The writing life: Doubt, joy, and the importance of good friends

Writer extraordinaire first ran this interview on her blog, but she gave me permission to reprint it. It was so much fun, I couldn't resist:

Caroline: I first met Clea Simon on this writing site we both frequented. I really liked the funny, smart way she was presenting her ideas, but more than that, I was thrilled that she was the author of Fatherless Women, a book I loved. We became friends online first, and then began to manage to see each other once a year. I read more of her books and loved all of them. We go to each other's readings, we do a daily email check in, we boost each other up and cajole and nag and talk about everything from writing to money to morale--honestly, I depend on Clea and I don't know what I'd do without her.

I'm thrilled she has two absolutely terrific, smart new mysteries out, with another coming out next year--and I'm even more thrilled she's here on my blog. Big hugs and thanks, Clea!


Writing is a lonely business, which is one reason I’m so lucky to have Caroline as a writing buddy. She and I email each other all the time, complaining of plot complications that won’t be resolved. Character flip-flops that caught us unawares, and inevitable insecurities of the wait, when the agent, the editor, the reviewer reads our work. Sitting here, alone in my office, I don’t know how I’d get my work done if it weren’t for friends like Caroline.

But even as we bat our anxieties back and forth, and she reassures me that, yes, after thirteen books, maybe I am a “real” writer, I’ve become increasingly aware of a major difference between us. You see, for the past few years, I’ve been writing series mysteries. Specifically, I am now writing two series for two different publishers: the Dulcie Schwartz mysteries, which feature a graduate student in Gothic literature, who happens to get visits from the ghost of her late cat, and the Pru Marlowe pet noirs, which feature a tough-girl animal behaviorist who can hear what animals are thinking (and has an even tougher tabby as a sidekick). This month, I’ve got the two newest books in each series out – Grey Expectations (Severn House) is the Dulcie, Cats Can’t Shoot (Poisoned Pen) is the Pru. Next year, when Caroline’s next book will be out, I may have three.

Crazy, isn’t it? Caroline and I go through so many of the same processes – the electric thrill of inspiration, the crazed zone of furious writing, the doubt, and the joy – but these days, I seem to be doing it double time. And so when she and I talked about what I could guestblog about, I thought that writing series might be a good topic, and she obliged by asking me some questions.

What is your schedule this year?
I’m actually writing three books right now. Severn House decided they wanted my Dulcies to come out a little more frequently, and they contracted me for two more. How could I say no? But I also had the last in my three-book Pru contract due, so... I turned in the manuscript for the fifth Dulcie, True Grey, last month, and am awaiting edits. I am now finishing up Parrots Prove Deadly, the third Pru book, which is due in June, and when I’m done with that, I have another Dulcie due Sept. 1. What I’m hoping is that going over the edits for True Grey will get me back in the Dulcie mindset and remind me of the threads I left hanging. (I also have pretty good notes.)

How do you get it all done?
I’ve had to become super disciplined. I don’t outline, I find it kills creativity, but I do have a good idea of the direction of each book. And I make myself write at least a certain number of words each day. The good part is, when I’m writing regularly (1,500 or 2,000 words a day is standard for me), I find the ideas keep coming. The problem is that sometimes I get so caught up I lose track of time. Over the winter, there were many days when I did not get outdoors during daylight. And I’ve learned to keep a portable egg timer with me. Too often, I’d put up something for dinner and not heard the timer down in the kitchen going off. We had many scalded pots and acrid artichokes before I started carrying my little egg timer back up to my office with me.

Do you worry about repeating yourself?
Yes, I’m terrified of it. But there is so much out there, so many possibilities, that what usually happens is that I run into something that I think I can use and I can’t fit it in. And I rely on happy accidents: I was having Pru work with a raccoon and it hit me: She gets that close to a wild animal, it’s going to bite her. Suddenly, I was researching rabies and rabies vaccines, and my book was going off in a whole different direction.
Both your protagonists are so different. Is it difficult to switch voices?
Yes, I need a little rest time between. When I’m writing Pru, as I am right now, I think of Dulcie as a wimp. Naïve and silly. But when I’m in a Dulcie book, I adore her, and I think of Pru as an unsympathetic bitch. At some level, it’s probably good for me to explore both these characters!

