J.T. Ellison's Blog, page 13
February 23, 2024
Friday Reads 2.16.24
It’s Friday, and you know what that means. Let’s talk about what we’re reading!
There is such comfort in books and the quiet that comes with reading. When I have a week that finds me away from the pages of others, like last week, I get downright grumpy. But this week, all is well. I read a bunch, bought a few, and have lots to share!
I started THE STRANGER AT THE WEDDING by debut author A.E. Gauntlett, and I am entranced. The dread oozes from the pages… I feel like this might be a bit Silent Patient-esque, with a kitchen sink twist, and I am here for it. One heck of a novel so far.
I’ve mentioned already that has a new book coming, EVERY MOMENT SINCE, and now I’m halfway through. It is outstanding. I should be wrapped on it this weekend, too.
Lisa Unger, superstar and writer of has a new one out this coming in 2 weeks — THE NEW COUPLE IN 5B. I may have scored an early copy, and you know what I’m reading next…
I am also deep into Barrier to Entry, a short story in the Blaze collection from Amazon Originals. It’s the story of the mother of forensic science, and I have been dying to read it—it just came out yesterday, so perfect timing! Plus, the covers are wonderful!
My pal Barbara Peters at Poisoned Pen sent me THE BUSY BODY by Kemper Donovan. This book came up in our last discussion, and I’m excited to read it!
I snagged a copy of Samantha Bailey’s A FRIEND IN THE DARK — wow, that cover is hot stuff.
Mark Greaney’s new Gray Man thriller, THE CHAOS AGENT, is out! I love this series. Mark is one of the nicest guys on the planet, too.
I also read the opening chapters of A.J. Finn’s END OF STORY. It’s good so far; I liked the atmospheric opening. Has anyone finished it? Should I keep going?
I am so ashamed that I’ve fallen terribly behind in the Wolf Hall slow read (Sorry, ) But, in a wonderful discovery, I realized I have it on my Kindle from years ago! I’ve started reading it before bed, and I’m catching up. I’m going to set aside an hour on Sunday to read and hopefully get current with the rest of the read. It really is remarkable; Mantel is a genius. It’s sly, and smart, and so lushly beautiful.
In keeping with my sabbatical…I read a fascinating piece that I heard about on the Deep Questions podcast that’s unlocked a whole new world of thought about how social media is affecting girls, and the “conveyer belt” analogy is perfection. I can’t imagine it’s not hurting the self-image of our boys, too.
On the writing front:
A celebration is in order… I finished the page proofs of A VERY BAD THING. I really am getting excited for you to read this book. And I can’t wait to share the cover, which is 👩🏼🍳💋
And from the craft series, Step Six: The Outline, is now available. It was not the easiest entry because A - I had to teach myself how to outline, and B - did I mention I had to teach myself how to outline? And then relay that knowledge to you in a way that makes sense. Glad this step is wrapped!
If you want to lay some groundwork on your next story, here’s a taste of something I’ll be discussing in the upcoming Step Seven: The Daily Grind—how many words should we write in a day? At what point does the quality fall off?
That’s it from me. How about you? Good week? What are you reading this weekend?
This post may contain affiliate links. They help defray the cost of running the site — and buys the cat her favorite treats!
February 18, 2024
Step Six: The Outline
Welp, throw me a party, friends, because I did it. I have outlined HER LAST NIGHT!
I don’t know if this process was easier because I spent so much time with the story before I started, having talked it out with my agent and editor for a few months, or because I’ve been so engaged with it while discussing it with you, teasing apart the littlest ideas to examine for their usefulness and salience, but no matter what, it happened, and happened quickly. There are currently 64 chapters, broken into 6 acts, in the actual order of how I envision them in the book.
When I told my agent I wanted to outline this book, she laughed and said, “Yeah, 30 books in, that’s when you want to change your process.” But the truth is my process has been evolving over the past several years, and the prep for standalone books gets a little more extensive each time, so it seemed like trying a full-blown outline was the logical next step. And, of course, this series wouldn’t be complete without a good old college try at the technique, right?
