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Sneaking in writing when you have no time

04 Jan

Gearing up to write

I’m back after a two-week break, some of it ostensibly to do some writing. But I had to spend a lot of it dealing with house and property issues related to all the snow and cold weather. But – yes, another but… I did start my next Beyond mystery novel. Just had to get something down with all the ideas swirling around in my mind. And i am glad the ideas were coming.

Which gave me an idea to spread around to those of having difficulty finding time to sit down and just write.

First of all, who says you have to be sitting down at your laptop? You write from your soul, from your whole being. And as I just proved, from what swirls around in your head. So why not write while you are busy doing other things? Things like vacuuming, standing in line at the grocery store (unless you have all your groceries delivered), waiting for that bus or subway or actually travelling on that busy or subway, waiting in line to gas up the car, and yes, even shovelling snow. Basically doing tasks that don’t involve major calculations and the like from your brain.

Let your mind go (no, not crazy), Don’t even try to think about what you could write. But it does help to give your brain a quick nudge that you want a story idea and voila, as you push that snow or go for that walk, ideas will start to come into your mind. Think I’m nuts. Earlier this morning  an idea for a new short story started going through my mind. I told myself that was all very well, but I needed an idea for this blog post one right away popped into my brain. And so here it is.

While I am making time to write this – it is my day of the week for this- you might not be in a position to do so. Well, keep the idea alive in your head although you will probably find you don’t have to push it. The story idea will stay there to develop – even if you have to concentrate on something else, like pay for your groceries. The idea will return and may keep haunting you until you do something about it. That is how my new Beyond novel got started.

So, you will have to find time eventually to sit down and get writing. But in the meantime, let the story evolve and run around in your brain. It is certainly more pleasant than shovelling snow  and complaing about it.

Cheers

Sharon A, Crawford

Below is the cover of my latest Beyond book – Beyond Faith. Click on it and it should take you to Amazon and a book review.

 

 

 

 
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Posted by on January 4, 2018 in Beyond Faith, Sharon A. Crawford, Writing, Writing Time

 

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Just Write

08 Dec

How I feel some days lately

Tuesday I decided I had had enough of trying to get all the client and other not-my-writing work done. I was behind in it all and not keeping to schedule anyway. So I played hooky that afternoon

And sat in front of the desktop PC, just daring it to blue screen on me. (It didn’t then) and dived into rewriting my memoir. It had stewed in its file for a few years. It was time to return to it. I did have a deadline of sorts – submit the first 10 pages to the Writer in Residence at the Toronto Reference Library – in January. That’s when the submission time frame opens.

It was on my schedule to get back to the memoir during the two weeks I’m taking off from client work (and all the other madness – book PR, etc.) Instead,  there I sat Tuesday afternoon reading some of my memoir’s beginning, did some rewriting, did some deciding what needs changing or deleting, did some deleting. It was wonderful to be able to just write, even though it was rewriting. It was my creative stuff.

I am back to the other stuff in my business – client work, book promo, trying to get writing teaching gigs ,etc.. But I have discovered what the big time stealer is and yes, some is related to clients or wannabee clients.

E-mail. All the frigging email I get. I still want my email programs and accounts to work, but I don’t want to spend so much time on it answering everybody’s queries, doing this and that for everybody (“everybody” is a generic term here). So, I’ve started giving my notice – during those two weeks, December 19 to January 2, I’m going off the work grid. I’ll answer family and friends email, do my blogs, and Facebook and Goodreads.

But work stuff – emails related to that arriving while I’m taking my break – they will sit in the pending folder until after January 2. And after that it will depend on who is emailing – the clients whose work I’m getting back to –  any querries for book promo and teaching writing – those will get priority.

But for those two weeks, I will do what I haven’t been doing too much of – read, see family and friends.

And Write!

A writer has to get her priorities straight.

And for those who might be wondering – yes there will be a fourth Beyond book – ideas and plots and characters are running round in my mind. So, some of that will have to get on the computer soon.