What are the other challenges of writing series books on deadline?
I’m terrified of what I might miss. I force myself to be hypervigilant when I’m revising, and I am extremely grateful both to my small, core group of readers and my editors for their input. But still, in Cats Can’t Shoot, there was a stupid gun error – I don’t even want to repeat it – in the ARC. A reader caught it, and I was able to make the change before the printed version, but that’s what gives me nightmares. I try to write freely and wildly, but I have to be extra careful in every stage of revisions, because there’s just no time.

Yikes! Are there advantages?
Yes, indeed! I love my characters, and I love watching them grow and change from book to book. Relationships are developing and changing. All sorts of stuff that really has no connection to the mystery in each book, but is deeply gratifying to me. Plus, I get to avoid that post-book post-partum depression. I know I’ll see these folks again soon.

Still, you must have some pet peeves?
Oh, I do. It still amazes me how many people look down on mysteries– they say they’re “just” mysteries, not “real books” – like mysteries are automatically a lower form of writing. Yes, I write quickly, but I revise carefully – and writing slowly is no guarantee of quality. When you’re in the zone, you’re in the zone. That said, I’ve written more serious books, nonfiction, and this is what I want to be doing now, so I try not to let that get to me (too much).

Sounds like I should let you get back to it!
It was lovely to take a break with you, Caroline! Thanks so much for letting me talk about the series side of writing. – Clea

Excerpts from Clea’s books may be found on her website, at http://www.cleasimon.com

This ran originally on Carolineleavittville at http://carolineleavittville.blogspot.com/2012/04/clea-simon-talks-about-cats-cant-shoot.html

Where do you get your ideas?

People often ask where I get my ideas. Now I have a perfect story to tell them!

Last week, I sent an advance reading copy (bound galley) of "Probable Claws" off to a woman who runs a website on cozy mysteries. This week, I followed up to make sure she had gotten it. She responded that she had, but because it was sent via media mail it had been opened and inspected by the US Postal Service. Wonderful woman that she is, she asked why.

She was told that everything that is sent via media mail is X-rayed, for starters. And, I quote:

"I asked the lady at the post office and she said if there's anything in "media mail" that doesn't belong (like drug-impregnanted paper,which, she says, is a problem), the feds return it to the sender."

Which blows my mind. First of all, that drug-impregnated paper is common enough to be a problem. And also that they send it back.

You know this is going to show up in a book at some point.

and... here's my latest review for the San Francisco Chronicle. Nina Killham's "Believe Me."

Holiday Message from Roy Blount Jr.

I've been talking to booksellers lately who report that times are hard. And local booksellers aren't known for vast reserves of capital, so a serious dip in sales can be devastating. Booksellers don't lose enough money, however, to receive congressional attention. A government bailout isn't in the cards.

We don't want bookstores to die. Authors need them, and so do neighborhoods. So let's mount a book-buying splurge. Get your friends together, go to your local bookstore and have a book-buying party. Buy the rest of your presents, but that's just for starters. Clear out the mysteries, wrap up the histories, beam up the science fiction! Round up the westerns, go crazy for self-help, say yes to the university press books! Get a load of those coffee-table books, fatten up on slim volumes of verse, and take a chance on romance!

There will be birthdays in the next twelve months; books keep well; they're easy to wrap: buy those books now. Buy replacements for any books looking raggedy on your shelves. Stockpile children's books as gifts for friends who look like they may eventually give birth. Hold off on the flat-screen TV and the GPS (they'll be cheaper after the holidays) and buy many, many books.

Enjoy the holidays.

Roy Blount Jr.
President, Authors Guild

Can we make Musetta a saint?

OK, it's sort of old news, but according to Galleycat, the "I Can Haz Cheezburger" guy, Martin Grodin, has a book deal. What is new is that he's created an open source site for people who want to create a LOLCats Bible and publish it. For all those scholarly LOL kitties out there.


see more crazy cat pics

No, the above is not a record of Musetta's misspent youth.

