I’m writing my tenth novel right now and have a contract
for two more with a solid, reputable, traditional publisher. In looking back, I
never would have forecasted that I’d be charging this strong at this stage in
my life, in my second career, with not only that many mysteries behind me but also
an endless list of stories to tell awaiting me up the road.
My
biggest fear is that my mental faculties fail me somewhere downstream, and I
cannot write stories anymore. I finally found a profession I hope to never
retire from.
Invariably,
when I speak to bookstores, libraries, book clubs, and writing conferences, I’m
asked about my routine, my habits, and my beliefs in how a writer ought to
pursue the business. Time after time I explain how writing is a personal
decision, with personal conclusions on how to write and find happiness in the
journey.
But like
Stephen King and Kurt Vonnegut and all the other famous authors have their
mantras about success, over the twenty years I’ve been writing, I’ve developed
statutes of my own. . . some shared with other authors and others of my own
making.
1)
Write
daily. If I’ve learned anything about writing, it’s that the consistent
habit or reporting to work results in better writing, more writing, and quicker
growth as a writer. Some argue about muses and replenishing the energy to which
I say sorry. If you write for a living, you report to work. Some days are
easier than others, but isn’t any job? Teachers, doctors, and engineers don’t
go home because they’re having a hard day.
2)
Only read
good writing. I don’t want my mind crowded with poor stories. The more
brilliant writing I can read in my short lifetime, the more polished I become
as a writer. Why? Because that wonderful prose and storytelling genius sticks
in my head instead of a slurry of excessive adverbs and passive voice.
3)
Give back
with critiques. I never would have improved without critique groups. Giving
my all in red-penning a manuscript made
me hunt for mistakes, and that effort made my eye keener for spotting them in
my own work. One may argue that if I only read good work, why would I critique immature
work. Truth is, it takes a different section of your brain to critique than it
does to read for enjoyment.
4)
Avoid
passive voice. Sounds simple enough, but it’s not easy. First, you have to
become familiar with recognizing it, which many writers are not. Passive voice
dilutes the storytelling. It’s the epitome of telling instead of showing.
5)
Read
aloud. After beating up a chapter on the screen, I print it off and read it
aloud to someone. An option would be to have someone read it aloud to you,
while you follow along. This habit catches way more mistakes than editing just
on your computer. Then when I’ve completed an entire manuscript, I take a whole
day, if not parts of two days, and read the book aloud. At this stage you look
not only for glaring grammar mistakes, but check also for voice, flow, and
story.
6)
Keep the
pace moving. Both narrative and dialogue should propel the story forward.
If you aren’t sure if a phrase, paragraph, or chapter contains strong, forward
movement, then strongly question whether it’s needed.
7)
Use tags
only when needed. Beats and narrative identify the speaker while helping
you keep the story moving. And when you use tags, keep them extremely simple,
like said and ask.
8)
End each
and every chapter with a hook. It doesn’t have to be a cliff-hanger, but
the story should stop at a place that makes a reader strongly question what
comes next. You want to hear that readers have stayed up all night reading your
book.
9)
Don’t
talk openly about your pending story. Your story could change. You might
not finish it. But most of all, you’ll sap the energy out of the story before
you’ve written it. New writers are the most guilty of broadcasting what they
are doing and how they are doing it, because they are eager for feedback. Keep
your tale to yourself until it’s completed and ready to be promoted.
10) Accept feedback with intelligent discretion.
The mature writer willingly accepts feedback, and unemotionally sifts through
it for worthiness. Then they either use it or discard it without a second
thought. The day you can eagerly welcome feedback and use it with only your
story’s improvement in mind, is the day you’ve climbed the ladder.
Good writing takes time. It
takes seasoning. Nobody is a born natural, and every successful writing reached
their pinnacle from hard work. Study their habits. Analyze their work. Then
steadily write, ever with improvement in mind. You will get better. You will
find self-satisfaction. And you will build a readership. Serious readers always
gravitate to the strong writer, and the strong writer paves his own road.
BIO:C. Hope Clark is the
award-winning author of the Carolina Slade Mysteries and the Edisto Island
Mysteries. During her career with the US Department of Agriculture, she met and
married a federal agent-now a private investigator. She plots murder mysteries at
their lakeside home in South Carolina, when she isn’t strolling Edisto Beach.
Find our more about her at chopeclark.com
LINKS
BOOK BLURB
One
death. Two detectives. And unexpected backup.A Callie Morgan and Carolina Slade crossover, standalone mystery!
When a renowned—and now dead—travel blogger washes ashore on the banks of Indigo Plantation, Edisto Beach Police Chief Callie Morgan agrees to head the investigation as a favor to the county sheriff, whose reasons are as questionable as the death itself. When death turns to murder and a watchdog from the county makes her investigation difficult, Callie reluctantly turns to Carolina Slade and Wayne Largo, vacationing agents with the Department of Agriculture.
Because poison is growing on this plantation and someone knows how to use it well.
TESTIMONIALS
Murder,
corruption, and page-turning intrigue are usually the elements that shine the
brightest in mysteries like Hope Clark’s latest Dying on Edisto. But it’s the characters
that bring a vivid literary element to Clark’s prose and create a strong
emotional response to their tangled lives. The scenic town of Edisto Beach is
peopled with a modern-day pirate claiming to be a descendent of Blackbeard, a
degenerate travel blogger, a yoga teacher who drives a baby blue vintage Benz
convertible, a mixed race waitress and her matriarchal grandmother, and a whole
slew of wealthy and crooked good ole boys. Leading the cast are two strong
female protagonists—a police chief and an investigator with the Department of
Agriculture. Did someone say hemlock? —Susan Cushman, author of Cherry Bomb and editor of
Southern Writers on Writing"In a plot as complicated as the numerous waterways that create Edisto Island in South Carolina, C. Hope Clark has combined the characters from her two series to solve the murder of a renowned travel blogger. They mystery requires all of their detective skills and blends the two mystery worlds in a page-turning standalone. The story opens with a floater and progresses with edge-of-your-seat action. Prepare to be absorbed by Clark's crisp writing and compelling storytelling. This is one you don't want to miss!"--- Carolyn Haines is the USA Today bestselling author of three mystery series. She is the author of over 80 books and has received numerous writing awards.
Hope Clark converges her sleuths, Carolina and Callie Jean, on Edisto Island for the finale, Dying on Edisto, concluding her two murder mystery series. Slews of fans always awaited these highly addictive and superbly penned novels - grabbing you from the first page and not letting go until the last. A pristine, sleeper sea island, two determined masters of law who butt heads, a mystery corpse from Atlantic waters, a few idiosyncrasies along the way - the absolute best cast and plot for an intense coastal thriller. ~Karen Carter, Owner, Edisto Bookstore
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