Maybe I will wish that my main Beyond character PI Dana Bowman was actually doing some of the writing.

How do you deal with all the other stuff in your life getting in the way of your writing?

Comments, please.

Cheers.

Sharon A. Crawford

The real me

 
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Posted by on December 8, 2017 in Beyond Faith, Rewriting, Writing, Writing Time

 

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Keeping track of fiction queries and submissions

30 Nov

Sharon’s latest Beyond mystery.

We writers spend a lot of time writing – short stories, novels, novellas. We hone our story; we revise; we get feedback; we get it edited by a professional editor – all or some of those.

Then we send it out to a magazine to a publisher with a cover email or letter.

And then we hope, forget about it and move on to the next story.

Not quite. Something is missing. We need to put on our administrator hat and keep track of where we are sending our stories. If we don’t, we can easily forget when and maybe even where. This was brought up at the meeting of my East End Writers’ Group meeting last evening. We were talking about marketing and our newest member, a guy in his thirties talked about using spreadsheets to keep track where he sent out his writing. That reminded me of how I used to do it – not just for short stories but when I freelanced as a journalist, article ideas I pitched. Except I used tables in Word. Excel and I don’t get along too well.

There are several good reasons for doing this type of what we used to call “paperwork.” One biggie is called follow-up. If you don’t keep records of where you send what, it will suddenly dawn on you that you haven’t heard back from… and now where did I send it….(maybe the latter) about so-and-so story. So you decide to follow-up. Presuming you do remember where you sent it, you probably won’t remember when. Writing a follow-up email (or letter – there are still a few print magazines that don’t accept electronic submissions) saying something like “I’m following up on my “so-and-so” short story which I sent you sometime a few months ago…”

Sound svery professional doesn’t it? We writers have to be professional, not just in our actual writing, but in our dealings with publications and their editors. Keeping track of our stories and queries is one way to be professional. You may not want to get into Excel spreadsheets or even Word tables, and there is probably a software program for this function, but just doing a list in Word can be sufficient. Just the title of the short story, where sent (publication, editor’s name and contact info), the outcome (which could include if you have to do a followup, or the publication’s yes or no).

It also wouldn’t hurt to do what I do – I list other possibilities for sending the story, in case the first one says “no.” And as I find more info, I add it to the list.

So take some time to do this. Set it up and as soon as you send/email in a story or query, record the details.

Meantime, I’m doing something totally non-administrative early this evening. Doing a public reading from Beyond Faith, my latest Beyond mystery novel.

If you are in the Greater Toronto, Ontario, Canada area you might like to drop in to the Urban Folk Art Salon. It’s not just me, but also my colleague Michael Robert Dyet whose book Hunting Muskie Blue Denim Press launched the same time as my Beyond Faith. Plus four other performers/presenters including two folksingers  Brian Gladstone and Glen Hornblast  It’s at a public library and is free. Check it out on my Beyond Faith page – scroll down – it’s there – at least until after the event is over.

Cheers.

Sharon A. Crawford

 

 

 
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Posted by on November 30, 2017 in Author Reading, Beyond Faith, Business of Writing, Sharon A. Crawford, Writing

 

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When Your Fiction Characters take over

09 Nov

Dana Bowman from the Beyond mystery series

Fiction characters taking over writing your novel or short story is usually seen as a good sign that your characters are developing.

But where do you draw the line?

For the past couple of years I have been dressing  up as my main Beyond mystery novel character, Dana Bowman, and do short comedy skits at libraries, cafes, etc. In the past few months, when rewriting Beyond Faith for my publisher, Dana has been taking over. It is like I am channeling her.

This isn’t the first time that was picked up. A few months after the previous Beyond novel – Beyond Blood – was published, I was interviewed on the Liquid Lunch on thatchannel. com. Sandra, one of the interviewers said it was like i was channeling my characters. Hmm. Around about the time I started doing skits featuring Dana.

