Author: Elizabeth Spann Craig

Hi everybody! Today I’m on action and suspense writer Stephen Tremp’s Breakthrough Blogs, talking a little about my own path to publication. If you’re frustrated with your progress finding an agent or editor and think that there’s a certain order of events to the publication process–think again! Sometimes we end up getting published by a series of flukes and accidents… and slush piles. :)

I also wanted to mention that we’re throwing an anniversary party at Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen this week—it’s a cookout! We’re offering a prize to one lucky commenter every day this week…and a grand prize of a Cuisinart ice cream maker. If it’s as hot where you are as it is where I am then an ice cream maker might come in handy. :)

Hi everybody! Today I’m at fellow Midnight Ink author Alan Orloff’s A Million Blogging Monkeys blog with some thoughts about writing to the market. Should we do it? Does it compromise our artistic side? Hope you’ll pop over and join the discussion. :)

First up, I’m at Mystery Lovers’ Kitchen, celebrating our 1-year anniversary with a cookout. Each day we’re cooking a different course—and I’m in charge of the ribs (go figure!) :)

If your tastes run to humor today, I’ve written a post for the Midnight Ink blog—8 Things No One Told Me About Being a Writer. Hope you’ll pop by!

Update…I’m also interviewed by Sharon today. :) It was to run last week, but there was a technical difficulty. It’s running now at Fresh Fiction.

Thanks, everybody!

Thanks to Terry Odell for guest posting for me today! Terry’s books straddle the mystery and romance genres and you can find out more about them here.

Thanks to Elizabeth for inviting me to usurp her blog today. Although my books are considered romantic suspense, I write them like mysteries, with a little more emphasis on the relationship. If there was such a category, I’d call them mystery-romances. To be honest, I thought I was writing a mystery when I wrote my first book, “Finding Sarah.”

Everyone says, “Write what you know.” Well, obviously it helps to know something about your subject, but research is vital. I toyed with writing a historical romance once—I’d read a few time-travel romances that I’d enjoyed. But I realized I hated history class, and had no knowledge whatsoever of history, so I abandoned that idea…fast.

But with proper research, you can write about the unfamiliar—it’s a matter of knowing what you don’t know, and learning what you need to fit your manuscript.

My latest release, “Nowhere to Hide” has its roots “Finding Sarah.” I thought it would be easier to write about Orlando, where I was living at the time. I’d been pestering my sister in law in Oregon to make sure I got the setting details right. Rather than keep bugging her, I decided Colleen would move to Orlando, where I was more comfortable with the locale. After all, she was going to live in my neighborhood, so if I wanted to know what something looked like, all I had to do was open my front door.

Some things were easier—I knew what plants grew, I knew what the climate felt like, I knew that from my house you can hear the roller coasters at Universal Studios, and I could scope out various locations on my own.

Others things were harder. Why? Because I’d decided that Colleen was going to meet up with an Orlando deputy sheriff. Why? Because ‘only trouble is interesting’ and to give Colleen a reason to move across country, I’d decided she’d had a bad experience on the job as a cop in Oregon. So, who’s the last person she’d want to have to deal with? Another cop.

But all of a sudden I couldn’t get away with making too much stuff up. After all, there was a chance, remote though it might be, that a real member of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office might read the book. I didn’t want them laughing at me.

First, the procedure details had to be right. Back in the small Oregon town I’d made up, I had a small police force, and everyone did everything. But in the large Orange County system, there’s a much bigger division of labor. I had to figure out how I could get my hero to show up where I needed him, and do what I needed him to do without breaking the rules. One thing I learned is that just about everything the cops do is based on making sure it will stand up in court. I couldn’t have my hero be a lousy cop.

I enrolled in the Civilian Police Academy and developed some contacts. One, a former SWAT commander taught fitness classes at the Y where I worked out (and you’ll see scenes set there in the book), and he was kind enough to offer advice and give me a tour of the building. Another contact was a homicide detective, who was always willing to answer my questions—and some of them are so basic, you hate to bother someone, but if my hero was going to work in the building, I needed to know things like, “Are there vending machines?” and “How would he get a fax,” not to mention, “What color are the walls and carpets?”

Of course, there’s always a lag between writing and publication, and for this book, it was several years, and a new publisher. I’d set a rather pivotal scene in a local Thai restaurant (didn’t mind doing the research for that one, and neither did my husband). Readers who go in search of it will find the shopping center where it used to be, but alas, it closed its doors. Since then, two other restaurants have tried to make a go of it there, but there must be trouble with that location. I hope it wasn’t me.

And, I decided that my future books were going to be set in made-up locations, with made up organizations. Preferably close to home, and based on the way things really work, but it’s much easier to create your own procedures when you need something to work for the plot. Because in real life, there are rules.