A woman must have a code

Love food. Didn't love this book. And, to file under "I refuse to let 'The Wire' die," loved this. Are we in denial yet?

Theda #4

Well, folks, after much soul searching (and bugging of friends, relatives, and total strangers), I am happy to announce the working title of Theda Krakow mystery #4: PROBABLE CLAWS.

This title, suggested independently by both Phil Mann and Rob Chalfen though what became an avalanche of emails (and a lot of fun) has narrowly beaten out THE SOUND AND THE FURRY, HISS OF DEATH, and BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG KITTY. All of which make me smile.

Of course, titles are really up to my publisher, but I'm going to lobby for PROBABLE CLAWS. And at least I have something to put on my ongoing work-in-progress besides "Theda4."

If all goes according to plan, look for the new Theda in early spring, '09. And now, back to work.

Cats & puns & rock & roll?

Hi, my name is Clea and I need help.

I am addicted to puns and literary references. It probably started back when my father first handed me a wooden quarter-sized disc with the letters TUIT on it. "Have you ever said you'll do something when you can get a round to it? Now you have one!" He'd smile at this point and point out the obvious: "It's a Round Tuit!" Maybe it's genetic.

The condition continued with my last nonfiction book, "The Feline Mystique," a play on "The Feminine Mystique." And I've certainly indulged it with my mysteries: "Mew is for Murder" plays (or is supposed to play) on both "Murder in the Mews" and "M is for Murder." "Cattery Row," which does in fact deal with catteries, on "Cannery Row," and my new "Cries and Whiskers" on Bergman's great "Cries and Whispers."

But, you see, now I'm having problems. I'm deep into Theda #4, and I haven't yet come up with a good title. Something that immediately says both "cat" and "great work of art" (I'm being somewhat facetious here). If it also says "murder" or "mystery," so much the better. I've been playing with "Claws of Death," or some other claws/clause pun (I'm a former copy editor). But do you have any ideas? "Gimme Shelters"? "Whisker to a Scream"? (Sadly, "Whisker of Evil" has already been used.)

Come on, how much worse can yours be? If I use yours, I'll not only send you a signed book, I'll thank you in the acknowledgments of Theda #4, Title TBA.

Library cats

It must be something in the air. I guest blogged over at Jungle Red today in praise of libraries. And then I heard that another blog was starting a "library cat" blog, the idea being to solicit library cat stories for an e-book celebrating National Library Week this spring, April 13-19. No pay, but a nice way for writers – even unknowns – to get a little exposure. I mean, cats... books... what's not to like? At any rate, when A Library Cat's owner, Marisa D'Vari and I chatted, she offered to write "a little something," which includes an interview with her own feline bibliophile, Apricat:

Love cats? Love mysteries?

My name is Apricat and I convinced my human to create a blog called A Library Cat, and on it, collect stories of all of us felines who love to hang out in libraries and read books.

Of course, we don’t really “read” … personally, I prefer to curl up on top of a good book and simply absorb what it has to say. Personally, I visit the New York Public Library on fifth avenue every day. I like to see the lions in front of the Library (a symbol of the cat kingdom, even though they are inferior creatures) and like to give motivational talks to the stray and street cats in the area. My human is forcing me to say that my favorite books are Building Buzz: How to Reach and Impress Your Target Audience, and Creating Characters: Let Them Whisper Their Secrets, [both by Marisa - ed.note] but I prefer to read about the way people worshipped cats in ancient Egypt. Clea Simon and Musetta have invited me to interview my human about why she created this blog.

Q: Marisa (I always call my human by her first name) why did you create A Library Cat?
A: National Library Week 2008 is celebrated (April 13-19). It was created by the American Library Association in 1958, and is a reminder for people to visit and support their local libraries.

Q: Why are you asking cats to submit their library reading experiences?
A: As you said, Apricat, Cats love to absorb information – you are a curious species! Just like you love to read my books at the New York Public Library, other cats around the United States like to read books their humans have written personally or enjoy reading. Some cats just like to read books about other cats.

Q: What are you doing with the stories?
A: People can write stories under 500 words (see guidelines below) and send them to me in an email at mailto:cat@alibrarycat.com I will post them on the web. Then, about a month before National Library week, I will turn the stories into an ebook and make them available for a free download. People will find out about the download via press releases I will write to call attention to the holiday and the Library cat ebook.