But now Dana is claiming to have written Beyond Faith? What? We have internal discussions about that. Right now I’m letting her think she co-authored Beyond Faith with me. Really, it is my name on the book cover, although she gets mentioned on the back cover – in the book synopsis.

Internal discussions may be the key word to some sort of sanity. Or if out loud in the privacy of your writing space, your office, your home. You don’t want to be like the pour soul on the subway last evening.

He was a young fellow in a hoodie carrying a backpack. Which could be a red flag. He was running back and forth to the different subway cars – something not allowed on the old subway cars with actual doors between cars. As he entered the cars he would look at someone and carry on a conversation about something that made no sense. Then he would dance around a bit, grab the bar overhead and start swinging. After a few minutes of this, he went into another subway car.

I suspect he was high on something. But what if he was in character? What if he is an author and he was letting his character speak? What if?

Probably not. But it could serve as a guideline of how far not to go with your character acting out. Public transit and public streets no. But if you are a scheduled author presenting at a library or conference, yes, be your character.

And in the privacy of your writing area, yes – if it helps you develop your character, develop  your plot.

There is a fine line between madness and sanity and I’m not sure where authors can safely cross the line.

As for Dana Bowman, I’ll still channel her; I’ll still carry on conversations with her. I will sometimes listen to her.

But I wish she would listen to me sometimes.

The bane of creating characters.

If  you want to see how Dana is invading my life, see the comparisons between the two of us posted on my website here.

And please comment to answer this question. Are your fiction characters taking over writing your plot? How do you feel about that? Is it a help or hindrance to your writing?

Cheers.

Sharon A. Crawford

Here’s the cover of the latest  Beyond mystery novel. Click on the cover to see one of the places the book is available. And as you can see Dana Bowman’s name is not on the cover.

 

 
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Posted by on November 9, 2017 in Beyond Blood, Beyond Faith, Channelling Fiction Characters, Credible Fiction Characters, Fiction Characters, Novel writing, Sharon A. Crawford

 

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Creating Credible Fiction Characters

02 Nov

Dana Bowman from the Beyond mystery series

Creating characters that resonate with your readers, characters that are three dimensional – in other words credible characters – is not always easy. But it can lead you down interesting and unexpected pathways and forge a bond between author and character. Sometimes that bond means the character thinks he or she is writing the story.

That’s what happened with the main character in my Beyond mystery series – PI Dana Bowman. Maybe it’s because as part of my book promo she comes to life when I dress up as her for presentations in libraries,cafes and the like.

I have to keep reminding Dana that is is my  name, not hers, on the book cover as the author.

And we really are not alike, so not the same person – as I keep telling Dana.

Here’s a  character comparison of us on my website

So how do you create credible characters? Do they suddenly appear in your head? Sometimes. Sometimes you get your plot first

Characters can come from real life, your imagination or by osmosis. Here are a few pointers

  1. If you create a character from real life, make sure you use the real person as only a kicking-off point – perhaps how they look, perhaps one distinctive characteristic and create from there.

  2. Don’t steal other authors’ characters – evenly loosely disguised as your so-called character.

  3. Personal experience and knowledge can help in creating and developing characters. but remember you are creating fictional characters for fiction, not writing a memoir.

  4. An oxymoron – fictional characters must come across as real characters, real people, so readers can connect to them.

  5. Once created, characters don’t remain static – they evolve; they change, even in just one short story, and more so in novels, especially series novels.

I have lots more info on this and will be teaching a workshop on Creating Compelling Characters this Sunday, November 5, from 2 p,m. to 4 p.m. with the Toronto Writers Circle at the Toronto Reference area. It is free and open to the writing public. Here is the library info about the group and location. If you live in the general area you might like to join us.

And here is my latest Beyond mystery book. Click on it for more info

Cheers.