My 40 Scenes method is a kind of outline, sure, especially when you start applying writer math. But what I’ve done in the past is pull together all those scenes, put them in some sort of order, mostly by act, then never look at them again. No kidding. Once I’ve offloaded the scenes that have been floating around, they’re alive in my head, and I don’t need to look back unless I get stuck. My books tend to take on a life of their own as they’re being created anyway, which is so much fun that outlining has always felt like a constraint.
Photo by Nick Morrison on Unsplash
February 16, 2024
Friday Reads 2.16.24
It’s Friday, and you know what that means. Let’s talk about all the things!
It’s the first Friday of Lent, and that means my annual social media sabbatical is underway! I’ve committed to staying here, because we have business to do and this isn’t social media in the scroll sense. But the rest—Facebook, Twitter, Instagram—are under the control of my brilliant minions. Who, let's be honest, run things better than I do. (Who was that who accidentally hosted 4 contests at once in three places last week? Yeah.) I love stepping away from time to time. I miss everyone, but it’s really good for my brain. While it seems so innocuous to just pop into my Facebook group to say hi, that inevitably leads to checking the main page, then the feed, and I should check Instagram, too, and the next thing I know, I’ve lost an hour to our META overlords. These six weeks away are very restorative for me.
It’s good timing, too, because I’ve been experiencing some real disruption to my body, my mind, and my schedule recently. Part of this sense of dislocation I can attribute to the physical therapy and yoga therapy I’m doing to address the hEDS. We are rewriting my brain’s neural pathways, helping it reinterpret the pain signals and move in ways I thought I couldn’t. It’s only natural that I’m feeling off—I *am* off! Even my most basic sense of balance and posture are being challenged. This tells me it’s working, right?
But all this new movement comes with the logistics of getting there, which has been good for podcast listening but not great for the deep, slow work days I crave. And I traveled last week to see my parents and then to another state for a retreat, and this week has had at least one out-of-the-house errand or appointment each day that’s taken several hours. You know how it is when you start something new. Everything feels wrong until you find the rhythm.
Schedules are a delicate thing. When your habits are blown up it can be very difficult to concentrate, to focus. I’m working on how to react to the disruption because I need a new formula.
Speaking of the retreat… the Dread River Writers got together in Birmingham, and wow, was it a fabulous time! You know we authors love a good sit down with our peers, love to talk shop, creativity, our frustrations and dreams, and be encouraged by people who genuinely believe in us. This was all of that, and more. It was a wonderful weekend. I got almost 5000 words done on the new book, made some new friends, had a free orthopedic consult on my knee, saw a cool German pot still, laughed myself silly, and otherwise had a merry old time.
All this to say, I haven’t read much this week at all. There’s a good reason for no external books—I’ve been working on the page proofs of A VERY BAD THING. This book, y’all. I’ve read it at least fifty times now, and this go, I have to remove myself from it entirely and try to read critically, pretending I don’t know what happens next. It’s hard, probably the hardest read of the whole process. And I’m nearing completion of the next writing series step, The Outline, and will have that to you soon, I promise.
I have been reading INTO THE WILD by John Krakauer before I go to bed. It’s a research book for the new novel, and it’s a fascinating read. The movie adaptation was excellent, too.
And I am catching up on my podcasts, and was wowed by this gem from Cal Newport. It’s a fascinating look at why we’re not lazy; we are simply trying to do too much, and our brains rebel. And the inverse quality curve of doing one great work at a time (Y Axis = Excellence) versus doing a lot of less focused work at once (X Axis = Multiple Projects) really hit home. Over the past several months, I’ve pulled back on as much as I can to focus solely on this space and my novels, and it feels great.
This piece by Substack wonder hit home in so many ways. The idea that we have to be our own medical advocates is truer now more than ever, and having just gone through a couple of years of “It’s anxiety” myself, I am so grateful she continued pushing to find answers.
