6.11.14

I haven't been posting much lately, as I'm sure you've noticed. I'll be honest, I turned my daily journaling here private after an uncomfortable run in with someone who made me realize nothing we say or do on the internet is private. And I of course ran the other direction screaming, because I am at heart a rather private person, and, and, and....

But, I miss blogging. I miss the interaction, the examination of my work, the insights I gain when I try to put things I'm doing and thinking into words. Doing it for myself is a journal, which we all know I dislike. Doing it as a blog feels, somehow, more constructive. And damn it, it's not right that I let a stranger chase me away from something I generally like doing.

Ergo: 

1200 words today on Sam #4 - WHAT LIES BEHIND - taking me over the 21K mark. This book has been giving me fits, as they all do until I hit the magical 25K/100 page point. That's when things suddenly start making sense, the little subconscious breadcrumbs I've left behind begin to show themselves, and I get an idea of what the story is about. But this one - wow. Nothing works, the story won't coalesce. Yesterday, I finally realized I needed to have myself a little come to Jesus with the story, see what was wrong, let my mind make some leaps. 

My biggest problem: I tried to outline this one before I started writing. Enormous fail. It knocked me off my game for a month, the book suffered, and that was a month I didn't have to lose. I've been kicking around the first 70 pages for three weeks now, two steps forward, three steps back. Procrastinating and dribbling words onto the page and all the amateurish things I do when I'm stuck. (It is not writer's block. Well, actually, it is, but it's my story telling me I'm off on the wrong path. Story is always right!)

And then... this morning, after taking a deep breath and rolling up my sleeves and putting on the Deathly Hallows soundtrack with the express intent of either making it work or throwing it out, an idea came.

I think I'm on the right track now - it's been a day of enormous breakthroughs, which makes me feel much better about making the August 1 deadline.

So help me, chickens. Cheer me on. Tell me what you've been up to. Ask questions. Let's get things back on track here, shall we? 

My favorite link today: Elizabeth Gilbert on Craft (via the divine Ariel Lawhon) which is a perfect jumping off point for tomorrow. 

On Ole, Ole, Ole and the Creative Process

“‘Ole!’ to you, just for having the sheer human love and stubbornness to keep showing up.” -- Elizabeth Gilbert

One of the most rewarding things about being a writer - and that’s saying something, as there are too many cool things to count (Working in pajamas! Reading! Cats!) is sitting down with other writers and discussing the creative process. It is the one topic that transcends all others. Numbers matter not a whit when one is faced with the cosmic opening that comes when another writer explains HOW THEY DO IT.

We seek out tomes on the subject, gobble up blogs, tweet our heroes, take friends to lunch, searching for nuggets of wisdom. I call it Seeking OPP -- Other People's Process.

OPPs are always shiny, exciting, logical. Everyone else’s process looks so gloriously awesome, so intrinsic and organic. We listen at conferences, smacking ourselves - Why didn't I think of that? How come I don't have that level of understanding of my work? This must be why it takes so long to write a book, I need to be doing X, or Y, or Z. 

I am a huge fan of the "How I Work" series on Lifehacker. Even though the vast majority of the people don't work in my industry, seeing them drill down into what works and what doesn't give me hope that one day, I too will figure it out.

I have a long and varied list of things I do and own because of OPP. To name a few I can't seem to live without:

• Clairefontaine Notebooks
• Levenger Circa Planner for research
• Blackwing Pencils
• Lamy Fountain Pens
• MacAir
• Scrivener
• Evernote

These are just the OPPs I use for myself now. I did a piece a while ago on my writing tools. You'll see all the fun things I do and use and can't live without. 

But what does any of this really mean?

I'll tell you what. Nothing. It means nothing. Tools are camouflage for the real work. All you truly NEED is your brain, and a way to write down the story. No one elsee's schedule or notebook or writing program will give you that secret, magical moment that turns ideas into a book. Only you can do that.

Why?

Because, the truth of the matter is, when we look each other in the eyes, and bare our souls, one thing becomes self-evident. We don’t know HOW it all happens.

