MAYHEM ON MONDAYS

Energy boosts!

Just when you're sitting there facing a blank screen with a blank mind as a companion, an email arrives from a reader saying, "I loved your book". Actually, this is the email: I loved your book. As a reader of 150+ books a year i was drawn in by the title. Anyway I have already ordered book 2.


Wow -- just what I needed. The adrenaline started flowing, the brain cells started doing a little dance, and I'm pumped and ready to get to work.

I've also given myself a deadline, which is what I always need to work towards. I should have done that sooner but I'll blame my lethargy on all this heat and humidity. Funny how one email can act like a cooling breeze -- and I mean that in a good way.

Which is a reminder to me that when I finish reading a book -- and I'm putting a serious dent in my TBR pile, finally! -- I need to let that author know when it's one that's blown me away. These comments aren't ego-boosters, they're those nods of approval that inspire the writer to carry on with it. It's all well and good to claim to write for oneself but seriously, when you know a reader or two is hooked, that you've given them some reading pleasure, isn't that what it's all about?

So keep those cards and letters, okay, emails coming in to all the writers you're reading and appreciating. Now...back to my book!

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

A KILLER READ
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
READ & BURIED, coming Dec., 2012
www.erikachase.com

LADIES' KILLING THURSDAYS

May is madness...

In her blog on Wicked Wednesday, Linda commented on the crazy life of a writer. I had to smile, because it all sounded so familiar. I too have a looming book deadline, May 31, for my latest Inspector Green novel. I am down to the wire on final rewites before sending it off into the publisher’s hands. I too had to interrupt that process to deal with the proofs of another book and to answer the long, convoluted marketing questionnaire sent by the Inspector Green publisher. And with a publisher’s party, a Scene of the Crime board meeting and the Bloody Words Mystery Conference all coming up within the week, I have two trips to Toronto, a panel to prepare for, a manuscript to critique and numerous wardrobe choices to make. Yikes. For a writer who spends most of her days in T-shirts and jeans, finding two clean banquet outfits that fit is enough to boggle the mind!

Meanwhile, in between the rewriting, blogging, Facebooking, emailing and what-not, there are the demands of daily life. An elderly mother who requires a lot more emotional and physical support than she used to, grown children who thankfully still turn to me for advice and support. A house in dire need of a spring cleaning, a yard being overtaken by weeds, a cottage in the midst of do-it-myself renos, and dogs that insist on walks and games of fetch every time I stand up. Not to mention a six-year old computer that requires much prayer and cajoling as it wheezes its way towards its grave.

Oh yes, I’m also supposed to be hosting fifteen people for dinner on Saturday night. Or maybe not. I hope I know that before I head off to Toronto this morning, as I will have to find time to shop.

Sometimes I meet people from my previous (very busy) professional life, who ask me how I like retirement. They remark, with a wistful tone, that it must be wonderful not to have to rush out in the morning, fight the traffic, juggle appointments, deal with pressures, conflicts and deadlines, and all that stuff I left behind. I reply that yes, I love easing into my day by lingering over coffee in my pyjamas, and my blood pressure thanks me for not climbing onto the Queensway every morning. And it’s true that a writer’s pressures are mostly self-imposed. But life has a way of tangling you up in it, and once you embark on a path, it quickly gets cluttered up with expectations. I’m not complaining. It’s a wonderful life, but I do find myself muttering, just like the old days, ‘Once I get through the next two weeks, it will get easier’. It may, but if the past is any predictor of the future, not likely.

Besides, if it did, I would probably get bored and go looking for trouble.




Barbara Fradkin is a child psychologist with a fascination for how we turn bad. In addition to her darkly haunting short stories in the Ladies Killing Circle anthologies, she writes the gritty, Ottawa-based Inspector Green novels which havewon back to back Arthur Ellis Awards for Best Novel from Crime Writers of Canada. The eighth in the series, Beautiful Lie the Dead, explores love in all its complications. And, her Rapid Read from Orca, The Fall Guy, was launched last May.

WICKED WEDNESDAYS

I'm back....