🎉 We hit 1000 subscribers here on Substack this week, too! Thank you, all! I got a few questions from other Substackers about how this number was met, and I told them to be authentic, and be consistent. I moved 300 of you over from my website blog feed, and the rest is organic growth. I am so grateful! 🥳
I do have goals for how I want The Creative Edge to look, naturally. But the quality of our exchanges is much more important to me than the numbers. I’m trying to create a space that’s fun, safe, and respectful to all of our book choices as well as share the knowledge I’ve accrued over the past nearly two decades in publishing. I’m super happy with how everything looks and feels, and I hope you are, too!
That’s it from me this week, overcompensating with words because I don’t have a lot of books to share. How about you? What’s on your reading plate this weekend? And do you ever take a sabbatical from your daily life?
This post may contain affiliate links. They help defray the cost of running the site — and buys the cat her favorite treats!
February 9, 2024
Friday Reads 2.9.24
It’s Friday, and you know what that means. Let’s talk about all the things!
It’s been a very packed week! First, happy 87th birthday to my elegant, beautiful mom! I was able to sneak down to Florida for a visit, which was so lovely, and now I’ve pivoted back to work, flying to Alabama for a writers’ retreat. Last night, we went to the Little Professor Bookshop to see the magnificent interview the also magnificent about her new novel, WHERE YOU END. It was very fun. And you all know my huge fascination with all things twins, so I can’t wait to dig into this story.
Two flights and some downtime at the beach has helped me net a bunch of words on the new book, so I’m excited to see what today and tomorrow bring. I write well on the road, and with a whole day ahead with nothing but a quiet room, a pot of tea, some peanut M&Ms, and a nascent story, I’m hoping for a big word count day.
Why, you ask? With this new book outlined, I’m finding it a bit easier to sit down and start writing. I’ll have more on that in the next 22 Steps series, Step Six: The Outline, coming in the next week or so. I’m also working on a couple of interim steps regarding how to schedule your day and how to deal with resistance. Such a character, resistance. It's almost alive. It's the Frankenstein of our creative existence.
The page proofs for A VERY BAD THING are also on my calendar, right on schedule, and I’m excited to do one last pass to align the comments, then print it out and read on paper as if I’m you, so I’m tackling that next week. I’ve already cheated and looked through the manuscript, and I am as in love with my proofreader as I am with my copyeditor. These ladies are killing it! This book is so much tighter and cleaner thanks to their efforts.
I also finalized the last edit of a short story I wrote for an anthology coming out in October from Titan Books, DEATH COMES AT CHRISTMAS, edited by Marie O’Regan and Paul Kane. My story, O Murder Night, was largely informed by the trip to Ireland last fall. It started as a supernatural mystery and when I rewrote it to be straight crime, a whole new world opened. I hope to explore the rest of that story…one day. I will say this. The base of this story is what I envisioned when I first started A VERY BAD THING, so the two are quite intertwined, though one is 1930s Ireland and one modern day. All in all, it’s been a very fun experience.
A lot, yes? When I say writing about writing breeds writing, I am not kidding.
On to the books!
FIRST LIE WINS by Ashley Elston ended up being a blast. I never like it when I see reviews that suggest there is a mind-blowing twist because I immediately go on the hunt for the clues and red herrings, and because I was on alert, I figured out part of it early on. But that just let me sit back and admire the wildly intricate Ocean’s Eleven-esque machinations. It’s going to be a super fun movie or TV show, for sure.
has a new book coming—EVERY MOMENT SINCE—and I get to read it early!
Hank Phillipi Ryan’s latest ONE WRONG WORD is out this week. Have you read Hank before? Her books are so great.
The slow read of Wolf Hall is going well, though I fell behind this week because the book was too big to pack. I’ll hopefully fix that this week.