Yes, yes, we know empirically. We can quantify our work in a million ways: numbers of words and pages written in a day, the pride we take in our habits — the daily habit of sharpening the pencil or opening the laptop lid at the same time — the tea we consume by the barrel-full, the incense and candles we burn, the multiple lares and penates needed in our writing environment to properly compose. We sit across tables and text messages and emails and blogs and share our methods, ever fascinated by the other. We laugh at each other’s random needs, sit in awe of levels of productivity, commiserate on the darlings that must be murdered.

But the HOW of it? HOW does an idea take form, spill onto the page, and become a story? HOW does a proper name, created by stroking keys or laying down lead, become a living, breathing person, to whom millions can connect though out the ages? HOW do we do this?

Leads us to WHY? Why were we chosen? Why are we given this particular gift. From whom does it come? God? Monkeys?

Well, Elizabeth Gilbert (along with many others, surely, but this is the best example I’ve seen in a while) thinks it’s God. I can't recommend watching her TED talk highly enough...

I am always interested to see the word God these days. We seem to think religion has become a line in the sand, something we aren’t ever allowed to discuss. And yet, and yet, and yet.... God is everywhere around us. I am not big into organized religion of any sort, either from my Episcopal upbringing or my buddhist study, but I am a very spiritual person. I don't feel the need to sit inside a building and listen to someone else talk to me of God, because I can step onto my back deck and see the majesty we live within, and know. 

And maybe that's part of my gift as well.

But I'm with Ms. Gilbert. I truly think what we writers, all artists, have is a gift, something we were blessed with. Something not everyone has, and not everyone wants.

OPP, God, whatever... if you want to be a successful writer, there's only one thing you really need.

To just do it already.

Ole, Ole, Ole, to all of you today!

7 Minutes with…Laura Benedict

Ah, Laura Benedict. I could write thousands of words about this girl. I've been a fan for years, since her incredible debut, ISABELLA MOON, then a long weekend conference in Chicago many moons ago cemented for life an already burgeoning friendship. Over the years, she has been editor, confessor, friend, golf partner, cheerleader, and so much more. She's all class and sass, and a very gifted writer.

When I first read BLISS HOUSE, I was floored. The opening page sets the scene so perfectly, captures the voice of the book impeccably, and I knew I was in for a ride. Laura's writing has only improved with time. Always smart, it is now so polished and sophisticated it takes my breath away. BLISS HOUSE is the book of the summer, and I can't recommend it highly enough. I love it so much I'm giving away a copy today - just leave a comment to be entered.

So. On to the interview with my darling friend and sister-in-arms, Laura Benedict. 

___________

Set your music to shuffle and hit play. What’s the first song that comes up?

Julie London singing Harold Arlen/Johnny Mercer’s “Blues In the Night.” It’s a classic, and I love London’s velvety, swinging take on it. (it was followed by Elvis Costello’s “(I Don’t Want to Go To) Chelsea.” Talk about a strange juxtaposition.)

Now that we’ve set the mood, what are you working on today?

I’m coming in on the end of a short story about a woman whose husband has thrown her out of the house because he’s come to believe she’s a murderer. Unlike my novels, it’s a straight crime story and has no supernatural elements.

 What’s your latest book about?

BLISS HOUSE tells the story of Rainey Bliss Adams, who has brought her daughter, Ariel, to live in the Bliss ancestral home in Old Gate, Virginia. While at first the house seems to help Ariel heal from the tragic accident that badly burned her and killed her father, it begins to reveal its true nature and horrific past after Ariel witnesses a spectral scene that results in a very real dead body in Bliss House’s grand front hall. The house has secrets that it—and the residents of Old Gate—are reluctant to reveal. But only their revelations will save Rainey and Ariel. 

Where do you write, and what tools do you use?

I can’t bear to be tied to my desk all day. It’s one of the reasons I left the corporate world and never looked back. I compose fiction on my laptop, for the most part, and usually park myself on the couch or even in bed (I know. It’s totally decadent!) after everyone is gone from the house in the morning. But I edit my fiction and type blogs, interviews, research questions, etc. on my desktop iMac in the afternoon. I do my plotting and daydreaming in big hardcover spiral journals using a plain old pencil. Never mechanical pencils though. My kids love them, but they seem too fragile, too impermanent for me.

