M.L. Erdahl's Blog

Mt St Helens and How the Outdoors Influenced my Writing

Because my main character Crystal Rainey is a wilderness guide, I’m often asked if I’m an avid outdoorsman. Indeed, I have spent a lifetime camping, hiking, and getting into all sorts of mischief in the forests of the Pacific Northwest and it has become the bedrock for my settings.

I’ve reached into the deep recesses of my memory, and pulled out the very first recollection I have of camping with my family. Below is a first-hand account of a moment in history that I brushed a little too close to for comfort. 

Forty years ago, my family chose a dubious course of action prior to the Mt. St. Helens eruption. I remember my parents and extended family members discussing that a mountain was erupting soon and why don’t we check it out? I should have asked, “Pray tell, why are we planning a camping trip in the shadow of an imminently exploding volcano?” However, I did not, because it was only weeks until my fifth birthday and I assumed the tall people around me were guided by wisdom.

My parents loaded our station wagon, and we met the rest of the clan at a campground. I’m sure I did the usual kindergarten-age camping stuff; throwing rocks in the river, digging in the dirt, and roasting marshmallows. Nonetheless, these mundane activities were not burned into my brain forever.

What I do recall, was a Park Ranger storming into our campsite in the middle of the night, shouting “You have to get out of here! The mountain is erupting!” My parents, two sisters, and I leapt from our sleeping bags. A pattering noise on the outside of our old canvas tent elicited disappointment, since I assumed it was raining.

Our Family Car Covered in Ash

Much to my delight, instead of rain, I discovered a powder floating down from the sky. In my limited experience, the only solid white substance that fell from the sky was snow, and that meant good times.

My frantic parents tossed us in the car, followed by our hastily broken down tent and camping gear. My sisters and I discussed how cruel it was to be forbidden from frolicking outside, even if it was still dark. We caravanned with the rest of the extended family to a nearby picnic shelter. Dawn arrived, everyone gathered under the protection, and broke out the beer and cards–because that’s what you do in the event of a natural calamity.

“Mom, can I go play in the snow?” I gazed out at the accumulation. This was going to be fun.

“It’s not snow, honey. It’s ash.”

Ash. Snow. Whatever. “Can I?”

“I suppose. Who’s turn is it to deal?” My mother turned back to the game of Milles Bornes that had begun.

The snowfall wasn’t nearly as cold as I remembered snow feeling, and when I gazed up at the sky it drifted into my eyes. “Ow. Mom, the snow hurts.”

“That’s because it’s ash. Come here.” I should have expected something was up. My mother was a nurse, and wasn’t afraid to practice on me. Soon, water was poured into my eyes to wash out the grit. Afterward, I was sent back out to play, with admonishments to not look up. No problem there. I had learned my lesson.

After enough cards and beer had been enjoyed, my family headed home. We have a plethora of jars filled with pumice, as well as photos of our family car covered in ash as souvenirs. 

As I aged, I was proud to have partaken in a moment in history. As I grew even older, I realized two things. How foolhardy it was to drive toward an erupting volcano, and ash makes lousy snowballs.

If Mt St Helens didn’t scare me away from the outdoors, nothing would. In the following years, I managed to get a chip of rock in my eye from throwing one stone at another. The eyepatch I got to wear for two weeks was a great conversation starter when school began. I also bruised my sternum falling off a log, split open a knee bad enough that I still have the scar decades later, and broke my arm crashing a three-wheeler. Either my dexterity improved over the years, or my wisdom grew, as the injuries and near death experiences have ceased, and now I just enjoy the outdoors—and write about other people dying in them. 

Do’s and Don’ts of Writing Cozy Mysteries

Dos of Writing Cozies

Do learn how to write. Skip this step at your own risk or be forced to deal with heartache, because once you are armed with the proper knowledge, you’ll have to rewrite an entire novel. There are numerous books on the subject, local writing associations, and conferences that are dedicated to teaching potential authors the craft of storytelling. These sources teach important fundamentals such as the three story act, the development of characters, the importance of setting, as well as the all important writing commandment Show Don’t Tell. 



Do read various cozy mystery authors. Win-win! You get to read your favorite cozies, but tell everyone that you’re doing it for research purposes. The best part—it isn’t even a lie. Reading authors in the genre help you develop your own instinct as to what belongs when imagining your own story.



Do imagine your main character’s personality in extensive detail. If you are passionate about baking, maybe make that your main character’s profession. Dog walking, innkeeper, tour guide, bounty hunter, and my own main character Crystal Rainey’s profession, wilderness guide—the options are endless. However, a character isn’t defined by their job alone. Are they brave and determined? Foolhardy and adventurous? What idiosyncrasies do they have? Think of the television show Monk—Tony Shaloub’s character suffered from OCD, but that personality difference made him memorable. My main character can’t lie under pressure. When confronted by a suspect, she invariably suffers a brain freeze, and can’t come up with convincing lies. It isn’t an ideal trait to have if you’re an amateur sleuth nosing around in other people’s business, but it makes for some humorous interactions.