Sharon A. Crawford

 

 
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Posted by on November 2, 2017 in Beyond Blood, Beyond Faith, Beyond mystery series, Book Promotion, Credible Fiction Characters, Sharon A. Crawford, Uncategorized, Writing

 

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After the book launch of Beyond Faith

26 Oct

The book launch for Beyond Faith was held by Blue Denim Press on Sunday and while not attracting large crowds, we had people there. And we all enjoyed ourselves. My main book character PI Dana  Bowman and a few more of the quirky characters  – Bast Overture – Dana’s fraternal brother and PI partner, Detective Sergeant Donald Fielding – head of Major Crimes, David, Dana’s son, and a couple of new characters for the novel – Eli Foster and the nameless one all appeared from my reading. And I only read a couple of short excerpts within 15 minutes. But I read as l like to say – putting myself into the characters’ heads and shoes.

 

Photo courtesy Martin Crawford

At least I was awake then (Don’t let that photo here mislead you. I am listening to my friend and apparently trying to sign my book which she bought and looking at something not in the photo.) Unlike now, when I feel like I’m one of the walking dead and Halloween isn’t quite here as I write this. But it was worth it at the book launch.

So what have I learned from this book launch?

Good side – people invited will come – most let you know they are coming but some just show up. And they buy books – some even bought a copy of the previous novel Beyond Blood.

Bad side – those who RVSP’d they were coming, and didn’t bother to let me know that they couldn’t make it after all. Let’s put it this way – I know who you are and my take on you has gone down a notch.

Good side – those who RVSP’s they were coming, then couldn’t at the last minute and let me know. I can understand and accept that. Stuff happens at the last minute. And I won’t bite off your head because you did tell me.

Good side – Meeting and reconnecting with friends including a fellow I worked with in both our first jobs as teenagers (well late teens) for the Ontario Government. I first contacted him via Linked In. So don’t be too quick to complain about Linked In. Thanks to Linked In, I have reconnected with a former editor, a cousin who is now living in Asia. And I have found editing work via Linked In.

Bad Side – More people would have been nice. Beyond Blood and Beyond the Tripping Point brought in more people. But from what I’ve seen with other book launches I’ve gone to this year, evening launches seem to attract the largest number of people.

Good Side – some of those people who couldn’t make the launch because of previous commitments want to buy a copy of Beyond Faith – one already has.

And so the book promotion will continue.

But first I need to catch up on some sleep.

And then start kicking things I “have” to do; things others want me to do – out the window.

But I’ll open the window first.

Cheers.

Sharon A. Crawford

Here’s the book. Click on it for a link to one place the book is available.

 

 

 

 

 

 
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Posted by on October 26, 2017 in Author Reading, Beyond Blood, Beyond Faith, Beyond mystery series, Beyond the Tripping Point, Blue Denim Press, Book Promotion

 

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Beyond Faith – some thoughts on holding the book

06 Oct

As you can see from the picture I finally have a print copy of Beyond Faith in my hands. Actually several copies which the editor at my publisher’s Blue Denim Press just brought here  – some copies for Bouchercon and some for other author events where the publisher or a bookseller isn’t present. It was getting tiring, especially to my bad eyes, to deal with e-copies only. And again as you can see, it shows on my face. That tired look isn’t just from not enough sleep, it is partly because I’ve been getting out invitations to my book launch – again online. My face may be in permanent squint mode.

But to finally hold a copy does fill me with joy and a sense of accomplishment  (despite the clutter behind me in my office). It was a long road of  many revisions, two switches in book launch dates, but it is worth it. One friend said I was really proving myself as an artist. And (this is me, talking), I do get a lot of fun out of it as I can commit murder –  all between the books covers, of course. Another friend I used to work with many many years ago – we connected through Linked In –  is coming to the book launch – we haven’t seen each other in years and years and…

I guess what I’m trying to say to anyone who is writing a book – fiction or non-fiction, a short story, poetry, a play, whatever. The going may be very uphill, not only with the writing, but with getting it published or presented. Don’t give up. Think of yourself holding that book (a real print book – e-books won’t do it) or performing in a play, or… you supply the outcome.

Keep the long-range goal and wish in mind.

And keep on writing.

I plan to follow my own advice – once the book launch is over .

