Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

I was basically out traveling for almost two weeks. But—I still had writing to do.

Actually, while I was gone, I had a call from my agent. I had revision requests on a project I’m working on and she suggested I knock them out in two weeks. That meant that half of that time I would be on the road while working on the edits.

I’ve always been able to work while I’m gone—but I’m not nearly as productive when I’m traveling as when I’m home.

So this is what I did—and I thought it might help y’all out if you’re on a deadline for a manuscript (either self-imposed or editor-imposed) or are needing to work on edits like I was.

First of all I figured out what I needed to work on. With a manuscript, this could mean that you tell yourself you want to write one particular chapter or one particular scene (if you’re jumping around as you write. So you could choose to write the book’s ending, etc.) With my edits, I printed out the editor’s revision requests so I could have them handy and think about what they wanted done.

Next I spent my road time (this could be time driving on a highway, or flying on a plane, or riding on a train) thinking about the action in a particular scene, or a particular character that I needed to develop in a different way, etc. Here in the States, we have miles and miles of really, really boring highway driving where the scenery rarely changes. The kids were both watching movies in the car with their headphones, and it gave me an amazing expanse of time (about 7 hours) to just think.

During the time I spent brainstorming the requested plot changes and character tweaks, I found that I really started getting more of a handle on my characters and getting better acquainted with them.

If you’re driving, like I was, then writing on paper isn’t really the best thing to do. :) I downloaded a voice recording feature onto my phone (most phones have a voice recorder, I think…or you could just leave a really LONG message on your home answering machine!) and whenever I got ideas, I spoke them into the voice recorder. The kids were totally wrapped up in their movie and oblivious (which was good, since I’d gotten a revision request to change my killer and I was mulling over the murder and red herrings and clues!)

If you’re riding on a plane or train, paper or your computer would work really well to jot down the ideas you have. I always think I’m going to remember my brainstorming sessions—but I never do.

When I got to our destination, I put everything aside until it was time for me to turn in (since I was there to visit family.) So there may not be the perfect time to just excuse yourself and write, but you can always turn in 20-30 minutes before you’re totally exhausted and get some writing done then.

But to be productive during such a short time, it really does help to plan ahead and know what you’re going to write for that evening.

Although being away from home does sometimes tire me out, I found that it was also really inspiring being in a different place with different people keeping different hours doing different things. Maybe shaking myself out of my usual routine was a good way to really stir up my imagination…and deadlines have a way of doing that, too!

Have you written while on the road this summer? Have any tips?

It’s so good to be back and blogging again! I missed it more than I’d thought—and especially missed visiting with all of y’all!

It’s been a busy couple of weeks, starting out with the book tour and then ending up by catching up with family in Alabama and South Carolina—and my daughter’s 9th birthday and subsequent party.

One thing that’s been different from other trips out of state is that I was more plugged in than usual.

I’ve always traveled with my laptop, but usually didn’t connect unless I was at a coffee shop or library.

But now I’ve got a smart phone—the Droid. And, as I’m discovering, it looks like it can do practically anything. Am I lost? (And I had my lost moments on the book tour.) Not for long– I’ve got GPS on the phone and call ask the phone where my destination is. Should I plan outdoor activities tomorrow? Check the weather on the phone. Should I go home and leaf through all the ads in the Sunday paper to find out who has the best deal on school supplies? No…just check it on the phone.

In fact, in a short period of time, my list of things to do has shrunk because I’m getting instant information.

And, boy, does this have a downside.

In the past, when I’ve needed to get some writing done, I’ve escaped—to a place with no Wi-Fi. That way I couldn’t check emails, Twitter, Facebook, the news, or blogs.

Now, there is no escape.

Which means it’s down to me and self-discipline. And my self-discipline varies from day to day. Especially with this devilish distraction in my pocketbook.

I’m thinking I should go back to super-scheduling my time just until I get caught back up and back into the groove again. And, when I’m not working on a couple of deadlines, maybe it won’t matter if I mess around with my phone from time to time.

So, since I’m a list-making and schedule-following junkie, here is my plan:

5:00 a.m.ish: Check emails, but I’m only scanning for really alarming subjects like “Guest Post Today?!” or calendar reminders.

Then start writing. (And make sure the kids are fed, packed up, dressed appropriately, and carpooled to school.)

After I write, I can make sure that Blogger hasn’t eaten my blog post du jour, that Twitter is running on schedule (I tweet ahead) and that I’ve got some sort of a blog post to run the next day.

And probably then read and reply to emails—which does usually take a little time.

And I’ll put my phone wayyyyy across the room. And turn off the internet on my laptop.

Are any of you getting even more distractions in your life? How are you dealing with them?

I’ve hesitated doing this, since I’m a creature of habit and I’ve blogged every day since May 1 2009. :) But looking at my schedule, where I’m coming back from the book tour and then visiting with family and celebrating family birthdays—and going to open houses at my children’s schools—I’m thinking that I will take a blogcation until Wednesday, August 25th.

Until then…Happy Writing, everybody!

Besides this blog, I’m on a few group blogs: Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen (Berkley Prime Crime mystery authors and our recipes), Inkspot (for Midnight Ink authors), Killer Characters (where cozy writers’ characters have taken over the blog), and A Good Blog is Hard to Find (Southern authors).

