|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
|
 |
Winter, 1999
Volume 4, No. 2 Given how different writers are from one another, it's amazing they produce objects as similar as books. Some writers must have the latest technology; some would use quill pens if they could. Some find dialogue easy, while others labor over it. So it comes as no surprise to discover that the four of us differ on what's easiest and hardest about writing.
Valerie Wolzien It's so easy to start a book. Chapter One are two of my favorite words. When I press the tab key to indent the first line of the first paragraph, anything is possible. This will be my best book. My characters will sparkle. My plot will confound. My writing will be elegant. And, above all, the words will flow easily from beginning to end. But I don't outline, so, while the process of writing is accompanied by exploration and the excitement of figuring out who did what and why, it does tend to slow down as the pages pile up. It's so hard to end a book. The last month spent on a manuscript is miserable. I reread the whole thing, outline what I've written to see what direction I've been traveling, and cover the large window near my computer with Post-It notes reminding me of various bits and pieces of plot. Somehow, it all gets finished and, happy again, I put it in the mail to my editor. After all, it's time to start on Chapter One again. Valerie Wolzien's latest Susan Henshaw mystery is The Student Body. The next Josie Pigeon mystery, This Old Murder, will be out in July 2000. E-mail her at valerie@wolzien.com.
Lee Harris Hardest to write is easy: it's dialogue. I want my dialogue to sound right, be interesting, catchy, crisp, all those good things, and it ain't easy. Cops have to sound like cops, mothers like mothers, children like children. I work a lot harder on that than on anything else. Sometimes as I'm writing I see in front of me a page of very short lines of dialogue and I start to wonder. Should each character be saying more? Is it trite? Does it sound like soap opera? Is it snappy as well as short? It's a constant worry. So what's easy? I guess the personal things come easiest for me—Chris's reflections on family, the past, what's going on right now, what's coming up in the future. Also her worries and concerns about herself, her husband, her child, her friends. Those passages just seem to flow from my fingertips. So do love scenes, although I don't do them very often. What does it all mean? Just that I can never stop listening to how people talk. Lee Harris's newest book is The Father's Day Murder. Look out for The Mother's Day Murder next April. She can be e-mailed at MysMurder@aol.com.
Jonnie Jacobs Writing is hard work—rewarding but emotionally draining. Some days I embrace it willingly; other days I have to force myself to the computer. But certain phases of the writing process come more easily than others. Easiest for me, or at least the most natural, is dialogue. Unlike some authors who see their stories unfolding, I hear my characters. My first draft of a scene or chapter is usually nothing but dialogue. I use this to block out the action—both the information to be imparted to the reader and the emotional valence of the characters' interactions. I then rewrite heavily for substance, word choice, rhythm, stage action, descriptive details, and all the rest. What I find most difficult is the ending. I know who the killer is when I start, but usually haven't worked out how that will be revealed to the sleuth and the reader. In addition, several subplots and many loose ends generally have to be tied up. I like endings that are suspenseful and powerful, but believable. And that's a challenge. Jonnie's newest, Motion to Dismiss, is the third in her Kali O'Brien series. The latest in her Kate Austen series, Murder Among Us, is now available in paperback. Look for the 4th Kate Austen book, Murder Among Strangers, in March 2000. Jonnie can be reached at jonnie@jonniejacobs.com.
Lora Roberts Let's see. I need to put on some wash. What's for lunch? It's only 9:30 a.m., but I need to know. The men will want dinner; what shall I cook? Isn't there a conference form I need to fill out? What about that stuff for the web page? As you can see, the hardest part of writing for me is actually sitting down to do it. I have the best intentions, but my time seems to pass in a blur of errands and busywork until it's too late to write—might as well read, or play a few hands of computer bridge instead, or do some catalog shopping. When I do write, the process seems slow and painful. Once I manage to actually get to the end of a writing project, the easiest thing is revising. It's a great chance to clean up embarrassing mistakes in my text, tighten up dialogue, and get rid of those pontificating internal monologues that slow everything down. I also try to eliminate the overpowering instances of passive voice that creep into my writing. Since I have already shoveled the unwieldy heap of clay, reworking it seems easy by comparison. Lora's next Liz Sullivan book, Murder Follows Money, will be out in May 2000. Her previous Liz books, including the most recent Murder Crops Up, are still available. E-mail: myslora@pacbell.net.
Lee Harris ~ Jonnie Jacobs ~ Lora Roberts ~ Valerie Wolzien ©2005-06 by Lee Harris, Jonnie Jacobs, Lora Roberts and Valerie Wolzien. |
