Lea Wait's Blog, page 273

A Vibrant Tapestry of Contentment

Bigelow Range

Bruce Coffin: A few weeks back, I spent a glorious sun-filled autumn day hiking in the western part of Maine along the Bigelow Mountain Range. The route I’d picked allowed me to cross yet another section of the legendary Appalachian Trail off my list. I’ve been tallying up sections as I complete them, determined to walk every inch of the 282 miles of trail running through the Pine Tree State. While Maine can only lay claim to about twelve percent of the entire trail, it possesses some of the most picturesque and rugged terrain to be found among the thirteen states through which the AT passes.

As always, I try and plan the majority of my fall treks during the height of foliage season, when deciduous trees dress up like starlets at a Hollywood premier and forests resemble an artist’s pallet. Maples are cloaked in breathtaking hues of orange and crimson, while oaks, elms, and birches don magnificent lemony yellows and golds. Warm autumn colors brilliantly juxtaposed with the cooler blue-green shades of pine, hemlock and spruce.

Bigelow Foliage

It’s difficult to convey in words the thrill that comes from lacing up a pair of well-worn boots and heading out into the Maine wilderness. Hiking during any season of the year can inspire, but autumn even more so. Dawn arrives, crisp and invigorating. Fallen leaves, coated with frost, blanket the path before me. The sun gradually warms the air as woodland creatures scamper about, and distant foothills morph from lavender into a fiery patchwork under cerulean skies. The scent of balsam, conjuring wonderful holiday memories, overpowers each breath. Roots, crisscrossing the trail, playfully grab at the soles of my boots, a constant reminder that I am merely a visitor here.

Admittedly, hiking is a little harder on my body than it was twenty years ago. I have to work much harder at the local gym to stay in trail shape. Much like life itself, hiking requires perseverance, the ability to forge ahead even when you don’t think you can. Mountains seem infinitely taller in person. A mile on the trail can easily seem like five. Legs feel like rubber, knees ache, and your pulse races. The payoff, of course, comes at the pinnacle of each mountain, where I pause to rest on a stone outcropping or ledge, letting the sun warm my face. I drink in both the cool water from my camelback and the magnificent view. A sprawling unmarred vista reminds me just how great it is to live in the Pine Tree State.

Horns Pond

And so, I return every fall, crossing paths with like-minded people of all ages and all walks of life, each of us in pursuit of nature’s gift, a vibrant tapestry of contentment and fulfillment, a recharging of the soul.

Have you hiked any of Maine’s Appalachian Trail? If not, what’s stopping you?

Selling a book? The number one tip to success for writers.

Maureen Milliken here. One of my favorite quotes is from Thomas Edison: “Opportunity is missed by most people because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

I remind myself of that often, because the point is that no matter how brilliant and talented you are — even Thomas Edison! — you have to work it.

Even Thomas Edison couldn’t sit around being all talented and waiting for opportunity to come to him.

This is something writers sometimes forget once their book is published. They worked so hard to get there (at least most of them did, but that’s a blog for another day), that they want to relax and rest on their laurels. Well, for most of us, there really are no laurels. At least in the conventional sense.

Saturday, I drove down to Boston to spend one hour at the Sisters in Crime New England booth at the Boston Book Festival. It was a six-hour round trip, and since I didn’t want to try to find the one parking garage that would take the BBF voucher, it also included a 20-30 minute ride on the T — carrying a box of books that I knew would probably be almost as heavy on the return trip.

An acquaintance pointed out that I needed to sell a certain amount of books to even cover the gas, and even more to make it “worthwhile.” Technically the gas part is true.

But the worthwhile part?

I’ll add to Edison’s quote that not only don’t we recognize opportunity when it’s in front of us, but we also expect it to come knocking. Possibly because someone a long time ago coined that phrase then left it there for us to believe was reality. But how often does it really come knocking for people like me and you? You got it. Rarely, if ever. You have to go out and hunt it down, and it’s going to be wearing camo and hiding behind a tree.