Q: Why would cats (or their humans) want to participate?
A: If the cat or human has a web site or book to promote, I include live links to Amazon or their web site. The links will be live in the ebook as well.

Here are the guidelines:

Marisa D’Vari is collecting fun stories of under 500 words about what books your cat would read if allowed to spend the day browsing at your local library. Stories must include the name and a descriptor of your local library, and the title of the book your cat would read. And hey, if the cat happens to read the book you wrote, so much the better. A link to Amazon or your web site will appear in the header (see example below) and the text. An ebook of the stories will be put into a ebook to help celebrate National Library Week 2008(April 13-19), a holiday created by the American Library Association, and available for a free download from A Library Cat site. I will send out the press releases to promote the ebook and web featuring your story/links closer to National Library Week. Here is a sample of how Cynthia Baxter, author of "The Reigning Cats & Dogs Mystery Series" (Bantam Books) submitted her story.

Questions? Contact cat@alibrarycat.com

When your book comes out, your life changes...

Right?

Well, that's what I used to think and it is what a lot of aspiring novelists think. And so, since I teach writing at the UCLA Extension School (yup, I'm in New England – I do it online), I blogged today on the UCLA Writers' Program blog about what it feels like when those boxes arrive – and what you can look forward to!

On a lighter side, one of the lovely things about being published is that other people interview you and you get to just sit back. Sandra Parshall (a wonderful mystery writer herself!) did that for me today on her blog Poe's Deadly Daughters and local freelancer Rachel Lebeaux did me the honors in this week's Cambridge Chronicle. Thanks, folks!

On another note entirely:
My review of a wonderful book, Farewell, Shanghai just ran in the San Francisco Chronicle. Not crime fiction, but an exquisite, involving World War II story.


And finally... a week late, but how can I resist?

Bragging on my buddy (Boston rock)

OK, full disclosure: Brett Milano is a friend. But I'm still wowed and impressed by his new book, The Sound of Our Town, a history of Boston rock. Through lively anecdotes, interviews, and lots of fun facts, he re-creates the history of our little scene, from its now-forgotten doo-wop days, through the "Bosstown Sound" and the glory days of the Rat, up to the present. And the party the packed the Middle East club on Saturday gave us a ton of living examples, from Mickey Clean and Peter Wolf (of J. Geils fame) through Lizzie Borden, Barrence Whitfield, the Lyres, the Nervous Eaters, and more. By the time John Felice (of The Real Kids) took the stage to sing "All Kindsa Girls" with the Shods, I was overwhelmed. What a party! What a book!


And just in case you want to read some unbiased reports, here are the stories in The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald, and the excerpt that ran in The Boston Phoenix.

Congratulations, Brett! (Oh yeah, and Brett has a Maine coon cat. As far as I know, he has no criminal connections, though.)

Not exactly crime fiction...

although there are several murders in this collection. But for once, considering the author's tendencies, I am truly grateful there are no cats among these 16 short stories! In case you can't tell from my Boston Globe review, I preferred Faber's novel, "The Crimson Petal and the White." But as I read more of his work, I have begun to think this fat, fun novel was an anomaly.

World Literary Day!

Thanks to Oline Cogdill, who used her great books blog to alert us to World Literary Day – Today! Oline is the crime fiction critic for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, and she shares the blog with fellow critic Chauncey Mabe, chatting on a variety of topics about books, the literary life, publishing and more.


So how to celebrate? Read a book, today! (Though if you're here, you probably read at least a little every day.) Re-read an old favorite, and think about why you love this or that book so. Share a book with a friend.

How else to celebrate? Oline suggests sending a book to a serviceman or woman overseas, an idea I second. I'd also send out a little love to your local public library. Where else can you get the world, for free? Think about volunteering or making a donation. At least, thank a librarian today, in any way feasible. (I just finished a short story for a fund-raising and celebratory anthology to be published when my local public library finally finishes its renovations. I cannot wait! And, yes, I'll publish it here if they give me the ok.)