Do develop your setting. Is it a quaint fictitious town? Then populate it with quirky, fun characters and interesting businesses. Maybe there is a grouchy old man missing an eye, but every Halloween he puts on an eyepatch and decorates his home to look like a pirate ship while handing out full-sized candy bars. Dig deep and flesh these characters out, because they will become like old friends to the reader, who look forward to their appearance time and time again. Remember my advice about reading other authors? Carlene O’Connors Death in an Irish Village is a prime example as to how the reader can be transported to a new location with an author’s words. I wanted nothing more than to sit in the pub, eating brown bread, sipping Guinness, and watching the murder case unfold. The setting is important to imparting the cozy in your mystery. Make a reader snuggle up with your book and imagine interacting with your cast of characters wherever your story takes place.



Do introduce the murder victim and summarily kill them off. Don’t be shy! Just finish them off in whatever manner you please to get the mystery started. Ideally, this needs to be in the first ten percent on the novel. The murder is a call-to-action for all cozy readers, who want to solve the murder along with the amateur sleuth. Engage your audience so they can begin looking for clues alongside the sleuth. 



Do get your main character started by laying out a trail of clues—or are they red herrings? Whether it is a juicy bit of gossip, a suspect caught lingering around the scene of the crime, or news wheedled out of law enforcement, information will be interpreted by your main character. Some of this will be true clues that assist in solving the crime. Other tidbits may be either misunderstood by your sleuth, or sometimes intentionally left by a suspect to throw them off the trail (Remember—If the clue giver turns out to be the murderer, they aren’t above a little deception to cover it up!). These pieces of evidence not only propel the story forward, but keep the readers pondering the meaning of each new hint you choose to share with them.



Do culminate your cozy murder mystery with the solving of the crime. There is no secret how cozy mysteries will end. The main character corners the suspect and ensures they are turned into law enforcement. The predictability of the outcome isn’t the point. The important part of the story is the journey you took to get there. If you’ve pulled this off perfectly, the reader will close the book with a smile and say, “Oh, I didn’t see that coming, but it makes so much sense!” This feat of writing is accomplished by synthesizing the clue drops and red herrings into a satisfying climax. If you’ve laid a false trail, reveal why it wasn’t the real deal and how the reader could have determined that. Most important, you have to leave a realistic way for the reader to have sussed it out. After all, that’s why they bought the ticket for this ride in the first place.

Don’ts of Writing Cozy Mysteries

Don’t get complacent when motivating your main character. One of the common complaints about cozies is, “Why is the main character even investigating in the first place?!” Seriously, who stumbles onto a dead body, and declares, “How fun! I want to get involved in this situation.” However, while all genres benefit from what is called a suspension of disbelief from its fans, you can’t get lazy. Cozy readers will accept an amateur sleuth investigating and solving a crime, but only to an extent. As an author, it is your job to make it plausible that your main character needs to solve this particular crime. Is their bed and breakfast shut down until the murder is solved? Are they the primary suspect? Both of these could be strong motivators. If you gloss over this step, the reader may give up on the story even if it continues into a masterfully written mystery. 



Don’t reveal the murderer to be an obscure character that the reader will need to flip backward in the book to recall. This infuriates cozy mystery fans, and they won’t pick up your next book. If your murderer is Susan Smith mentioned briefly on page eight, I don’t blame them for giving up, either.



Don’t let the crime steer the story in a dark direction. How do you keep a macabre subject like murder in the proper tone? Have the crime happen off-scene. The protagonist can stumble upon the body, or hear about it from other characters. This spares the reader from experiencing the act itself. I loved CSI-Las Vegas as much as the next person, but the main character of a cozy is an amateur sleuth, and doesn’t have access to police resources. Therefore, don’t have them sift through a gruesome murder scene looking for clues. If you start going into grisly details or forensic procedures, you are venturing towards the police procedural genre.



Don’t include explicit sex. Intimacy can be part of a cozy, but needs to happen off-camera. This can be accomplished by cutting a scene before the characters retire to the bedroom and picking up at the breakfast table the next morning. A good reality check—If you’re embarrassed for your parents to read your material, you might have wandered into the romantic suspense genre.



Don’t be trite. There are a lot of cozy mystery tropes that readers have come to expect. Cuddly pets, love triangles, cops who threaten the sleuth for being too nosy, overheard conversations, etc… If written well, these are classic hallmarks of the cozy genre. If they are done poorly, they come across as tired cliches that make for a boring read. Therefore, ponder how to either put a unique spin on the topics or even breaking the trope altogether. Maybe the main character’s best friend is an absolutely atrocious baker and everyone politely chokes down her cookies throughout the entire book. An example from my series is my main character’s cat named Elf. Instead of being a sweet part of the setting, Elf (Evil Little Feline) is capricious and constantly swiping at people with his claws. Despite this, Crystal loves her cat, which shows her character as being a big softy, like we all are with our own pets. This slight twist of the sweet cozy pet trope gave it fresh life, while also feeling comfortable to the reader. 