When I began my career as a journalist more than 30 years ago, I vowed to never say no to an opportunity when it did come knocking. I carried that into my recent and brief (thankfully!) sub-career as a freelance editor. And now I have the same philosophy as a recently published author — a sub-career that I hope will carry me through the final decades of my life. And the thing about opportunities “knocking” is that you have to, as Edison pointed out, recognize them. And realize the knock isn’t going to be on your front door and isn’t going to be accompanied by another hand clutching a big bundle of cash for you.

My feeling about that trip to Boston is if I sold any books, great. But it was about more than that. It was about getting out there, meeting people and talking writing, books — my book and other people’s. It was about showing up. Another wise and talented person (it’s credited to everyone from Woody Allen to Mario Cuomo, but you get the idea, someone witty and wise) is that a certain percentage (80, 99, 50, whatever) of life is showing up. That’s certainly true for selling your book.

Whoa! Someone likes my book. Fellow writer John Radosta stops by to say hi at the 2015 Boston Book Festival.

Some of that can be done from the comfort of your living room. The Internet has made it possible for people like you and me and my small publisher to get the book out there, to blog (like this!), tweet, Facebook, email, sell online, hope people blog about you, review you on Amazon, add you to their Goodreads list.

But you gotta show up in person, too. I always feel that I never know what conversation I have, what postcard I give out, what book I sell, is going to make a difference. And on top of that, every single person I talk to and event I attend builds a foundation. I’m not going to go home and find that I sold 500 books on Amazon after an event, or see a review of my book in People magazine. I know that. The benefits of the event, though, will show themselves in ways big and small.

I have never gone to an event and regretted it. In fact most of them not only boosted me as a writer, but as a person. I feel lucky to have the opportunity, no matter what it was wearing.

And speaking of opportunity, I’m on my way today to the New England Library Association Conference, another six-hour round trip. By the time you read this, who knows who I may have talked to? Who may have taken a look at my book and loved it? I can’t wait.

Because who am I to overlook an opportunity?

Maureen Milliken is the author of Cold Hard News, the first in the Bernie O’Dea series. She is also a newspaper editor in central Maine. Follow her on twitter at MMIlliken47, check out her Facebook page, Maureen Milliken mysteries. Thanks for reading!

 

Negotiating

Jessie: In a tiny village surrounded by leaf piles

If you get a bunch of writers together and wait for the conversation to scratch down to the things that matter it becomes clear that we all have something in common: a challenging relationship with the dreaded inner critic. The critic pops up during every project and hisses dispiriting counsel into all writers’ ears. I call mine Carlisle.

Early in my career I took a workshop on creativity at the New England Crime Bake facilitated by author Shelley Carson, PhD.  In it I learned that all creative projects work  through a series of predictable stages and that these stages use different parts of the brain.

It turns out that the creativity needed to make interesting connections and create early drafts of a novel is cooked up in a totally different part of the brain than is critical evaluation. This  explains the creative paralysis that occurs whenever the critic tries to weigh in on the work too early in the process.

As I started thinking about my brain as divided into different chunks that governed different aspect of my work it occurred to me that I could treat these parts as a team of employees who all had a role to play in getting the job done. This is how Carlisle came into being. Giving the critical, evaluating part of my brain its own personality and a clear set of responsibilities has made a significant difference in my productivity and how much I enjoy writing.

Now, whenever I start a project and I hear Carlisle begin to whisper and then to shout that I am attempting too much, the words are wrong, the idea is a dud, I address him by name and acknowledge the value he brings to the team. I mention how much I appreciate his concern for my reputation and how important his rigorous scrutiny is for the overall quality of any venture. Then I remind him that there will be nothing for him to evaluate if he doesn’t let the other sections of my brain do their jobs too. I promise I won’t ever send anything off to my editor without him having a thorough crack at it first. Then I send him to the break room for a cup of tea and a nap.