Here is the book cover up close without my sorry face in the way.

Cheers.

Sharon A. Crawford.

 
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Posted by on October 6, 2017 in Beyond Faith, Blue Denim Press, Book launches, Book Promotion, Sharon A. Crawford, Writing

 

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Beyond Faith is here – some author thoughts on writing, rewriting and publishing

28 Sep

Beyond Faith has arrived at Blue Denim Press – my publisher. Soon I will get some print copies in my hands; soon it will be available on both the main Amazon site and the Canadian Amazon site. Check these current links for when. The book launch is still scheduled for October 22 at Supermarket Restaurant and Bar; I’m headed for Bouchercon the big mystery writers conference Oct. 11 to Oct. 15, and etc.

Whew! I need to take a deep breath and think. Think about how an author gets to this stage – at least this author – and how it feels.

This is my third Beyond book but still the elation, wonder and gratitude is there – just like  with the first book, and the second book. Although supposedly I am an old-hand at all this (and that is a myth – you always learn from each book’s writing, each book’s marketing – the whole she-bang). Among other things, with Beyond Faith, I learned a lot about revisions and working with the editor at my publisher’s. Some of you may know that I am also an editor, albeit a freelance one. Sometimes experience on both sides of the fence can be a help; sometimes not. The main thing is to remember which side of the fence you are on at that time. Sure past editing experience may help you with rewriting, but you are not the editor. Having said that, the book editor and the book author must not work at cross-purposes. You have to work together to create the best book possible. I like to think that’s how Shane and I brought Beyond Faith to publication.

The little voice in my head is whispering, “I should hope so – after eight revisions requested by Shane since the first submission. And that’s not counting all the revisions pre-submission and when I made all the changes, additions and deletions with each revision. It doesn’t come with the first try. Revision 1, Revision 2 and so on required several rewrites, only to go back the next day to make more changes to that revision.

In between all this and even during, my mind was whirling around with ideas of what and how. Sometimes I had to go out to my garden and pull weeds; sometime go for a walk, sometimes sleep on it. I don’t think I dreamed up any ideas, but sometimes when I woke up, an idea was there in my mind.

Shane would make suggestions for what needed changing and even say something had to go because it didn’t work. One example is in a scene I  had with David, Dana Bowman’s seven-year-old son, who was out walking the dog, Buddy, with his babysitter. The sitter goes into the drugstore and David and Buddy have a confrontation with a couple of the other characters. Shane pointed out that a seven-year-old, particularly David, wouldn’t talk like that. So, I had to do some rewriting to keep the plot intact but make David, well David. Usually I can do this, but something was definitely off. I was also told to put in more menace to have something frighten David then. And I did.

So while waiting for the publisher to deliver the actual print book author copies, I feel a sense of accomplishment, relief but also some trepidation. Because Beyond Faith now has to sell. And while I love doing book promo, there are never enough hours in the day to do all that I think is needed for that. And I am still learning how to do many of those things.

And do you know what is high on my list of impediments to doing book promo? Same as gets in my way of writing.

Screw-ups and other problems in other areas of my life – especially those caused by what I call “outside” – others screwing up, bad weather and the like. Things like unexpected house repairs, health issues, other people wanting me to do things for them now, late and delayed public transportation, bureaucratic and bank errors – all things that steal from my time.

And yes, they all make fodder for future stories. Some of them are at the basis of some of the happenings in Beyond Faith – all fictionalized, changed to be more menacing than in real life. Sorry, folks, not telling which happenings or even which characters fit that category. I will say that I do have an axe since 2014, but it’s used for chopping the ice that sometimes forms on sidewalks in the winter, not for chopping up people.

Cheers.

Sharon A. Crawford

author of the Beyond mystery series

Sharon holding up the previous 2 Beyond books at WOTS

 
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Posted by on September 28, 2017 in Beyond Blood, Beyond Faith, Blue Denim Press, Characters and plot in fiction, Editing, Rewriting Fiction, Sharon A. Crawford, Writing

 

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Beyond Faith has a Book Launch date

14 Sep

Sharon A. Crawford and Dana Bowman have an announcement to make:

Drum roll…

Book Launch for Beyond Faith is set up and here are the details so far.