Here are a few pieces from the Subsacks that I enjoyed, too:
Beware the Brain-Pickers by I wish I could go have coffee/lunch/drinks/dinner with everyone who needs to ask me for info, a favor, or just wants to say hi. But especially now, with all the extra appointments and the deadlines, I am both tired and pressed for free time. Sarah gave me an elegant solution that satisfies my desire to help, and protects my time and energy, Thanks!
did a very fun piece about how she’s building her creative businesses using a great gardening metaphor. It’s probably better than my magical bakery analogy, but the gist is the same. The more you put out there, the more your garden grows.
put the secret to success in her sub-head… guess what it is? (Yes, you guessed it — doing the writing!)
My friend has a beautiful, heartfelt letter you need to read. It doesn’t matter what challenge you may be facing today, internal or external; her words are a soothing balm.
Oh, something else very cool…I can now sell directly to you from my website! If you’re interested in a great deal on my print books, check it out here.
That’s it from me this week. How about you? What’s on your reading plate this weekend?
This post may contain affiliate links. They help defray the cost of running the site — and buys the cat her favorite treats!
February 2, 2024
Friday Reads 2.1.24
It’s Friday, and you know what that means. Let’s talk about what we’re reading!
Welcome to February! Pitchers and catchers report in 2 weeks!
It has been an interesting week full of highs (I outlined the new book!) and lows (y’all, I cried at yoga for no apparent reason other than my body is finally moving and unspooling all the stress I’ve been holding in for months), which meant not as much reading as I would have liked. But that’s okay. I’m fixing this.
I mentioned in my Annual Review my recent diagnosis of hypermobile EDS. This is the power of literature: Thank God for Rebecca Yarros and Violet (IYKYK) without whom I might never have been put on this path. This week, in addition to my new yoga and PT appointments, I took my first class on chronic pain. One of the big takeaways, something the universe has been telling me a lot recently, is I need to slow down a bit and try to maintain a better balance between work and life. This is a challenge for me. Stepping away from my desk when the words are flowing is hard. Stepping away when they’re not is harder. I am stubborn. I want things to work, work well, and be right the first time. If I haven’t hit my word goal, damn it, I am going to stay parked here until I do, to the detriment of chores and dinner alike. And like everyone else, I have many moving parts that make up the thing we like to call a career. As much as I’d love only ever to be writing, that’s just not a realistic view of the modern author.
But this is bigger. This is a lifestyle change that absolutely has to happen to protect my body going forward. I’ve added in several hours a week of supervised yoga and PT, and that has sort of shot my schedule to hell. And I know I’ve been spreading myself too thin online because last Friday, frazzled and stressed, I threw up my hands and said I can’t handle this anymore.
So I decided to take a step to fix things. I’ve automated my social media again. I will post here, and it will feed out to the places I like to engage, and with luck, folks who aren’t already a part of our fabulous community will come here to talk. Trying to keep up with so many different conversations on multiple platforms has gotten to be a challenge. It’s impossible to show your face at ten super fun cocktail parties in a single night, you know? One party, one conversation, is not only easier, it allows for deeper interactions. Because easy is what I need right now.
So here I am, hat in hand (Well, cat in hand, I’m typing this one-handed at the moment, but you know what I mean) doubling down on this world. This shift will help tremendously as I take my annual social media sabbatical, too. Lent starts on Valentine’s Day, and this year, I am limiting myself to Substack!
It’s hard for me to take this step back, to not try to be all things to all people. I could just hire someone to pretend to be me in those spaces, but it’s one thing to let someone take over when I’m on sabbatical, it’s another to let them be me. I’ve built real communities over the past twenty years (that’s how long I’ve had a blog, if you can believe it.) From blogs to newsletters to Facebook and Instagram and Twitter, I’ve met friends and fans alike. It's why I love this Substack platform so much. It’s a chance to step back from the endless scroll, be real, be present, and do that among hundreds of other writers who have fled the shallows for the depth of long-form writing. It’s cool, and I really appreciate the community we’ve built here.
Anyway, enough of the smushy stuff. Let’s talk books.
I finished THE HEIRESS by Rachel Hawkins, which I very much enjoyed. It had a reverse REBECCA vibe that I thought was cool. And I liked the 4th wall breaks. Good twists and fun writing.