 What was your favorite book as a child?

The Poky Little Puppy was my first favorite. I know he eventually had to fall into line to get dessert, but I secretly loved his rebel nature. I never have been good at respecting authority, even though it meant I was often in trouble. I’m convinced he was ADD, like me. Also, I loved the implication at the end that puppies could read the sign: “NO DESSERTS EVER UNLESS PUPPIES NEVER DIG HOLES UNDER THIS FENCE AGAIN!”

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice?

“All writers know you must hurry to your work in the morning before being derailed, seduced, entranced by another, irresistible “voice.” –Joyce Carol Oates

I took this quote from her twitter feed. I’m especially attracted to the “All writers know…” admonition, which implies that we’re all as single-minded as she is. I very much wish I were. Perhaps that’s why I find it so motivating.

What do you do if the words aren’t flowing?

If I’m stuck I’ll pop outside for a walk with the dogs, or take a catnap. Either really clean out the cobwebs and let me move on.

What would you like to be remembered for?

My rapier wit. (Subject to opinion, of course!)

I can attest to that! Don't forget to leave a comment for Ms. Benedict to have a chance to win her book - I'll draw a winner Friday evening, so don't delay.

__________

Laura Benedict’s latest dark suspense novel is BLISS HOUSE (Pegasus Crime), praised as “Eerie, seductive, and suspenseful,” by Edgar award-winning author, Meg Gardiner. Laura is also the author of DEVIL’S OVEN, a modern Frankenstein tale, and CALLING MR. LONELY HEARTS and ISABELLA MOON, both originally published by Ballantine Books. Her work has appeared in Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, PANK, and numerous anthologies like Thrillers: 100 Must-Reads (Oceanview), and Slices of Flesh (Dark Moon Books).

A Cincinnati, Ohio, native, Laura grew up in Louisville, Kentucky, and claims both as hometowns. She currently lives with her family in the southern wilds of a Midwestern state, surrounded by bobcats, coyotes, and other less picturesque predators.

Visit www.laurabenedict.com to learn more about her and her books.

More about BLISS HOUSE (Coming June 15th, 2014)

Death never did come quietly to Bliss House…

Amidst the lush farmland and orchards in Old Gate, Virginia, stands the magnificent Bliss House. Built in 1878 as a country retreat, Bliss House is impressive, historic, and inexplicably mysterious. Decades of strange occurrences, disappearances and deaths have plagued the house, yet it remains vibrant. And very much alive.

Rainey Bliss Adams desperately needed a new start when she and her daughter Ariel relocated from St. Louis to Old Gate and settled into the house where the Bliss family had lived for over a century. Rainey’s husband had been killed in a freak explosion that left her 14 year-old daughter Ariel scarred and disfigured.

At the grand housewarming party, Bliss House begins to reveal itself again. Ariel sees haunting visions: the ghost of her father, and the ghost of a woman being pushed to her death off of an upper floor balcony, beneath an exquisite dome of painted stars. And then there is a death the night of the party. Who is the murderer in the midst of this small town? And who killed the woman in Ariel’s visions? But Bliss House is loath to reveal its secrets, as are the good folks of Old Gate.

7 Minutes With... Chuck Driskell

What a treat for me to host my buddy Chuck Driskell here today. Chuck and I started off as pen pals several years ago, and a friendship bloomed. He's a great guy with a fascinating backstory, and even created the coolest piece of art hanging in my office. His thrillers are just that -- thrilling, tight and exciting and fun to read. If you haven't read him yet, I highly recommend his work.

Without further ado, I give you Chuck Driskell!

Set your music to shuffle and hit play. What’s the first song that comes up? 

Simple Minds: Book of Brilliant Things

Now that we’ve set the mood, what are you working on today? 

Today is a special day!  I finished the final draft of my newest, SEVEN YEARS DEAD.  Now it’s off to the editor.

What’s your latest book about? 

My latest book is TO THE LIONS.  It’s the second book in the Gage Hartline series.  Gage travels to Spain to protect a mob boss’s son in a federal prison.  He soon finds himself double-crossed by another rival syndicate who are backed by a number of crooked government officials.  The book is loaded with action and has one of my favorite antagonists, the leader of Los Leones, Xavier Zambrano.  Oh, for your eagle-eyed readers, there’s actually a JT Ellison mention inside the book.  Nothing like prisoners who dig JT Ellison novels, right?