Vacation is over. It’s back to work. Everyone faces that reality at some point or many points in life. However, I got to thinking, what is the perfect place for writing. Actually, what got me thinking was the fact that Erika Chase
was lucky enough to be interviewed by Elizabeth Duncan for her blog. It’s posted now at http://www.elizabethjduncan.com/blog.html

One of her questions was just that –If you could choose anywhere in the world to write your next book, where would it be and why?
I said, Sicily, being still in love with that country – the culture and the scenery, although I have to own up, I never tried writing there.

Having just returned from B.C., I did find an idyllic place to write and I made good use of it, too. Another bit of luck – a timeshare on Victoria’s beautiful inner harbour. I’d glance out the patio doors from both bedroom and living room, out onto the water, the ships at anchor, and a well-used path along the seawall. It certainly helped that the weather was ideal, also.

I could have spent my hours just staring at the scenery, and I was tempted. But it also energized me and as I said, I accomplished a lot, which is a good thing because book #3 is due to my editor on June 1st.

This is not a minor task to complete as I’ve been interrupted by the editor’s edits, a cover conference, pre-publicity for book #1, A Killer Read, a wedding in the Dominican Republic, a book launch, a mystery conference in Bethesda, MD, a mystery festival just outside Pittsburgh, my choir concert, and said trip to B.C. Also coming up, on the fated deadline weekend is Bloody Words in Toronto.

But I’ve discovered that’s a writer’s life. Just when you think you might have a breather (and an actual life), in role the emails and more work appears.

I have also toyed with the idea that next year when I return, it would be great to hook up with a writers' shared office space co-op or some such arrangement. If you know of one, please let me know.

So, thinking about the idyllic place to write is like those mini-vacations I’d hear about at staff development days when I had a regular job. Just sit back, close your eyes, and picture the spot. I’m back in that timeshare. Now that I’ve set the scene…maybe the work will continue to flow.

Maybe.

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase

A KILLER READ
Berkley Prime Crime, now available
READ & BURIED, coming Dec., 2012
www.erikachase.com

TUESDAY BRINGS TROUBLE

Time mangament...what's that?

Only one more day left in February...and that's a gift this year, being a Leap Year. I for one, can certainly make good use of that extra day. It's like turning the clocks back one hour in the fall. One more hour a day -- whoee!

When did life become so hectic? Can't answer that one but each day I hope to gain control again, to set some order to my agenda and become more productive to boot.
So I use lists. The days I don't, I fall behind. It's not like I'm a slave to the list because I often don't even consult it. In fact, I often can't find it which is to say, tidying my desk is always at the top of the list.

It's the act of writing things down that allows me the perception I'm once again in control of the hours. Often, that action also makes the tasks take hold in my memory and I follow through merrily. Who cares if I've skipped #1 and can't find the list anywhere.

Today, being the day before the final day in February, means one more day to make any RRSP contributions for the past year. The fact that I can't remember if I did it when I received my notice of assessment is not a surprise. This happens every year. I need to make a quick call to my financial advisor and all will be dealt with. But it shouldn't come down to this last minute scurrying each and every year.
I should have a master list for the year and address these annual issues as they arise. Of course I should.

And, I should, being aware that when I'm feeling the pressures of finishing a book, realize that's the time the edits from the previous book will arrive in my email mailbox. And they then become the priority.

But that's also the time that more promotional tasks for the earlier book kick in -- like planning the launch, setting up signings, preparing for panels and workshops.

I know all this...right? So why is it the second to last day in February and I'm in a tizzy? I should write that down on my list...item #2 -- get into tizzy mode. Then I can deal with it by losing the list.

Besides, I always work better to deadline. Or so I like saying.

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
A Killer Read coming April, 2012
from Berkley Prime Crime
www.erikachase.com

WICKED WEDNESDAYS

Let the revisions begin!

The end of January coincided with the end of my third book! It sounds dramatic, I know. But I celebrated just a little bit yesterday as I finished the first draft of that book. The one that seemed like I'd never get to the end.

I don't know what it was about this one. Maybe it's more like, what was it about this past fall and early winter? Life seemed to be intruding.... It seemed like there were more appointments (& there were); that more critical events were happening around me and to others who are important to me; and, yes, that I gave in to the call of the frivolous more often than usual.

