FAQs

Q: Where do you get your ideas?

A: I take ordinary events and imagine how things can go horribly wrong. For example, when a friend told me that her oral surgery included the insertion of ground-up cadaver bone, my mind went instantly to the donation being cursed by the ghost of a murder victim. Within a week, I had completed the first draft of “Bone Deep.” Pessimism is a mystery author’s best tool!

Q: Why write short stories?

A: The ability to finish a first draft in as little as a week helps keep me motivated and makes it easier for others to enjoy the work in a single sitting. It is also easier to edit and improve 5,000 words at one time than 100,000.

Q: Do you like your short stories or novels more?

A: Which of your children do you like best? Seriously, I like different things about each, just as readers do. In short stories, I can have a feeling of accomplishment faster. But in the novels, I get to to spend more time with my characters, slowly discovering details about who they are and what drives them to make their particular decisions.

Q: What is your writing process like?

A: Some authors will tell you they are plotters (plan out the story first) and others will say they are pantsers (figure it out as they go). For me, it shifts as I progress. I rarely know where a story will go when I begin, but I’ve usually figured it out before I am a third of the way through. I then have to go back to the start and make changes to match my vision for the tale.

Q: What is your editing process like?

A: Insane. For a short work, after the first draft, I’ll read the story about ten times, changing things both large and small. When I think I’m done, I’ll send it to a fellow author who reads that draft and tells me what she sees as weak spots. I’ll fix those, then send the story to a critique group. Based on their feedback, I’ll make new fixes, then send the story to another group of authors, where I’ll get a different style of feedback. After making the final revisions, I’ll submit the story to a magazine or anthology, where an editor may ask for new changes before it ever gets published. With a novel, the process is similar, but with some of the critiques happening chapter-by-chapter and others with a review of the full book.

Q: Why are your protagonists so different from each other?

A: The protagonist will have the personality the story requires, and each story requires something different. For example, when I decided to write a science fiction story, I imagined a mystery from the AI’s point of view—how would it handle being a sleuth hampered by protocols? Another time, I asked myself what would a cat do if he was seeking justice for a crime? On one occasion, I wanted to try a story where the protagonist was the killer—I needed to hide that fact from the reader while making sure that every word the protagonist thought and spoke was the truth, which affected how the character was designed.

Q: How can I become a mystery writer too?

A: Read as much as you can. Seriously. And when you’re ready to work on your craft, join a society of writers. I am a member of Mystery Writers of America, several chapters of Sisters in Crime and also the Short Mystery Fiction Society. I would not have been nearly as successful without the generous support of fellow writers, especially those in my critique groups.