Terry Odell recently moved from Orlando to the mountains of Colorado where she’s got brand new settings to explore. Writing to the sounds of wildlife instead of roller coasters has proved inspiring. You can visit her at her website. She also loves people to drop by her blog, Terry’s Place.

Here are writing links that I’ve posted to Twitter for the past week. If you’re looking for a particular topic, just plug in your keyword into the search box at the top left-hand corner of the blog (on the black header right above my blog name…next to the Blogger symbol…the small search window is next to the magnifying glass) and the roundup with your subject will come up. To narrow your search down on the page, do a CTRL+F, type your subject, and hit enter.

How to Protect Your Intellectual Property Online: http://dld.bz/myRC

Book Are Not Babies: Should You Post Bad Reviews? http://dld.bz/mHT8 @RoniGriffin

Permission Not to Write: http://dld.bz/myRd

How to read a publishing contract (16): http://dld.bz/msza

Which of ElizabethSCraig’s tweets have been most retweeted since June 1? http://dld.bz/mH3h

Christian Fantasy: More than Tolkien and Lewis: http://dld.bz/msyK

Better blog design: http://dld.bz/msys

What We Can Learn From Literary One-Hit Wonders: http://dld.bz/msyd

Before you submit: http://dld.bz/msxW

In Praise of Harsh Words: http://dld.bz/msxB

Getting Book Reviews: http://dld.bz/msx9

Writers on Writing: X#$!%^&!! http://dld.bz/msx8

When Inspiration Goes Bad: http://dld.bz/msx4

How do you know when a story is finished? http://dld.bz/msxk

6 reasons a premise sentence strengthens your story: http://dld.bz/mswZ

To Prologue or Not to Prologue? http://dld.bz/mswM

Understanding screenwriting: http://dld.bz/msws

How to Beat Writer’s Block By A. Blocked Writer: http://dld.bz/msvF

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: It’s Hot! Cool Off With A Granita http://bit.ly/9Q43HW @kristadavis

When Publishers Do Bad Things: http://dld.bz/mstG

Declutter Your Desktop In 6 Steps: http://dld.bz/mstm

Silencing Your Inner Editor: http://dld.bz/mswK

How to shoot yourself in the foot: http://dld.bz/mswE

Where will bookstores be five years from now? http://dld.bz/msvj

On the Ancient and Secret Art of Formatting: http://dld.bz/msuN

Does your manuscript have a problem that you’re ignoring? http://dld.bz/mCCd

Getting personal–the basics of essay writing: http://dld.bz/msuH

More on working with an agent: http://dld.bz/msuA

Tips For Editing Your Own Novel: http://dld.bz/msu6 @BubbleCow

Cross Training for Writers: http://dld.bz/msuw

Yet More Ways to Blow a Title: http://dld.bz/mstZ

The author background check: Cautionary notes: http://dld.bz/mstS

Best Articles This Week for Writers 7/16/10 (nice roundup): http://dld.bz/mBhT @4kidlit

Breaking the Rules: Using Present Tense in Fiction: http://dld.bz/mBgW @Christi_Craig

What teenagers don’t want from your books…Writing, Publishing, and the Teenager Pt. 2: http://dld.bz/mst6

“Why the hell won’t they review my book?!!!” http://dld.bz/mstu

Do you know an inner character arc from an outer one? http://bit.ly/2ftXB0 @p2p_editor

Can male writers create believable female characters? http://dld.bz/mstg

How to Get an ISBN for Your Ebook: http://dld.bz/mssG

A Primer in Pitching From Agent Scott Eagan: http://dld.bz/mssm

An agent explains the stuff you pay for as an author: http://dld.bz/msrx

How to Massively Improve Reader Participation on Your Blog: http://dld.bz/mssu

10 Steps To Turning Your Blog Into A Bestseller: http://dld.bz/mssq

Keys to writing a successful personal growth book: http://dld.bz/mssz

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Cleo Coyle’s Cool & Creamy Peppercorn & Pecorino Dressing http://bit.ly/baZci1 @kristadavis

Should You Warn Readers When You’re Taking a Vacation from Blogging? http://dld.bz/mrCt

18 things I’ve learned about book marketing from being in the trenches: http://dld.bz/m6AH @HartJohnson

Track Changes Have I Loved: http://dld.bz/mrCE @lizczukas

Tone-Deaf Writing: http://literarylab.blogspot.com/2010/07/tone-deaf-writing.html

The Lasting Appeal of Urban Fantasy: http://dld.bz/mrCn

25 novels you can read on the beach without embarrassing yourself (Huff Post): http://dld.bz/mrCj