Book three was there on paper and had been since the start when the editor had asked to see my first three chapters plus proposals for books two and three. I also sent in a synopsis before starting this one. And because of this, I'm now a true believer in that method. It was the synopsis that bailed me out. When I felt overwhelmed and very guilty for not getting on with it, I would read the synopsis and there it was -- my story with a road map that made it easier to write.

Then I got serious with deadlines. I set my own. I had to finish it by Jan. 31st. I work best to short deadlines. And it worked again this time.

So, the relief and the joy are short-lived. Today it's back to reality and the re-writing begins. But this is the fun part (that is, if you're not pulling out your hair because of some obvious problems with timelines, etc.) The writing process continues. Let the revisions begin!

How does the writing process evolve for you -- short bursts of work; sticking to a daily schedule; long-term planning or by the seat of your pants? Enquiring minds want to know!

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
A Killer Read coming April, 2012
from Berkley Prime Crime
www.erikachase.com

TUESDAY BRINGS TROUBLE

Not another cover!

Isn't it funny how things connect sometimes? Like my blog yesterday about the cover conference process. And later in the afternoon what do I receive but an email about the cover conference for book #2 happening next week.

Now, I have to tell you, it's still a thrill to be involved in all this. But what was the plot of book #2? I'm trying to totally immerse myself in the third one. Trying, being the operative word. Oops, should I have admitted that?

So, number two had to do with Christmas, which is timely because it will be published in November, 2012. It's still the Ashton Corners Book Club (or it wouldn't be a series, would it?) and my main characters are still: alive, participating in the book club, or policing the town.

But I have to admit, I haven't given this cover any thought. Why not, I wonder? I knew this would happen at some point. But not at this point.

I'm still in awe of the speed with which the publishing cycle works at Berkley Prime Crime. It's a nine month deadline for each new book. That's because cosy readers really can't wait any longer for the next installment. I know, as a bookseller, I was always hearing customers 'complain' that writers should write faster. After all, there was this massive appetite to feed. But it wasn't only cosy writers they aimed those comments at. It was anyone who dared to write a mystery series.

This is all good, right?

You bet it is! Writers write to be read. Readers read to keep on reading. It's a win-win all around. So, I just have to get my head in gear and multi-task for a few more days (I'm also working on Erika's website). This IS all good.

What about you? Are you in multi-tasking mode? How much of it is self-imposed? Does this make us better writers?

Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
A Killer Read coming April, 2012
from Berkley Prime Crime

TUESDAY BRINGS TROUBLE

Another deadline...egads!

Where does nine months go? It seems that time really does fly when there's a deadline involved. Or perhaps that's just a sign of aging. Or both.

I don't remember time moving so quickly when I was pregnant. Those nine months seemed to drag on, especially through a hot Ottawa summer. I was taking a summer class at the Journalism School at Carleton University during that particular summer

and what I remember most was the combination of intense air conditioning in the lecture theatre squeezed in between the humid heat. Not surprisingly, I got a dandy of a cold and cough. The other thing I remember most is feeling like an elephant...a hot one. But of course, there were the moments when someone would stand on the bus and give me a seat. And grey haired elderly ladies would all smile sweetly at me. As I awaited the birth of my baby boy with much anticipation, it truly was the endless summer.

Not so with this one. It might as well have evaporated. Book #2 in the Ashton Corners Book Club mysteries is due this Friday, just before I leave on vacation. How did that happen? It seems not too long ago, I was delighted to have finished draft #1. Now, after weeks, actually months of re-writes and polishing, my manuscript is about to leave home. I'll give birth and become an empty-nester all at once.

This is quite the writing life. For all the pressures and uncertainty, it's really

quite wonderful. And with each deadline, I am more truly amazed at my writing friends who have been at this so much longer, and especially those with multiple series. That's STAMINA. And determination. And inspiration. And talent.

So, just four more days with the polishing cloth and then, a vacation. During which time, I'll need to start plotting book #3. It's due in 9 months!

How do you handle deadlines -- energized or stressed?


Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
A Killer Read coming April, 2012
from Berkley Prime Crime</b>

WICKED WEDNESDAY

A lot on my brain!