Where do you write, and what tools do you use? 

I have an office in my house with a big, tattered recliner.  I sit there, pecking away on my Thinkpad in the near-dark, guzzling syrupy coffee as I weave my tall tales.  On weekends, I’ll often find a coffee shop and edit in the afternoon.

What was your favorite book as a child?

THE SHINING by Stephen King

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice? 

Sit down, turn off the Wi-Fi, and just write.  Don’t go back and rewrite, either.  Just write and get that first draft on the paper.  Then, and only then, can the real magic begin.  This is common advice…for a very good reason.

What do you do if the words aren’t flowing? 

I follow Ken Follett’s advice.  I was with you, JT, at Thrillerfest when he said to either “kill someone” or “write a raunchy sex scene.”  He was correct.  That gets the words flowing again. 

What would you like to be remembered for? 

If there’s one thing I strive for, it’s to avoid writing the same book again and again.  While I may have limitations as a writer, I work hard to give my readers a fresh story each time.  I hope to be remembered as someone who kept people guessing.

 ______________

Chuck Driskell was a U.S. Army paratrooper. His post-military life has been spent in the advertising business and as a writer where he finds time to create stories with layered plots and flawed, yet sometimes forgivable, characters. Usually set in international locales, his stories are a blend of crime, suspense, and spy genres.  He lives in South Carolina with his wife and two children and is always scheming about his next trip to Europe. Find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ChuckDriskell.

About TO THE LIONS (October 2013)

In Spain, former Green Beret Gage Hartline accepts a risky job inserting him into notorious Berga Prison—a place as sleazy as it is deadly. Charged with protecting the son of a wealthy mobster, Gage is pitted against rival gangs as well as corrupt government officials. He soon finds himself double-crossed by nearly everyone involved, leaving him on his own, fighting to survive. Gage has the training. Gage has the nerve. But will it be enough? 

The second novel in Chuck Driskell's Gage Hartline series, TO THE LIONS uses Driskell's trademark recipe of thrills, suspense, espionage and romance to create a memorable tale that Kirkus Reviews describes as "scorching" and "crisp with innovation". 

7 Minutes with . . . Jennifer Brooks

I'm so delighted to have Jennifer Brooks here today! Jennifer has been my first editor for many years, and she has just released her latest novel, WHISPER OF DARKNESS, a wonderful contemporary romantic suspense that you must add to your reading list. Her first book, NO EVIL LOST, was a winner as well. It's as exciting for me to see her books for sale as it is for her, I think.

Without further ado, I give you my adorable sister from another mister, Jennifer Brooks!

Set your music to shuffle and hit play. What’s the first song that comes up?

Scenes from an Italian Restaurant (Billy Joel). Can I just comment on this? Since we’re talking about writing, it’s too perfect an allegory to let slide—it’s a story within a story: Two old friends who haven’t seen each other in a while meet for dinner, order a bottle of wine; the POV character catches his friend up on what’s been going on in his life, tells her how great she looks; they reminisce about old times, old friends; and then it’s time to go and it’s sad to see the evening end, knowing that it may be years before they see each other again, even though they agree to try to get together more often . . . all within the setting of Joel’s brilliant musical style, varying tempos, killer piano licks. One of my favorites. Sigh.

Now that we’ve set the mood, what are you working on today?

The next book! It’s a contemporary romance, a fish out of water tale about a young Chicago attorney, orphaned at a very young age, who finds the key to his past—and his future—on a Texas ranch. I wrote the original manuscript a few years ago, so it really just needs some dusting off and a bit of upgrading/tweaking/polishing. And a new title (to be revealed at a later date).

What’s your latest book about?

WHISPER OF DARKNESS is a romantic suspense about widowed author CJ Moore, who leaves her quiet life in Vermont for the glitz and glamour of Hollywood to help a private production company adapt her most cherished book to the silver screen—and the psychotic fan who follows her there, intent on making sure the film is never made. It’s been called Nora Roberts meets Agatha Christie, and it has a bit of everything—intrigue, sex, humor, and a whole lot of tension, both romantic and suspenseful.

