Scottish eventing legend in “Cause for Elimination”, was supposed to be in the story for one scene. His sole purpose was to teach the clinic where Emily gets back her jumping mojo. Then it became two scenes, because for every step forward she needs to take two steps back, so back he came for day two, where he drives her to have a breakdown. But that wasn’t enough for my Scottish hottie. He wheedled his way into my and Emily’s heart until…well, read the book. You’ll find out.
Until I wasn’t. I meant it back in April or May when I said I had the first draft for the next in the series completed. And I really wanted to like it. I worked on it for months, after all. But you know what? I just didn’t. It had taken a dark turn on its uncharted path and I could not figure a way out of it.
I’m still working on cannibalizing what I can from the first draft while creating a new, simpler outline. Because it’s easy to overcomplicate things in the race to create new story twists and more layered, conflicted characters. The bottom line—sometimes just killing people is enough. If you liked this post, please join my email list and follow me on Amazon.
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If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that most Fridays I post a Happy Hour Drink. So why not get to know the characters from "Framed for Murder" by their cocktail of choice? Mel O’Rourke – Mel—sorry, Grandma O, I mean Emmeline—was a beat cop for seven years until a rooftop chase ended in a crushed ankle. Oddly, it was Poppy she was chasing, but more on her later. (Wine Image by Storme Kovacs from Pixabay)
Jackson Thibodeaux-- Jackson is a genius-level, disillusioned chemical engineer who left the rat race. He returned to Pine Cove and uses his skills to create culinary masterpieces for dogs and their owners at The Hungry Puppy Café. His quick smile lights up his aquamarine colored eyes.
Deputy Sheriff Gregg Marks- Gregg grew up in Pine Cove and sheepishly admits he bullied Jackson in high school. Unlike Jackson, he’s not close with his father, but more on that in the next book. More serious than Jackson, it feels like a true accomplishment for Mel when she gets him to laugh. It’s a rare but beautiful sound.
Poppy Phillips-- The mysterious cat burglar who is better known to the media and law enforcement as “The Ghost” once saved Mel's life. Sure, she was in danger because she was chasing the thief but... po-tay-to, po-tah-to. Now she's come to Pine Cove asking for help when she's accused of a murder she claims she didn't commit. But the more Mel digs into it, the less she realizes she really knows about Poppy.
Liam O’Rourke-- Mel’s younger brother and a contractor in Los Angele, Liam loves working with his hands. Which is a good thing because he’ll be needed frequently to fix the cranky old inn. What he doesn’t love is the fact that Poppy Phillips is there. He blames her for Mel’s painful weeks in the hospital and crippling fear of heights.
And last but not least... Grandma O’Rourke - Grandma would say she’s an eccentric, but her daughter-in-law calls her bat-shit crazy. She got the ingredients wrong when she gave her grandchildren her famous Starlight Mint Surprise cooki recipe, resulting in no one ever topping her cookies. Crazy, or crazy like a fox?  There’s only one drink for Grandma O’Rourke and that’s Irish whiskey. She prefers the peaty taste of Connemara, but any whiskey in a pinch will do. How about you? Do you have any drink, alcoholic or not, that is you go to on a hot day, cold morning, celebration or Tuesday night? Let me know in the comments!
Back in June, I was in the airport waiting in line for a cup of coffee when the woman next to me asked, “Are you a writer?” I froze, uncertain how to answer that despite the fact that I’ve published four novels and two novellas. Am I a writer? Can I really lay claim to that title? And why was the woman asking, anyway?
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AuthorWriter of stories since 2021. Archives
September 2024
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