I can’t say he never pops back up to lurk over my shoulder before I am ready to welcome him but I but I can say it happens less and less often. I think it’s because he doesn’t need to say increasing unkind things, at greater and greater volume, to capture my attention. When I stick to my side of the bargain he tends to uphold his too.

Another, unexpected benefit of this way of thinking is my own attitude towards Carlisle’s criticism once I’ve reached the revision stage. It turns out that when he participates at the right point in the writing process I feel as though I have the expert help of a trusted friend and invaluable ally. I love revisions now and actually find them easier than the first draft.

Perhaps all this makes me crazy but it’s a pleasant sort of insanity. I’d love to hear how you manage your inner critic. Do you name it? Avoid it? Stick your fingers in your ears and hum?

Weekend Update: October 24-25, 2015

Next week at Maine Crime Writers there will be posts by Jessie Crockett (Monday), Maureen Milliken (Tuesday), and Bruce Coffin (Wednesday), with a guest post on Thursday and a special Halloween guest post on Friday.

In the news department, here’s what’s happening with some of us who blog regularly at Maine Crime Writers:

from Kaitlyn Dunnett/Kathy Lynn Emerson: The Scottie Barked at Midnight will be in stores and available as an ebook on Tuesday, October 27 and I’ll be guest blogging at Jungle Red and Dru’s Book Musings next week.

On Saturday, October 31 from 10-5 and Sunday, November 1 from 10-3, Lea Wait and I will have a booth at the REM Craft Fair being held at 30 Elm Plaza (Champion’s Fitness Center) in Waterville, Maine. There will be about sixty dealers but we’ll be the only writers. Sounds lke a perfect place to start your Christmas shopping!

From Barb Ross: Finally, post knee replacement, I am sprung, at least for a little bit. On Saturday I’ll be signing and selling books at the Sisters in Crime New England Booth (#32) at the Boston Book Festival. On Monday, October 26, from 12:30 to 2:30, I’ll be signing and giving away books in the Sisters in Crime New England booth at the New England Library Association Annual Conference in Manchester, NH.

From Lea Wait: Looking forward to spending next weekend with Kathy in Waterville! And just a note that my Uncertain Glory has just been released in paperback … in time for classroom copies and Christmas gifts!  (Uncertain Glory is my book about a boy who published the town’s newspaper in Wiscasset, Maine in the mid-19th century, and is set during the first two weeks of the Civil War, April, 1861. Great for anyone who loves Maine … or is fascinated by the Civil War.

And more from Kaitlyn Dunnett: I’ve just received word that The Scottie Barked at Midnight is a Woman’s World Book Club pick. It’s featured in the December 7th issue, in stores in early November.

 

An invitation to readers of this blog: Do you have news relating to Maine, Crime, or Writing? We’d love to hear from you. Just comment below to share.

And a reminder: If your library, school, or organization is looking for a speaker, we are often available to talk about the writing process, research, where we get our ideas, and other mysteries of the business. Contact Kate Flora: mailto: kateflora@gmail.com

How Much Does it Cost to Self-Publish (And Is it Worth the Money?)

It’s Jen again, coming to you from another drizzly, overcast day – though I’m not complaining, as the last few days it’s been bright sunny skies and gorgeous fall colors. A little rain now and again comes with the territory.

I promise I won’t make a habit of always talking business, but after the interest in my post on self-publishing last month, I decided I would follow up this month with a post that actually looks at the numbers involved in self-publishing. I know… Numbers aren’t sexy. They’re not creative. As we all know, however, they are necessary in evaluating whether or not a venture makes sense. Yes — even when it’s a writing venture.