It's one of those mornings -- crisp, cool and conducive to great thoughts or at least, bursts of energy. However, I can't seem to summon either.

I'm not sure why this is the case. I didn't have an overly late night out with friends. Okay, maybe I laughed way to much and that left me tired. But it was worth it. I had a good sleep but awoke sleepy. The morning temps. were ideal for a brisk walk. In fact, it's the most comfortable morning in many a week.

Maybe the problem is my brain. I will, on occasion, have a half-hour reflexology

session, followed by a half-hour of massage therapy. The massage I have on a regular basis to deal with chronic neck pain. The reflexology I started on a whim and although painful (to me), I do believe it's useful. I know my sister believes it helps with her sciatic pain. The concept is basically that areas of your foot are associated with areas of the body and its organs. By gently -- and she assures me, she is gentle -- applying pressure and manipulation, it should ease the problem.

I have also been told, each session, when I almost leap off the table that the tender point in question is associated with the brain. I have 'sore brain'. An interesting thought.

Does that mean it's sore because of over-use? Or are the thoughts so trivial, it's

tired of thinking them? Or, is it out of control, flittering from one concern to the other, not able to focus long enough to deal with the issue and therefore, relax? The answer could be, 'yes' to all the above.

I am assured 'sore brain' does not mean I should rush out and find the closest neurosurgeon. That's a relief!

The main problem is, book #2 is due at the publisher in 1 1/2 weeks. Yikes! That's enough to give anyone 'sore brain', I'd think. So, my prescription to myself is to take the morning off, do some shopping therapy, and tackle the rest of my life later today.

As for this blog, I really wanted to tackle some deep concern or issue in the publishing world...but, sore-y, I have 'sore brain' today.


Linda Wiken/Erika Chase
A Killer Read, coming April, 2012
from Berkley Prime Crime

CRIME ON MY MIND

Deadlines vs clutter!

So, I'm sitting here looking out the window at the sun sparkling on ice-drenched tree branches, snow on roofs as the backdrop. And I'm feeling invigorated. Time to write. With the deadline for sending in my manuscript to the publisher less than a week away, I'm feeling the pressure.

The first draft was finished in August, before I left on my choir trip to Sicily. Since coming back, it's been re-written a couple of times, re-jigged, polished...and still there are those pesky xxx that mark a word or something that escaped me as I've gone through it. Time for deep research skills to come into play.

Another task is finding quotes. Not the cover type -- that will come much later in the process, I'm told. What I'm looking for are quotes from other books that will be placed at the beginning of each chapter. That's what the publisher wants...that's what the publisher will get. But finding them is a major task in itself. Note to self -- check with other Berkley authors who have similar bits at the opening of each chapter. How did they do this -- accumulate while reading all year long? Target certain authors? What's their secret?

I've been learning a lot in this writing process. Major lesson -- keep a running timeline handy as writing. If you have to go back at the end of the first draft to re-construct it, you'll be tearing your hair out. Or, uttering curses under your breath.

Now, I've done the screen edit, the paper edit, the read-aloud edit and am still working on the re-typing edit. This really is work, being a full-time writer. I have nothing but total admiration for those who manage to do it and still work outside the house.

Speaking of the house, I try to avoid looking at my floors these days. It would be so easy to give into the need to tidy the growing paper deluge. When did this start? Why, with new bookcases throughout my house, are the floors in my office once again piled high (in front of said bookcases) with stacks of magazine, newspapers, and books? Some is reference material, but not all. Charlotte Adams, where are you when you're needed?

And I won't even mention the TV room that has Rubbermaid bins of wrapping paper, bows and gift bags haphazardly decorating the floor. Life intrudes. Some Christmas gifts have to be mailed early, you know. How easy it would be to give into the pull to tidy all this clutter up, shove it away, and maybe vacuum. I'd feel virtuous and what better procrastination is there?

Ah, but that deadline's looming. I've always claimed I've worked better going up to deadlines. We'll see. Because as soon as this deadline is over, another starts up. But don't we all love it!

So, who claims to be organized enough to have both a book ready on deadline and a tidy home?


Linda Wiken/Erika Chase