I love my own blog and feel like it’s my own little front door to the online world. But it’s also fun being part of a group blog of other writers. You have a chance to connect with them (Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen and Inkspot both connect to their members through a closed Yahoo Group—Good Blog uses email) and really develop some online friendships. Plus, you’re getting more online exposure for your writing on another venue—and, depending on the size of the group, you’re not blogging every day.

If you decide to go that route, this is how the ones I’m on usually work:
Everyone has the ability to make changes on the blog and author posts.

Usually, though, there’s one person who is mostly in charge of the design of the blog. We usually run any changes on the blog by them first…otherwise it’s sort of a “too many cooks spoiling the stew” scenario. Major design changes should be decided by the group, though.

If you have a week’s worth of members on the blog, everyone has an assigned day of the week. I know I’m up every Thursday on Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen. If you have a month’s worth of members, then everyone has a day of the month…I’m up on the 10th of each month on Killer Characters. Otherwise, the schedule needs to be emailed out each time—usually 5-6 weeks of schedule at a time. Most of the time, this will work out—but sometimes writers will forget their day on the larger group blogs.

Saturdays are usually not popular with writers for posting. It’s thought to be a day that gets less blog traffic (although I haven’t actually noticed this to be true.) Sometimes, rotating out Saturday duties is nice. And some blogs that I’m on actually leave weekends out of the mix…they’ll either have a guest blogger scheduled or will have PR news or announcements from group members posted on those days.

You’re expected as a group member to support the other members by commenting on their blog posts at least every few days.

You’ll be expected to respond to comments on your day.

Promoting the group blog on social media like Facebook and Twitter is also really appreciated.

Trading out guest posts with other group blogs is a nice way to get cross-exposure for both groups.

Have you thought about forming a group blog or asking to join one?

And again, my apologies for being offline more often than not as I’m on my book tour.

Hope you’ll joining me in welcoming Wendy Lyn Watson to Mystery Writing is Murder today. Wendy is a fellow mystery writer and a friend of mine from the Killer Characters blog. Scoop to Kill releases September 7.

First, I want to thank Elizabeth for letting me hang out on her blog today. So many generous writers have helped me over the years (and continue to help me every dang day), so it’s nice to get a chance to pay it forward now and then.

The first time I sat down to hammer out a manuscript (a historical romance), I made a ton of rookie mistakes. One of the biggest was the endless parade of secondary characters I had strolling through the pages. Much of the action of the book took place at a country house party in Georgian England. Between guests and the cadre of servants waiting on them, that meant there’d be a lot of people around.

Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t give every last one a name and back story. But whenever I needed something to happen to my hero or heroine–someone to say something cutting to the heroine, bring the hero a note on a silver salver, or interrupt the couple in a romantic embrace–I created someone new. There’s Mary, the maid of all work, who showed up in Chapter 12 and was never seen again. Lady H who destroyed the heroine’s self-confidence at a musicale and then dropped off the planet. You get the idea.

I’ve come a long way (I hope), and I’ve learned to pare down the roster of characters considerably. But I still struggle with the occasional hanger-on. In fact, I think the challenge is particularly great for mystery writers for two equal but opposite reasons. First, characters are often the conveyers of clues. More clues equals more characters (really, it’s just simple math). But once a character does his job and conveys important information to the sleuth, it’s hard to waste precious words on him. Second, because we do love our quirky townsfolk, it’s hard to resist the urge to create a role for every oddball person we dream up.

When these two forces combine, you end up with tons of characters who pop in for a scene and then disappear, causing confusion to your readers and sapping a lot of the tension from your story.

I learned a great trick for weeding out unnecessary characters in a writing class I took a few years ago. It’s primarily for main characters, and it’s known as “the spaghetti bowl.” Identify the six to ten most important characters in your story and write their names in a circle around the perimeter of a piece of paper. Now, draw lines connecting each character to every other character. (This is where the “spaghetti” image comes from; visually, it’s a mess.)

Now, on each of those lines, identify the relationship between the characters. That’s right, every single pair. And here are the rules:

(1) If there isn’t a relationship between two characters, you either need to cut a character or make a relationship. No obvious connection between the butcher and the Sunday school teacher? Maybe they’re having an affair. Or maybe they dated in high school, and he’s never gotten over her. This will increase the tension in your story and add layers of motivation and intrigue.

(2) If two characters are fulfilling the same role in the story, one of them has to go. Your sleuth has two brothers, they’re both cops, and they both give her grief for throwing herself in harm’s way? One of the brothers must go. In the alternative, you can make the brothers different: perhaps one gives her grief while the other eggs her on. Aha, now the brothers are like the angel and devil on your sleuth’s shoulder, and they’re both pulling their weight.

For your minor characters (the ones with names), identify what each one adds to the story. It may be a clue or a bit of insight into a main character. But whatever it is, each named character should do at least 3 things for your story. If a character pops on scene to provide one piece of information and then disappears? She gets the ax. Or, in the alternative, give her two more tasks. This will add richness to the story and make even your minor characters seem more alive.

We write mysteries, and we’re going to have a lot of characters. But each one needs to earn his or her keep. Put them to work to make your story stronger.

Wendy Lyn Watson
I SCREAM, YOU SCREAM – Oct. 2009, NAL
SCOOP TO KILL – Sept. 2010, NAL
www.wendylynwatson.com
www.killercharacters.com
www.facebook.com/iscreamyouscream