I’ll begin by saying that I think it’s a good idea to try to incur as little expense up front as possible when self-publishing, simply because it will usually take between three to five books before you start to see much of a profit. Regardless of how much money you put into that first book, unless it’s a standalone novel with a phenomenal setup, you’re not going to get a lot of traction initially. So, just keep that in mind and consider holding off on purchasing much in the way of advertising, marketing, or promotional materials until you’re ready to launch the second or third book. Initially, your biggest expenses should be on the production side of things – specifically, editing, cover design, and formatting.

So, with that in mind, what are the expenses you can expect to incur when independently publishing your novel?

Editing

Cover design

Ebook & print formatting

Advertising

Conferences

Marketing & promotional materials

Education

Software

You’ll notice that on that list, I don’t include printing costs. That’s my own preference, but personally I’ve found that it makes little sense to fund a large print run when you can go with Print on Demand through Createspace, BookBaby, or IngramSpark, and pay little more per book than you would for a print run of 500 – 1,000 books with a printing company. My novels run about 300 pages, and I rarely pay more than $4.30 per book through CreateSpace, including shipping. During particularly lean times, that meant I could scrounge for $50 to pay for ten books when I was doing a signing, but otherwise I didn’t have to worry about it, and I didn’t have boxes and boxes of books moldering in my basement. If you have an aggressive marketing plan and a good network of independent booksellers, you may consider going with a larger print run; without those two things, however, it’s very hard to move print on your own.

So, how much can you expect to spend on that lengthy list?

Editing. Depending on your own skill as an editor, your contacts in the business, and the quality of your beta readers, this can run anywhere from hundreds to thousands of dollars. I run a very busy editing business myself, and charge $30 per 1,000 words for a comprehensive edit that includes content edit, copy edit, two revisions, and final proofread. For more experienced writers, I do a beta read for $5 per 1,000 words and then a straight copy edit for $16 per 1,000 words. I occasionally barter my services with others in the business; if you have the right contacts and not a lot of cash up front, that’s a possibility to consider when looking for your own editor. Others do charge less than I do; just be careful when choosing an editor, as going with someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing can be disastrous. For more on how to choose an editor, you can check out this Q&A I did with Joanna Penn, of The Creative Penn.

Cover design. When I first started out, I paid $99 to www.probookcovers.com, and was very happy with the quality of the work they did for me. Since that time, I actually paid for a complete cover overhaul of my existing novels, and went through www.damonza.com, paying $495 per cover (their prices have since gone up by about $100). I have recently switched cover artists again because I wanted to work with someone who would give me original art rather than stock images. I now work with Jeremy John Parker, and pay a bit more for an original cover. Clearly, there’s a broad range here. My advice is simply to make sure you don’t skimp and try to design the cover yourself. Get someone who knows the business and understands design, and be prepared to pony up at least a little cash to get it right.

Ebook formatting. You can hire an ebook formatter for upwards of $100, or you can purchase Scrivener Writing Software for $40 – $45 (depending on whether you have a PC or Mac) and format your book(s) yourself for all of the major ebook retailers. I purchased Scrivener and then bought the course Learn Scrivener Fast by Joseph Michael for an additional $300, which proved to be a very worthwhile investment. Now, I’m able to do all ebook and print formatting myself with minimal steps and no headaches, and I can make updates and re-upload to Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and the other sales outlets I use, without having to hire a middle man and wait for him to do it for me.

Advertising. Over the course of the past year, I’ve spent about $1500 in advertising through BookBub and NoiseTrade. BookBub is fairly pricy and quite selective about the titles they’ll take on, but if you’re well reviewed and are able to score a spot with them, it’s absolutely worth the cost. I’m considering doing some advertising on Facebook, but haven’t committed to that just yet. I’m still working on establishing a larger advertiser pool from which to choose, but right now I’ve found BookBub to be the most effective by a wide margin.

Conferences. If you’re hoping to get an agent or simply want to make connections among fellow writers or readers in your genre, I think conferences are definitely worth the time and expense. However, for self-published authors, income is reliant on how efficiently you can actually write, edit, and publish a novel, so beware of making too many commitments that could infringe on your writing time.

