One Day at a Time
My journey as a mystery fiction writer began with an adult education course. That’s where I learned storytelling basics and met people who would end up forming my first writers group.
While I was in the process of writing my first novel, I happened to find a book called How to Write Killer Fiction by Carolyn Wheat. This spelled out the characteristics of a mystery story versus a suspense or thriller story.
Years ago, I attended my first Austin Film Festival, after taking a Women in Film and Video workshop about indie movie producing. It was in Austin that I heard director Frank Darabont say that if you want to write screenplays and work in the movie business, you should try to get work on a film set. This is why I decided to volunteer my services as a production assistant this past weekend.
Part of deciding what to write and publish involves thinking about who you’re writing for. Even though writing is a personal process, a professional writer doesn’t create work in a vacuum. The whole point is to develop a readership or what many would refer to as your tribe.
This week’s video is the third I’ve done about writing tips. In this case, I focus on whether one should write for “the market” or focus more on developing your own tribe or readership.
This week, I have recommended reading for your consideration. As part of my research for the novel I’m currently working on, I’ve been reading about female soldiers who served in Iraq. This led me to read The Lonely Soldier, a work of non-fiction by Helen Benedict.
When I saw that the author had published a novel based on her research for that book, I felt compelled to read that, too. I’m so glad I did.
It’s a question every writer hears. “Where do you get your ideas?” Or some variation on that.
The answer, of course, is The Idea Store. Not to be confused with IKEA. 🙂