What readers have wanted to know by donalee Moulton

                                         

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I’ve been doing a lot of book readings and book signings recently. It’s a wonderful opportunity to meet readers and discuss all things mystery. They also keep me on my toes. Here are some questions I’ve been asked recently.

What was the first seed of an idea you had for your mystery book? How did it develop?

 

It started with a bath. I’m a big believer in bubbles, candles, scrubs, essential oils, and music with birds chirping in the background. Friends call this bathroom time my shrine. One night immersed in a lavender cloud I realized it was time to begin writing my mystery. Get off the pot kind of thing. That led me to a litany of possible characters and crimes. Through the mist Riel emerged. Not fully formed but outlined enough that I wrote down my ideas before I even moisturized.

How did you celebrate the publication of your first book?

Sunday dinners are a tradition in our family and at our house. Over the years the faces around the table have changed, but they are all family and friends. It’s not unusual for us to have 10 or more people for dinner, and dinner is a communal process: cooking, cleaning, setting the table, making tea.

Hung Out to Die is dedicated to my 95-year-old godmother. When the first copy of the book was in my hands, three of us decided to surprise her with this inaugural copy and celebrate its publication. As we were sipping tea and finishing the last of dessert, I gave my godmother the book and directed her to the dedication page. She started to cry and without speaking passed the book to the next person at the table. They began to cry. They passed the book on. It made its way around to everyone. Most of us were in tears, even those of us who knew why my godmother cried even before the book reached them.

What a wonderful way to celebrate my first mystery novel.   

How would you describe your writing process? Do you outline? Let the muse lead you? Or something else?

 

I am not a marathon writer. I am a sprinter. I can’t sit and write for hours at a time. I break up my writing by taking a yoga class, soaking up some sunshine, checking email, doing some paid work. I do try to write 1,000 fictional words a day. Some days I achieve this. We don’t need to talk about the other days.

 

I love the idea of plotting out my books from beginning to end. However, the idea remains just that. I have the most basic of plot outlines and work from there, filling in and exploring options as the writing unfolds. When the characters become their own people, I know I’m on the right track.

When you get the edits back from your editor, how do you work through that process?

I’m a firm believer in the importance and power of editing. When I get an edited anything back – novel, article, short story – I read through the comments and take some time to think about them. Then I dive in. Often I agree with the editor; sometimes there is a compromise. Always the writing is better for another set of eyes. 

What books have influenced you as a writer? 

When I was about eight or nine, a next-door neighbor tossed me a Nancy Drew book. She thought I might like it. I sat on the curb between our two houses and read the entire book cover to cover. I loved the puzzle, figuring out who dunnit, and being propelled into a world outside my own. 

That same year someone gifted me Charlotte’s Web, and my life was forever changed. Not only could words transport you to new worlds, they could become a part of your heart, change you in ways you could not have imagined. I wanted to do that.

 

What is the best piece of advice about writing that you have ever heard or read? What would you tell aspiring writers today? 

Write. This sounds simple. Many days it isn’t. Some call this dedication, others devotion. I’m not sure it matters what it’s called as long as it happens. You will never be a better writer, you will never write another book if you don’t sit down in front of your computer screen and begin to put words in front of you.