I hope these tips help when you decide to put pen to paper. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to reach out to me at author@mlerdahl.com or through social media. I’m on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

If you make the leap from reader to author, I urge you to check out a local writing association, and start connecting with others through social media. The writing community is possibly the most positive, supportive bunch of people you will ever meet. Complete strangers will offer advice, encouragement, and support, and often end up being life long friends.

Laughing in the Face of Danger

Mt St Helens

Forty years ago, my family chose a dubious course of action prior to the Mt. St. Helens eruption. This particular event stands out in my memory since I was way too close for comfort.

I remember my parents and extended family members discussing that a mountain was erupting soon and why don’t we check it out? I should have asked, “Pray tell, why are we planning a camping trip in the shadow of an imminently exploding volcano?” However, I did not, because it was only weeks until my fifth birthday and I assumed the tall people around me were guided by wisdom.

My parents loaded our station wagon, and we met the rest of the clan at a campground. I’m sure I did the usual kindergarten-age camping stuff; throwing rocks in the river, digging in the dirt, and roasting marshmallows. Nonetheless, these mundane activities were not burned into my brain forever.

Our Family Car covered in ashImmortalizing our Foolishness

What I do recall, was a Park Ranger storming into our campsite in the middle of the night, shouting “You have to get out of here! The mountain is erupting!” My parents, two sisters, and I leapt from our sleeping bags. A pattering noise on the outside of our old canvas tent elicited disappointment, since I assumed it was raining.

Much to my delight, instead of rain, I discovered a powder floating down from the sky. In my limited experience, the only solid white substance that fell from the sky was snow, and that meant good times.

My frantic parents tossed us in the car, followed by our hastily broken down tent and camping gear. My sisters and I discussed how cruel it was to be forbidden from frolicking outside, even if it was still dark. We caravanned with the rest of the extended family to a nearby picnic shelter. Dawn arrived, everyone gathered under the protection, and broke out the beer and cards–because that’s what you do in the event of a natural calamity.

“Mom, can I go play in the snow?” I gazed out at the accumulation. This was going to be fun.

“It’s not snow, honey. It’s ash.”

Ash. Snow. Whatever. “Can I?”

“I suppose. Who’s turn is it to deal?” My mother turned back to the game of Milles Bornes that had begun.

The snowfall wasn’t nearly as cold as I remembered snow feeling, and when I gazed up at the sky it drifted into my eyes. “Ow. Mom, the snow hurts.”

“That’s because it’s ash. Come here.” I should have expected something was up. My mother was a nurse, and wasn’t afraid to practice on me. Soon, water was poured into my eyes to wash out the grit. Afterward, I was sent back out to play, with admonishments to not look up. No problem there. I had learned my lesson.

After enough cards and beer had been enjoyed, my family headed home. We have a plethora of jars filled with ash and pumice, as well as photos of our family car covered in ash as souvenirs. 

As I aged, I was proud to have partaken in a moment in history. As I grew even older, I realized two things. How foolhardy it was to drive toward an erupting mountain, and ash makes lousy snowballs.

Writing more Realistic Characters

People (and characters) are resistant to change. They do not wish to break out of what they find comfortable, and will often staunchly defend their position even when evidence to the contrary piles up. Think about sports, beliefs, and politic viewpoints. How hard is it to change the minds of those around you?

To write more realistic characters, you need to ask questions that define why they don’t want to change.

“Do I have problems? Sure I do, but I’m trapped because ____” “I am happy with who I am, because ____” “The greatest failure I can imagine is ____” For more: https://writerunboxed.com/2019/09/04/the-anti-arc/

After defining why they don’t want to change, as a writer you must come up with reasons to push them over the edge. Stacking the consequences against your character can budge them to action. Example: Frodo did not want to leave the Shire, but if he didn’t all of the world, including his home, would be lost.

This information came from a 90 minute course by Donald Maass regarding the inner journey of the character. The inner journey consists of how the character changes or adapts to overcome the obstacles that face them, as opposed to the more concrete outer journey.

The course was taught at The Pacific Northwest Writer’s Association (PNWA) 2019 four day conference. I have attended the last two years, and can say it means a lot to me to be associated with so many writers that I admire, as well as learn from some of the sharpest minds in the writing craft.

Making a Website

The hardest part of being a new author isn’t necessarily writing, but pushing oneself outside of your comfort zone. I have never made a website, and never really wanted to, but if you want to get your book read, you need to have at least a website to help promote it, so here I am. I bought a small book by Rob Cubbon to get the basics, but after that, I’m trying to figure things out as I go. Even this post is my first blog post so I can take the steps necessary to link my “Blog” button to my actual blog. It’s not nearly as easy as you would imagine, but in a way, it is quite thrilling to take on a new challenge.