Marketing and promotional materials. As Kate mentioned in her post, “Can You Afford to Get Published,” traditionally published novelists are also responsible for purchasing their own marketing and promotional materials. With VistaPrint, NextDayFlyers, and a whole host of other inexpensive companies on the web, however, you don’t have to break the bank to have custom bookmarks, magnets, or more high-end SWAG for your loyal readers. It’s easy to go crazy with this stuff, so just keep a close eye on your bottom line and remember that readers are far more interested in you writing another great book than them scoring a free pen and matching bookmark.

Education. Next to cover design, this past year I’ve spent the most on education. I’m a big fan of online, well-reviewed courses on publishing and marketing your work, since I can complete those courses on my own time and typically get a lot of value for my money. In 2015, I completed a few smaller courses, but the biggest expenditures were on the aforementioned Learn Scrivener Fast, as well as Nick Stephenson’s stellar course, Your First 10K Readers. I’m currently taking Joanna Penn’s Creative Freedom course, which has a series of free videos to introduce you to the topics she covers in the course itself. If you have the resources available to you, I highly recommend taking either Your First 10K Readers or Creative Freedom. Both offer practical, timely tips that have already paid off for me.

Software. I purchased Scrivener this past year, subscribe to DropBox, and I also pay for a monthly subscription to Adobe’s Creative Cloud, which includes PhotoShop, PhotoShop Elements, InDesign, and Illustrator. Creative Cloud comes in at $50 a month, so it’s not cheap, but I use it to design my own promotional materials, website stuff, and continue to use it to format my print books. I highly recommend Scrivener and I love DropBox, but unless you have design experience or really want the headaches inherent in learning Adobe’s innumerable tricks of the trade, I recommend foregoing that particular expense.

Okay… So, now you’ve got the costs involved in publishing your own work. The next, obvious question is: Is it worth it? Financially, does all of this make sense or should you just bite the bullet and try to find a traditional publisher?

Keep in mind, first and foremost, that everyone has different experiences and different results in any endeavor. What I’ve done may not work for you; what you do may not work for me. I can only tell you my own experience…which has been good. Personally, I’ve consistently increased my profit margin each year since first publishing in 2012, and this year I more than doubled my previous annual earning record from a traditional job, from book sales alone.  I’m able to work at my own pace, publish when I please, and I don’t have to panic if a title under-performs, since I know I’m not going to pull the plug on myself for lackluster profits.

Would it be worth it for you? Only you (and time) can answer that question, but to help out you may want to refer back to my post, “Setting Yourself Up for Self-Publishing Success,” to make sure this is really a road you’re prepared to travel. And if there are any questions I haven’t covered, feel free to comment below and I’ll do my best to answer!

 

Treasure Hunting

Dorothy Cannell: Had a wonderful time at Bouchercon in Raleigh, reuniting with people met and enjoyed over the years and getting to know first encounters. I can’t think of anything more bonding than the passion for books.

While in the city with Sir Walter’s statue – with his head on – I went to a wonderful used book store and returned home with a load of out-of-print or hard-to-find titles by authors Ienjoy. Have been wallowing in one after another instead of getting back to work or planning this blog.

So by way of excuse here’s the list:

Doomed to Die, by Dorothy Simpson, featuring Inspector Luke Thanet.

Six Feet Under, by Dorothy Simpson, again featuring Inspector Thanet

Speedy Death, by Gladys Mitchell, from the Mrs. Bradley Series.

Death of a Chimney Sweep, by M.C. Beaton, a Hamish Macbeth Mystery

The Religious Body, by Catherine Aird, the first Inspector C. D. Sloan

mystery.

A Nice Derangement Of Epitaphs, by Ellis Peters, an Inspector George

Felse Mystery.

Latter End, by Patricia Wentworth, a Miss Silver Mystery.