When to use a flashback: http://dld.bz/mrBY

Are you your own dream zapper? http://dld.bz/mrBF @TMFproject

Publicity Tips for Authors: Have an Interesting Back-Story! http://dld.bz/mrBw @GalleyCat

They’re just not that into me–the art of rejection: http://dld.bz/mrBq

Bait and switch tactics for writers: http://dld.bz/mrBd

An Agency Intern on Prologue Woes: http://dld.bz/mrAX

Real life vs imaginary characters: http://dld.bz/mrBM

2 Concrete Ways to Keep Your Writing Career Moving Forward (Writer’s Digest): http://dld.bz/mrBR

Roll Up for the Writing Roller Coaster! http://dld.bz/mr9f

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Mexican Cornbread Casserole http://bit.ly/blNlSg @kristadavis

Career Killers: Sloppiness: http://dld.bz/mr9b

Nine Tips for Helping Your Publicist Do a Great Job: http://dld.bz/kWGg

Guidelines for a Writer’s Critique Group: http://dld.bz/mr7T @SylviaDSmith

Everything I know about writing I learned from watching Zombieland: http://dld.bz/myKp @WritingAgain

Tapping Your Muse: How to Find Ideas for Writing: http://dld.bz/kWFF

Are you an outliner or a pantster? The case for and against both approaches: http://dld.bz/my9H @PauloCamposInk

The world’s changed, move on: http://dld.bz/mr7H @annerooney

5 Must Have Online Writing Tools for Freelancers: http://dld.bz/mr7A

Using setting and description creatively: http://dld.bz/mr7v

A writer’s tool for organizing–One Note: http://dld.bz/mr7p

The Art of Query Wars: http://dld.bz/mr6U @Christina_Lee04

“Delicious and Suspicious” hit #29 on Bookscan’s mystery list & 15 on B&N’s, making it a nat’l bestseller.Thanks so much to my readers! :)

Are You Using Your Avatar Correctly to Promote Your Business? http://dld.bz/kWFy

What teenagers want from your books: http://dld.bz/kWER

The birth of a character: http://dld.bz/kWE2

How to Master Setting in Novels: http://dld.bz/kW23

For writers who have clutter: 7 Ways To Stay Grounded by Staying Organized– http://dld.bz/kW2x

Blog Update & 15 Aspects That Might Need Your Attention: http://dld.bz/kW2d

All or nothing thinking–is it killing your writing goals? http://dld.bz/kWzC

Who are we writing for? http://dld.bz/kW2c

Move Over Gutenberg: Will E-Books Spell the End of Paper And Ink? (Huff Post): http://dld.bz/kWzM

How To Live A Better Story: http://dld.bz/kWzW @simplemom

In The Harry Potter Era, An American Fantasy (Huff Post): http://dld.bz/msdK

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Don’t Mess with Texas http://bit.ly/dCZvDl @kristadavis

What SF/F Stories should become Lego Construction Sets? http://dld.bz/mstY

Fresh details surface about fourth book in Stieg Larsson’s Millennium series (Guardian): http://dld.bz/msdE

You can’t kill the undead–why paranormal romance isn’t going anywhere: http://dld.bz/kWxX

Rules for writers? How about–whatever works? http://dld.bz/ms6y @AuthorGuy

Twitter For Blackberry Embraces…Facebook?! http://dld.bz/kWxC

Time for SF and Fantasy to split? http://dld.bz/kWxS

What happens after you’ve typed THE END … : http://dld.bz/mrDn @wordrunner

In world-building, the devil’s in the details: http://dld.bz/msnr @WritingAgain

Success: What Price Does Your Character Pay? http://dld.bz/kWxF

Narrative lessons from improv: http://dld.bz/msjx @hartjohnson

We still need libraries in the digital age (Guardian): http://dld.bz/mrCQ

Creative by not cliched: http://dld.bz/msd7 @JodyHedlund

How to Create an Engaging and Effective Bio Page: http://dld.bz/kWwV

Writing from the inside-out: http://dld.bz/mrCV @CassandraFrear

Buying a book is an investment in your writing career (Huff Post): http://dld.bz/kWx7

10 rules for writers (LA Times): http://dld.bz/mrDa

Blogging for Writing Discipline: http://dld.bz/kWwQ

The Trouble with Dialogue – Part 1: http://dld.bz/kWwN

“I Write Like” Program Compares Your Writing to Famous Authors: http://dld.bz/mrnC @GalleyCat

Revising Tensely: http://dld.bz/kWwv

What do you do when you feel like your platform has stopped growing? http://dld.bz/kWF7

