Six Rivers County

The great thing about writing as well as life is that you can start all over again. Besieged by various life events, illness and depression, the last year has been challenging. Certainly, not life-changing as it has for some of my family and friends, but hard for me to get through. So, here goes. Me starting over. My first as-yet-unborn mystery novel actually grew. I have just finished the last chapter in the second draft. Sam and Mary have discovered a new dimension in their relationship and the over-arching plot of the series is laid down. And I’ve learned a few things on the way to this point. First, having a critique group every week keeps me working. I have a deadline. I need deadlines. That way, I keep writing, even if I don’t always like what I’ve written. I just keep writing. Second, scenes and chapters I’ve written usually go over better with others than they do with me. Of course, I have not shown them to my husband. He’s too close...

My efforts to keep my blog current fall way short. However, I do want this as part of my platform. You know. So I can impress agents and publishers that I have an on-line presence. The most important part, I keep hearing, is to be consistent. I'm trying to do that and still have time to smooth out that first draft. Smoked drives me most days. The pre-marketing I should be doing nags me while I'm working. And vice versa. If I were more disciplined, this book would be out there looking for readers already. Still, I hear other writers talk about their work schedules, and they teach me that everyone does it however they can. So, what I find that is important to me is just to keep going however I can get it done. What has been your experience? Speaking of discipline. Mary Fletcher, Smoked' s female protagonist, has a fetish for chocolate. She keeps a stash in her desk drawer at work, and turns to the dark bitter-sweet confection whenever she feels anxious. In fact, at o...