The Blind Side, by Patricia Wentworth, not Miss Silver

The Listening Walls, by Margaret Millar.

I have explained to my husband that such older titles are must reading for

me because my new(ish) series is not set in current time, but he is threateningdivorce if I don’t finish the short story I’m supposed to be working on by this weekend. It promises to be no more than a couple of paragraphs in length.

‘Always a reader first’ is my motto. Also I have a fantasy of someone huntingdown my books in the distant years ahead.

All the best till next time,

Dorothy

 

An Unexpected Surprise

Vaughn Hardacker here: The one of the negatives of living up here in the COUNTY is the lack of bookstores. It has been a couple of years since Mr. Paperback closed both of its county stores, leaving us with Walmart (a limited selection at best), several supermarket displays (even more limited), and several small used bookstores. Being a book-junkie I’m always prowling, looking for a good read.

I was visiting the Caribou Dollar Tree when I noticed that they have a small display of books, hardcover and paperback, and they are all priced $1.00 (Granted some of the offerings aren’t worth much more). I saw THE TRUTH ABOUT THE HARRY QUEBERT AFFAIR by Joel Dicker (an author whom I heretofore had no knowledge) and figured for a buck, why not? I read the fly and learned that the book was a thriller with an author as its protagonist, which immediately caught my interest. The plot line is simple. Marcus Goldman, a young writer, published his first book which became a phenomenal best seller. Obviously, his publisher is anxiously awaiting his next book. So, you might ask what’s the problem? Marcus has a terrible case of writer’s block–or so he thinks. In reality he is scared to death that after his successful first novel his second will be nowhere close to being as good or successful. His solution is to leave New York City and spend some time with his old professor and mentor, Harry Quebert (pronounced Quee-bear) in a small New Hampshire coastal town. While visiting the body of a fifteen year old girl, who has been missing for thirty-three years, is discovered on Harry’s property. Harry is arrested and charged with her murder. The protagonist decides that the best way to save his mentor is to do his own investigation and write a book that will exonerate Harry. What follows is a page turning novel with more twists than a pretzel.

So, I imagine that at this time you’re asking what’s so unusual about this book? Not only is the book an international best-selling thriller, but the author (Joel Dicker, a young Swiss writer) includes a number of lagniappes, written as writing lessons that Harry gave to Marcus Goldman, that are a writing course in itself. When was the last time you read a book that was not only attention holding, but educational at the same time? And I got it for a buck!

A final note: A friend of mine returned from a trip to Scotland and England and handed me a book that he bought in Heathrow Airport. “You got to read this,” he said, “It’s terrific.” The price on the book was £6.99 or $10.82. I turned to my bookcase and handed him a copy of the very same book: THE TRUTH ABOUT THE HARRY QUEBERT AFFAIR. I said, “Caribou Dollar Tree, for a dollar.”

My assessment of the book: Well above average. As a youth, the author, although a Swiss national, spent his summers in Stonington and Bar Harbor, Maine. His geography of the New Hampshire coast is pure fiction, but it seems to work. The book was originally published in France and was translated by Sam Taylor. The irony of the situation is this: Like his protagonist, Marcus Goldman, what will Joel Dicker do to follow up? 

Where Do You Get Your Ideas?

Kaitlyn Dunnett/Kathy Lynn Emerson here. Writers are often asked where their ideas come from. In this case, I actually know.

The starting point for The Scottie Barked at Midnight was the suggestion by a reader that I introduce a Scottish terrier to the Liss MacCrimmon Mysteries. I thought that was a great idea, but figuring out how to do it was a bit tricky. Liss, my amateur detective, already had two cats, and at least one of them didn’t have the kind of personality that would adapt well to sharing the house with a dog. Liss’s husband’s brother already had a dog, a mutt named Papelbon. A fox terrier named Skippy featured in an earlier book, but most of the continuing characters seemed to have no interest in owning pets of any kind.