11 Important Elements in a Novel or Memoir: http://dld.bz/kWvX

5 Mistakes New Freelancers Make – Tips for Successful Writing: http://dld.bz/kWvT

How to be a wacky, eccentric writer: http://dld.bz/kWvN

Want More Blog Readers? Try Expanding Your Internet Universe: http://dld.bz/kWvK

Can You Submit the Same Piece to Different Contests? (Writer’s Digest): http://dld.bz/kWvJ

In Defense of Informal Language: http://dld.bz/kWvG @litdrift

8 tips for dealing with an AWOL muse: http://bit.ly/6FC6er @authorterryo

First draft 15: How to deal…or not: http://dld.bz/kWv4

For Writer Insecurity: Strategies to Help Build Your Self Esteem: http://dld.bz/kWvm

How to submit a revised draft to an agent: http://dld.bz/kWvk

5 Easy but Great Post Ideas You Can Write Today: http://dld.bz/kWvg

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Let’s all Veg Out Part 2 http://bit.ly/9PZ9Wt @kristadavis

Living on a Writer’s Salary – 5 Money Tips for Writers: http://dld.bz/kWuP

Making Your Character Their Own Person: http://dld.bz/kWu8 @HeatherMcCorkle

The Top 50 PC Applications for Freelancers: http://dld.bz/kWuz

3 ways relationships can reveal your characters: http://bit.ly/cn3cMy @p2p_editor

An Agent Answers: Is There Still Room in Urban Fantasy? http://dld.bz/kWus

Working Class Heroes: http://dld.bz/kWsn

The name game: http://dld.bz/kJFC

Whatever Works: http://dld.bz/kJF8

Romance readers–do you hide what you’re reading? http://dld.bz/kJF7

One Space Rule: http://dld.bz/kJF5

Keeping It More Real (in fantasy): http://dld.bz/kJF3

Keeping track of your story’s details with style sheets: http://dld.bz/kJFz

Fictional (Fantasy) Cities: http://dld.bz/kJFv

On Writing Fantasy: The Quest for Originality: http://dld.bz/kJEY

Launching your blog? Tips for getting more readers: http://dld.bz/mfxA

Writing an icon: http://dld.bz/kJEX

Beware of blurbs (Salon): http://dld.bz/mfxg

A Writer’s Top Five Tools and Why They Make the List: http://dld.bz/mf3z @WriteChicBlog

Slap dash endings: http://dld.bz/kJE5

Like oil and water–when characters in crime fiction have to deal with people they don’t like: http://dld.bz/mfwD @mkinberg

Writing Short: http://dld.bz/kJDW

For the worn out writer: 21 Easy Ways to Boost and Replenish Your Energy: http://dld.bz/kJDZ

The Force that Powers Persuasive Blog Content (And 3 Ways to Intensify It): http://dld.bz/kJEQ

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Caprese on a Stick http://bit.ly/deTqFE @kristadavis

The Observer and the Observed: Character Descriptions Revisited: http://dld.bz/kJDR

Twitterific–ElizabethSCraig’s tweets from the past week: http://dld.bz/mdhZ

3 Ways To Breathe Life Into Your Fiction: http://dld.bz/kJCS

Show, don’t tell: http://dld.bz/kJCx

Thinking long term about our writing career: http://dld.bz/kJCX

How to Write When You’re Scared Spitless: http://dld.bz/kJCN

Head hopping: http://dld.bz/kJCn

Balancing “I’m just a hack” with “I am an Artist”: http://dld.bz/kJBF

14 Tips For Effective Characterization: http://dld.bz/kJAX

12 Ways to Create a Mailing List that Will Sell Books: http://dld.bz/kJAJ

Tips for working on a project with multiple POVs: http://dld.bz/kJAU

“Do I need an agent?” : http://dld.bz/kJAS

Nap Your Novel Into Existence: http://dld.bz/kJ9T

Becoming a Lean Mean Sales Machine: http://dld.bz/kJ92

Paris: A Moveable Feast That Haunts (Huff Post) : http://dld.bz/kxg9

Style basics for writers (a checklist for revision): http://dld.bz/kxgv

How to Setup Google Calendar on Your iPhone 4: http://dld.bz/kxgk

Conference etiquette: http://dld.bz/kxfY

Knowing Your Process – The How: http://dld.bz/kxfW

Project! The Art of Voice in Fiction: http://dld.bz/kxgd

RANT on Revenge: http://dld.bz/kxgn

Myst. Lov. Kitchen: Welcome Guest Blogger – Karen E. Olson http://bit.ly/bO0zMW @kristadavis

You and Your Publisher: New Best Friends? Not! http://dld.bz/kxfR

3 ways to get unstuck: http://dld.bz/kxf9

Learn to savor the moments in writing: http://dld.bz/kxfF @jimchines

Hope you’ll join me tomorrow when Terry Odell blogs about “Homework Time” for writers.