Muskie and Murder

Book Launch for Beyond Faith by Sharon A. Crawford

and

Hunting Muskie by Michael Dyet

Presented by Blue Denim Press

Sunday, October 22, 2017

Location: Supermarket Restaurant & Bar,  268 Augusta (in Kensington Market), Toronto, Ontario.

More details as they come and more in a future post on Michael Dyet, the other author whose book is being launched the same day. For  now I’ll just say Michael writes literary fiction and I write crime fiction and that is an interesting mix. Meantime, check out Michael’s website.

Michael is known as The Metaphor Guy.

Sharon A. Crawford mugshot

Cheers.

Sharon A. Crawford

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hey, and Dana Bowman here too.

Dana Bowman PI from Beyond Faith

 

 

 

 
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Posted by on September 14, 2017 in Beyond Faith, Beyond mystery series, Blue Denim Press, Book launches, Book Promotion, Credible Fiction Characters, Electronic Devices and Fiction Writing

 

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Beyond Mystery Serial Part 6 and words from Dana and Sharon

07 Sep

The arrival of Beyond Faith, the third book in the Beyond mystery series is getting closer.

Dana Bowman here. And Sharon A. Crawford, the real author, always here.We have an update. Beyond Faith’s appearance is coming closer.

Dana: Sharon has negotiated for Beyond Faith and Beyond Blood to get into the Dealers’ Room for Bouchercon 2017. New business cards are in the works.

Sharon: And sorry, Dana, you aren’t on them – like my editor would say – no space.

Dana: That’s okay…at least for now for this serial story which could be called Beyond Reason features me . Part 6 follows.

Dana: Fielding, what do you mean some of the characters here don’t exist. David certainly does and so does Ms. Dugan.

Fielding: Look on the floor and tell me what you see.

Dana (looking down): The floor.

Fielding: But what is there on the floor?

Dana: Nothing. Hey, who stole the hooded guy? Oh wait. Sharon made him disappear.

Fielding: Sharon? I  don’t see any Sharon. . .

Dana: Sharon A. Crawford, the author of the Beyond books.

Voice of Sharon: Ah, hah. You are finally admitting it.

Dana: Yes. No. What the hell?

Dana, turning around and looking at Ms. Dugan and David sitting on the office couch: Well, you two are still  here. So you must have seen Sharon make it disappear and then disappear herself?

David: Mommy, Mommy what do you mean? Sharon. She just disappeared. Maybe she took the dead guy?

Ms. Dugan: What dead guy? There is just us here.

Dana, looking around: Where’s Bast? He was just here too.

Ms. Dugan: Never saw him. Just you, David and me, and of course, Sharon.

Dana, scratching her head: What the heck. And I suppose you didn’t see Detective Sergeant Donald Fielding either?

Ms. Dugan: Who?

Dana: The detective who was investigating your brother.

Ms. Dugan: I don’t have a brother.

Dana: Yes, you do.  He was banging on the door here and he was caught coming out of a hardware store carrying a screwdriver which he is alleged to have used in some break and enters. And he was living with you for now.

Ms. Dugan: I live alone.

Dana: Well, if all this is true, then tell me what the hell you are doing here and what have you done with my brother? I… oh my head hurts.

Dana falls to the floor.

TO BE CONTINUED…. MEANTIME:

Check out my website to see what Dana and I  have really been up to. And yes, Beyond Faith is a reality .

Sharon A. Crawford

and

Dana Bowman

Sharon A. Crawford mugshot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dana Bowman mugshot

 

 

 

 
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Posted by on September 7, 2017 in Beyond Blood, Beyond Faith, Beyond mystery series, Book Promotion, Characters and plot in fiction, Detective Sergeant Donald Fielding

 

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