I write mysteries because it’s the genre I most enjoy reading even though I have a fair share of biographies, historical fiction, and sports-related books in my personal library. But if I’m settling down to read for pure enjoyment, you can bet it’s a mystery or a thriller in my hands. I like reading books written by Michael Connelly, C. J. Box, Craig Johnson, Lee Child, and others so much that I wanted to write that type of story. Don’t get me wrong: I would never compare myself to them, but their influence is undeniable.
I vividly remember reading Robert Ludlum’s The Bourne Identity. It was the first book I can recall not being able to put down. I bought it in a New York City bookstore one afternoon.I started it on the train ride to Philadelphia and stayed up all night reading until I had finished it. I don’t know, but maybe that experience planted a seed in my brain that if I did ever become an author, I wanted readers to feel that way about my book.
Am I a plotter or a pantser? Honestly, I must admit I had to look “pantser” up. When I did, I identified more with the description of a “pantser” than a “plotter.” Historically, I have started with a concept or an idea. For example, Song Girl began with the thought of writing an entire mystery revolving around a character that, after a freak accident, could only speak in song lyrics. That inspiration started me down the path of the story. The road to writing the book took dozens of twists and turns, stops and starts, and doubling back to eliminate one detour and proceed down another. I have written five books and am currently working on number six. I have never started with an outline of any kind, let alone attempted to follow such a process. Instead, I have an idea then I take that idea and create a beginning to the story and what I feel like will be the logical conclusion to the tale. All the “stuff” that comes in the middle sometimes surprises even me. And more often than not, the ending that I thought was logical changes because of what I came up with along the way.
I’ve read writer’s advice about sitting down in the same place at the same time every day and writing, but I’ve never followed that advice. For me, the writing comes in spurts, urged on by an idea or a thought or a phrase, that comes to mind. There will be stretches of days, even weeks, at a time during which I don’t even open the document. But there are also many days when I’m inspired to write and will spend hours upon hours, day after day, in my office writing and rewriting the manuscript. I guess that makes me the definition of a “pantser.”
I am hopeful this gives your readers a little bit of insight into my writing process, and I thank you for allowing me to share my thoughts with you and them.
Amazon Link: Song Girl: A Mystery in Two Verses
Thanks so much for hosting Keith!