At the same time, I’d been considering how I might combine my love of Dancing with the Stars with a story set in Moosetookalook, Maine. I’m a big fan of this series. I don’t know why. I dislike most competition shows on television. Ditto reality shows. And my dance background is in ballet and theater choreography, not ballroom. Liss, a professional Scottish dancer, had no experience in this area, either. Then I read Homicide Hustle by Ella Barrick, in which her ballroom-dance-teacher sleuth gets involved in a television competition show called Ballroom with the B-List. It’s a very funny book, as well as a clever mystery. Since the last thing the cozy world needs is more clones, I started looking for an idea that would use the elements I wanted from the dance competition and yet be unique to my series.

That led me to invent Variety, Live!, a competition show that brings together old-time variety acts—jugglers, magicians, dancers, singers, ventriloquists . . . even a dog act. I had a wonderful time dreaming up characters to go with the talents and imagining a plot that would bring the two Scotties that are two-thirds of “Deidre’s Dancing Doggies” into the world of Liss MacCrimmon and her friends. Since this is a mystery, there had to be nefarious doings that led to murder. Nothing is as it seems, not even the “live” part of Variety, Live! And Liss, with her dance background, is in a position to step in when the dancing doggies, Dandy and Dondi, need a new partner.

The Scottie Barked at Midnight goes on sale in one week on October 27, 2015. For those of you in Maine, I’ll be in Waterville with Lea Wait on October 31 and November 1 at the REM Craft Fair, held at 30 Elm Plaza (Champion’s Fitness Center). Apparently writing books is now considered a craft, right along with woodworking, basket weaving, needlepointing, and all the rest. I’m not complaining, mind you, but who knew?

Kathy Lynn Emerson/Kaitlyn Dunnett is the author of over fifty books written under several names. She won the Agatha Award in 2008 for best mystery nonfiction for How to Write Killer Historical Mysteries and was an Agatha Award finalist in 2014 in the best mystery short story category for “The Blessing Witch.” Currently she writes the contemporary Liss MacCrimmon Mysteries (The Scottie Barked at Midnight) as Kaitlyn and the historical Mistress Jaffrey Mysteries as Kathy (Murder in the Merchant’s Hall). The latter series is a spin-off from her earlier “Face Down” series and is set in Elizabethan England. Her websites are www.KaitlynDunnett.com and www.KathyLynnEmerson.com

Unearthing Story While Cleaning My Desk

Kate Flora: This past week, I got stuck in the middle of a writing project. It happens. It

Draft application of Kate M. Burke, storekeeper in Bingham, Maine, to the DAR

wasn’t writer’s block, which you all know I don’t believe in. It was story block. Or organizational block. It’s nonfiction, and trying to figure out where the data goes, where the story goes, and how to connect the two can be a challenge. Frustrated, I decided that perhaps I could create greater clarity of mind if I cleared some of the external clutter, and I decided to clean my desk.

Crazy idea. I’ve been in book jail for so much of the past two years that there is a ton of filing waiting to be attended to. Since I live in book time, and book time means that a day or a week and a year are a lot alike, some of those piles have sat, untouched, for a long time, just waiting for me to get back to them. Well, I finally did get back, and the discoveries began.

There was that file—maybe you have one, too—where things I don’t want to throw away but have no particular place for come to rest. It was in that file that I started to make some fascinating discoveries.

First up? A mock property exam that my study group and I wrote during our first year of law school. Since 1974, this weary sheet of lined paper has traveled with me, with several sets of handwriting as questions were proposed. Reading it reminded me how I never would have made it through law school without this wonderful group of friends. It reminded me of two manuscripts I have buried in the drawer–my “practice mysteries” about a group of law students. Maybe someday I’ll unearth them.