I stepped right into FIRST LIE WINS by Ashley Elston. I see why it’s a Reese pick, and I’m really enjoying it, too. There’s a theme in the crime fiction world right now, isn’t there? The unreliable reliable narrator is far from having her swan song.
I have fifteen minutes left on THE UNMAKING OF JUNE FARROW on audio. I wish I were reading this book because I can’t WAIT to find out what happens. But the audio has been a great car companion as I drive from appointment to appointment.
I have Katia Lief’s INVISIBLE WOMAN in the queue, and for non-fiction, I’m plugging into THE SUCCESS MYTH by . Figured thematically, it was time to reassess all the things, right?
I’m still deep into Wolf Hall, though I fell behind this week. I’ll hopefully fix that this weekend.
My buddy Jayne and Krentz and I had a lovely chat on her Facebook page about writing, fantasy novel, my Joss Walker books, and life. You’ll enjoy!
On the writing front:
Step Five: 40 Scenes, came out Sunday, and I can’t wait to share the next step, because [spoiler] I outlined my novel. Actually outlined it. I feel like I need ten gold stars. ⭐️
I also ditched my monstrous XXL Lechtturm 1917 for a B5 (tablet-sized) Moleskine Pro. I just couldn’t get a rhythm going for the super large notebook. The second I moved it to the B5, boom, everything started working again. I haven’t let it out of my sight. I find the size of the notebook is almost more important than the paper (though that’s a close second. Moleskine ivory isn’t perfect, but the Pro has 100gsm which is very nice!) I found an inexpensive leather case online, popped that baby into it, and sighed in relief. Now, my iPad, Notebook, and Kindle Scribe are all the same size.
What kind of notebook do you use?
That’s it from me this week. How about you? What’s on your reading plate this weekend?
This post may contain affiliate links. They help defray the cost of running the site — and buys the cat her favorite treats!
January 28, 2024
Step Five: 40 Scenes
This moment might be my favorite part of the writing process. I’ve just finished my 40 Scenes for HER LAST NIGHT, and what was a solid concept has now blossomed into an actual story.
The idea of formally outlining a book has always given me hives. I’m not good at it, to start. From the beginning, I’ve always gone into a story with only a concept and short, 1-2 page synopsis, which is basically the framework, a visual in my mind of what the house would look like when it was finished—minus decor, paint colors, landscaping, etc. The actual AutoCad renderings? No. And we all know that to build a house, one needs to start with the blueprints. The problem is, my brain doesn’t work that way. It starts with the more fanciful parts of the story, honestly, usually a line of dialogue or narration—and builds from there. Who are the characters? Where is it set? Who is the villain? What is their goal? That stuff. Loose. Free. The writers who know every step of their story before they start writing? I am in awe, but that wouldn’t ever happen for me.
And then, several years ago, I went to a great writer’s retreat on the coast of North Carolina. The organizers of this particular event (including the brilliant minds behind ) had wisely built in time for writing and time for chatting, with a planned State of the Industry conversation among the authors. It was open to discussion about publishing, craft, creativity, the works. (Don’t underestimate the power of getting a group of writers together to discuss all the things…)
January 26, 2024
Friday Reads 1.26.24
It’s Friday, and you know what that means. Let’s talk about what we’re reading!
It’s been a good reading week. I’ve rejiggered my days to start with breakfast and a book, and there’s been something so wonderful about allowing myself to get lost in story before I start creating my own. Research or pleasure, it doesn’t matter. I feel less stressed, and I’ve gotten a lot more reading done, which is one of my goals for the year. I’ve also started writing the new book, so this calm heading into my peak creative hours, 1 pm - 5 pm, is helping with the momentum I need. I’m not much of a morning person. While I can create first thing if I need to (and do it when I’m further along in the story), in these early weeks, my focus is better in the afternoon.