Where do you write, and what tools do you use?

Ten years ago my husband and I were very fortunate to find a house that would accommodate our family of five so that each of us had our own “space”—mine is a 10 by 12 office, full of everything you’d expect a writer’s den to have: bookcases crammed to the hilt with all kinds of books, a couple of filing cabinets, a recliner, and two desks. This is my workshop, and these are my tools. The recliner is my reading space (when the kitten’s not sleeping in it). I use one desk for writing, on my laptop. The other desk has more books, mostly a collection of how-to’s on writing, reference books and such, as well as my CD player and music collection. (I have to have some kind of orchestral music playing while I write, always, or the Muse deserts me.) I generally write in Word, just because it’s been my friend and my crutch for about 25 years, although I do occasionally use Scrivener, which is the coolest program on the planet for getting your thoughts organized.

What was your favorite book as a child?

Oh my goodness I read everything when I was a kid—but my favorites were mysteries, mostly anything Nancy Drew or Agatha Christie. It seems funny to say a ten-year-old’s favorite book was And Then There Were None, but I thought it was the most brilliantly written thing I’d ever read in my life. If we’re going back further than that, my favorite children’s book was probably Ferdinand, the story of the bull who didn’t want to fight matadors but was more content to sit under his favorite cork tree and smell the flowers. Or Angus and the Cat. So precious.

What’s your favorite bit of writing advice?

I think Stephen King came up with the most sound advice I’ve ever heard, even if it is the most simple—“Read a lot. Write a lot.” (I may be paraphrasing, but that was the gist.) I try to do at least a little of both every day, and would encourage other writers to do the same.

What do you do if the words aren’t flowing?

I have to take a break when that happens, and do something that stimulates and recharges my brain. Puzzles—of both the word and jigsaw variety—are my favorite vice. And hidden object games. But I read, too, to keep my finger on the pulse of the creative process. Once my cerebral palate is cleansed, I go back to the writing, and generally spot right away what the problem was in the first place. A very wise friend of mine (I won’t tell you her name, but her initials are J.T.) once said, “Writer’s block is your story’s way of telling you something’s wrong.” (Again, paraphrased.) But I’ve found that staring at the words on the page doesn’t give me the perspective I need to solve the issues.

What would you like to be remembered for?

Having raised my children well. And being the kind of woman that when my feet hit the floor each morning, the Devil said, “Oh crap, she’s up.”

Thanks for being here today, sweetie! Good luck with WHISPER OF DARKNESS!

________

Jennifer Brooks was born in Tucson, Arizona, the “quintessential Air Force brat” of a USAF fighter pilot and a stay-at-home mom who to this day is never seen without a book in her hand. An insatiable reader with an overactive imagination, Jennifer’s passion for literature manifested itself early in her youth, and she discovered her talent for writing during high school. In a career spanning 20+ years, Jennifer has written, edited and/or published a fairly lengthy list of books, novellas, short stories, essays, articles, interviews, and book and movie reviews, covering a wide range of genres, authors and topics in both the fiction and non-fiction realms.

Jennifer holds a B.A. in Criminal Justice from Indiana University. After a brief stint as a paralegal, she began working in the healthcare field and has now been there for almost 25 years. A bona fide Yankee transplanted to the South, she lives near Nashville, Tennessee, with her husband and a small menagerie of cats and dogs. They have three adult children.

About WHISPER OF DARKNESS: Acclaimed mystery author CJ Moore has strayed out of her regular genre and written a gripping love story based loosely on her own life. After six years, CJ is still grieving the loss of her husband, and unlike her novel’s heroine, she has yet to find someone to mend her shattered heart. Now one of Hollywood’s biggest stars wants to turn her most cherished book into a blockbuster film, and their whirlwind romance is at the heart of the deal.

Unfortunately, CJ has an overzealous fan who believes they are ruining her story, and his obsession drives him to eliminate those he feels responsible. When heartbreaking truths from the past come to light, CJ’s emotional strength is pushed to its limits—until she learns to let go of the past, embrace the present, and find her happily ever after in the most unexpected of places.