Next? An obscure old brown envelope full of clippings. Inside? Tons of genealogical data from my great aunt Kate, after whom I was named, including drafts of her application to join the DAR, and all the data necessary to apply to the Mayflower Society. Fascinating stuff. I can’t help but wonder about Captain Josiah Parker who fought in the American Revolution. What was he like and where can I learn more?

In the same folder is a Farberware ad that was in the New York Times in 1973. The caption? You keep a man the way you get a man: by having the best possible equipment and knowing how to use it. Along with that? A carbon copy of the letter I wrote to Farberware, expressing how offensive the ad was. In that letter, I vowed never to purchase another Farberware product until they apologized. Needless to say—I have never bought Farberware since. But I am amazed that they could be this offensive in 1973. How far, in some ways, we have come. And how important to remember that not so long ago, the employment ads in the papers were labeled: Help Wanted: Male and Help Wanted: Female.

Then a piece of paper surfaced that reminded me how far I have come—two Peanuts comics, clipped from the paper, and sent by the marvelous writer Marilis Hornidge, during my ten miserable years in the unpublished writer’s corner, about how to deal with rejections.

At the bottom of the pile, something that I have treasured since 1976. A short note from Donald M. Murray, who was a Boston Globe columnist I greatly admired but did not know. The kind of letter that can make a huge difference in a beginning writer’s life. He wrote:

Dear Kate Flora:

After I wrote this column, I was feeling glum one evening and grabbed one mystery off the shelf, started to read and couldn’t care less about the characters and their story, and tossed it; then I chose another and tossed it, then I started Chosen for Death and was lost to my world, caring about your characters and what happened to them.

I have ordered your “fun house mirror” book and will buy anything you write in soft or hardcover.

I read you for story and, as a writer who has published a couple of novels years ago and is working on one now, I read you for craft.

Thank you.

Don Murray

In case you’ve ever wondered whether it is worth it to send a note to a writer you admire? The answer is a resounding yes.

I also found an envelope with $460.00

All in all, I may be behind on my work, but I am very glad I cleaned my desk.

Weekend Update: October 17-18, 2015

Next week at Maine Crime Writers there will be posts by Kate Flora (Monday), Kathy Lynn Emerson/Kaitlyn Dunnett (Tuesday), Vaughn Hardacker (Wednesday), Dorothy Cannell (Thursday) and Jen Blood (Friday).

In the news department, here’s what’s happening with some of us who blog regularly at Maine Crime Writers:

From Kathy Lynn Emerson/Kaitlyn Dunnett: The three winners of advance reading copies of The Scottie Barked at Midnight (in stores in hardcover on October 27) are Lil Guckstern, Monica, and Karen Whalen. Congrats to all and a big thank you to everyone who shared dog and cat stories in their comments.

From Kate Flora: I was browsing and discovered that Death Dealer, my Agatha and Anthony-nominated true crime, is on sale at Amazon at an amazing price. (less than $4.00!) Who knows how long this will last, but if you’re looking for a gift for a true crime lover or a dog lover, you should grab this deal: http://www.amazon.com/Death-Dealer-Cadaver-Brought-Justice/dp/0882824767/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1444942864&sr=8-1&keywords=Death+Dealer+Kate+Flora

Is anyone out there planning to do NaNoWriMo? If so, let us know so we can all cheer you on.

And as you know, we love to do an annual Halloween feature, so stay tuned. This year, John Clark is compiling it, and collecting stories from Maine librarians. It’s bound to be fascinating!

Here’s a composite photo of Kate with her fellow Beat, Slay, Love authors. A formidable crew:

Katy Munger, Taffy Cannon, Gary Phillips, Kate Flora and Lise McClendon

An invitation to readers of this blog: Do you have news relating to Maine, Crime, or Writing? We’d love to hear from you. Just comment below to share.

And a reminder: If your library, school, or organization is looking for a speaker, we are often available to talk about the writing process, research, where we get our ideas, and other mysteries of the business. Contact Kate Flora: mailto: kateflora@gmail.com