I‘m almost done with THE HEIRESS by Rachel Hawkins, and the opening epigraph is taken from an article in Outside Magazine that talks about people going missing in the woods and uses the same Lord Byron poem I mentioned last week as the epigraph for my new book. The zeitgeist is such a fun place sometimes! These books couldn’t be more different, but we’ve clearly all hit upon a universal theme—isolation. Wonder why??
I wrapped up Lauren Thoman’s sophomore effort, YOU SHOULDN’T BE HERE, and it was clever and fun.
Also, read a short novella by debut author A.J. Whitney called SOVEREIGN. I love debuts, and I love apocalyptic stories, so this fit the bill.
I spent the weekend with a dear friend’s manuscript. Having a small circle of writers you trust to read your work is so helpful. I was entranced—she didn’t really need my help, so I was able to read and enjoy!
Wolf Hall continues to blow the doors off. I think it’s keeping me creatively inspired.
And before I forget… there’s a cool preorder campaign going on for my most anticipated book this year, Cal Newport’s SLOW PRODUCTIVITY, which will be out March 5. You all know I am a Deep Work fan, and I’m really looking forward to SP. Don’t know who Cal Newport is? Well, let me introduce you…
Lastly, for those of you doing the 22 Steps, Step Five: 40 Scenes, will be out Sunday!
That’s it from me this week. How about you? What’s on your reading plate this weekend?
January 19, 2024
Friday Reads 1.19.24
It’s Friday, and you know what that means. Let’s talk about what we’re reading!
We had ten inches of snow on Monday, and that rarity was much enjoyed. I took the day off from work (it was MLK Day, so most everyone else did, too,) and spent the day in the kitchen and watching movies. I did some bread-making (not very well, my first foray into baguettes needs some mastering), perfected Randy’s sausage ball recipe, and watched THE HOLIDAY, 16 CANDLES, and INTO THE WILD. Yes, snow days are the best days.
I also worked on my 40 Scenes for the new novel, and if you’re following 22 Steps, I posted Step Four: Research. It was perfect for this moment because it’s time to read the research books I’ve been gathering! (True confession, I am also gathering research books for the book after this. It’s a problem 😂.) You’ll note a theme, both in the books and the poetry.
FERAL: Losing Myself and Finding My Way in America’s National Parks by Emily Pennington
INTO THE WILD by John Krakauer
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
I Live My Life in Widening Circles by Rainer Maria Rilke
A verse from Lord Byron’s Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage was the epigraph for the movie version of INTO THE WILD, and is the ethos upon which my setting is built. I studied this poem in college, so it was really fun to pull out my trusted Norton Anthology of English Literature and read, only to be stymied because it stops midway through Canto III. Despite the Google searches to the contrary, this is in Canto IV, Verse 178. It is perfection.
There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society where none intrudes,
By the deep Sea, and music in its roar:
I love not Man the less, but Nature more.
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, I have been before,
To mingle with the Universe, and feel
What I can ne’er express, yet cannot all conceal.
I was also deeply touched and amused to see I’d written “Byronic Hero” next to the poem’s title. This theme runs through my work, and it was funny to see its inception. The concept impacted me greatly. The Byronic hero is generally rebellious, a contrarian, and often fails in their heroic deeds. I’ve also defined them as doing the wrong thing for the right reason — our favorite fictional assassins come to mind. I love seeing that my 19-year-old self was enamored of this idea, and I’ve pulled that thread through my entire creative life. Thanks, Lord Byron.
Wolf Hall continues to be enjoyable. It’s become my Sunday evening ritual to read the chapters for the week and admire the innovation of the story. At one point, my writer's brain wondered if Hilary Mantel decided to change the POV from third to first, then got bored with that and decided to go with what felt right in the moment because there are plenty of shifts. Sometimes we’re in Cromwell's head, sometimes in the narrator’s. A fun exercise, for sure.
That’s it from me this week. How about you? Was it nutty weather there too? What’s on your reading plate this weekend?
Friday Reads 1.19.23
It’s Friday, and you know what that means. Let’s talk about what we’re reading!
We had ten inches of snow on Monday, and that rarity was much enjoyed. I took the day off from work (it was MLK Day, so most everyone else did, too,) and spent the day in the kitchen and watching movies. I did some bread-making (not very well, my first foray into baguettes needs some mastering), perfected Randy’s sausage ball recipe, and watched THE HOLIDAY, 16 CANDLES, and INTO THE WILD. Yes, snow days are the best days.
I also worked on my 40 Scenes for the new novel, and if you’re following 22 Steps, I posted Step Four: Research. It was perfect for this moment because it’s time to read the research books I’ve been gathering! (True confession, I am also gathering research books for the book after this. It’s a problem 😂.) You’ll note a theme, both in the books and the poetry.
FERAL: Losing Myself and Finding My Way in America’s National Parks by Emily Pennington
INTO THE WILD by John Krakauer
The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost
I Live My Life in Widening Circles by Rainer Maria Rilke
A verse from Lord Byron’s Childe Harold’s Pilgrimage was the epigraph for the movie version of INTO THE WILD, and is the ethos upon which my setting is built. I studied this poem in college, so it was really fun to pull out my trusted Norton Anthology of English Literature and read, only to be stymied because it stops midway through Canto III. Despite the Google searches to the contrary, this is in Canto IV, Verse 178. It is perfection.
There is a pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is a rapture on the lonely shore,
There is society where none intrudes,
By the deep Sea, and music in its roar:
I love not Man the less, but Nature more.
From these our interviews, in which I steal
From all I may be, I have been before,
To mingle with the Universe, and feel
What I can ne’er express, yet cannot all conceal.
I was also deeply touched and amused to see I’d written “Byronic Hero” next to the poem’s title. This theme runs through my work, and it was funny to see its inception. The concept impacted me greatly. The Byronic hero is generally rebellious, a contrarian, and often fails in their heroic deeds. I’ve also defined them as doing the wrong thing for the right reason — our favorite fictional assassins come to mind. I love seeing that my 19-year-old self was enamored of this idea, and I’ve pulled that thread through my entire creative life. Thanks, Lord Byron.
Wolf Hall continues to be enjoyable. It’s become my Sunday evening ritual to read the chapters for the week and admire the innovation of the story. At one point, my writer's brain wondered if Hilary Mantel decided to change the POV from third to first, then got bored with that and decided to go with what felt right in the moment because there are plenty of shifts. Sometimes we’re in Cromwell's head, sometimes in the narrator’s. A fun exercise, for sure.
That’s it from me this week. How about you? Was it nutty weather there too? What’s on your reading plate this weekend?
January 14, 2024
Step Four: Research
Welcome back! I’ve missed this series and am excited to get back to work.
I’ve written about research many times over my career—so many that I wasn’t quite sure where to begin. My goal is to help you think outside the box and maybe find a new idea or two about tackling what can sometimes seem like an insurmountable task.
From ride-alongs with patrol offices and homicide detectives to autopsies to visits with FBI profilers and field offices, I’ve spent a lot of time doing hands-on, first-person research with the folks who live the lives I like to write about. For years, I wrote books about characters who knock on people’s doors to deliver bad news or are arriving at a crime scene, and that takes a strong stomach and a lot of humility to execute well.
When I shifted into standalone suspense, I found myself writing from the other side of the door, and, naturally, my research changed. I was diving deep into the lives of the people whose doors are knocked upon and telling their stories, which usually centered on turning their worlds upside down.
I still had a deep knowledge base to lean on, and I have law enforcement components in almost all my books, but I needed to broaden my horizons. My characters almost always have something in their lives that I’m fascinated with. That’s what makes the research fun. I like to say I get a Ph.D. with every book—and it’s almost all self-directed education. Whether it’s an Olympic-level skier, a writer, an artist, an assassin, an architect, a headmaster, a cop, or an astronaut, I have to learn who they are from the inside out and become a temporary expert in their chosen field in the process.
How? Primary, secondary, anecdotal, and online research.
