Step away from your desk, and invariable inspiration will strike – at least that’s how it is for me. I went to watch a fabulous rock covers band in a beautiful pub, last night, and I got chatting to the guitarist. I’ve followed this band for years, and know that this guitarist is a talented lead guitarist, bass guitarist, drummer, and singer. He is also a professional session musician and composer – too much talent for one man, really.

Whilst chatting, he discovered that I’m an author, which intrigued him, and we got chatting about inspiration. We both discovered that we’ve woken up from a dream with inspiration – him for a song, and myself the first scene in ‘Attic of the Mind’. He said he believed creative people are often inspired via dreams – I certainly am through daydreaming, which doesn’t look like work, but I can assure you it is! Neither of us could comprehend how the other one went about planning and devising their composition – and both in awe of the other person’s talent (capital ‘T’ for him, though).

We also chatted about finding it difficult to write/compose music to demand, when our heart isn’t in the project. The further we pull away the harder it is to claw our way back – but we must if other people are relying on the work being done. Having said that, sometimes I find stepping away from a manuscript helps clarity form in my mind, and I can see where I’m going wrong with a certain scene.

Inspiration can strike at inopportune moments – on the dance floor, in the shower, in the supermarket, or hill climbing in Derbyshire, but strike it will, and it is up to us to grasp it – as I am doing with this blog post after last night. However, inspiration for me just gives me the starting point, it’s up to me to spend time planning the arc of the novel, devising the characters (although some appear fully formed as with Walker in ‘Attic of the Mind’), and with the crime genre, keeping track of who is doing what, when. The mind map is an essential part of writing a novel, for me, and I have one written for all the characters (on one sheet) so I can keep an eye on their characteristics, moods, traits, and quirks, to keep the continuity going.

Whatever you are creating, whether it be a novel, a song, or a painting, sometimes stepping away and meeting other like-minded people can spark new ideas for your creativity that might be going through a stale patch. Grab those moments and revel in them – we will all get them, but you must choose to use them.

Happy Word Flow One & All

I finished reading a wonderful novel today – In Her Wake, by Amanda Jennings – and I set about writing a review. Whilst ready to give my 5 star rating, I noticed a few 1 and 2 star reviews, and I took a peek to see what they had to say. On reading them, I wondered whether we had read the same book? But then it occurred to me, we all see novels, films, paintings in a different light to one another – and that’s how it should be as it makes discussions interesting, and full of diverse views.

I then thought about how I view my own work – which is a hard thing to do at the best of times. Sometimes, my writing surprises me in a pleasant way, whilst at other times, all I see is what requires editing or deleting. After four rounds of editing a novel, I can only see flaws, and that isn’t pleasant. Sometimes, a glass of toffee vodka eases the pain – but no more than one, lest the words merge in a blurred fashion.

I read in Dani Shapiro’s book – Still Writing – that she finds it useful to read her work as though she’s someone else, although the imaginary reader has to like the kind of novel you are writing. Invariable, I think of women for my contemporary fiction, and both genders when it comes to my crime novels. Instead of being the reader, though, I pretend I’m reading my work to an attentive audience in a bookshop. They listen to every word but comment and critique once I’ve finished reading. It helps to be alone in the room whilst doing this!

Reading out loud, and ‘seeing’ and ‘hearing’ the reactions of the gathering, lift me far enough away from my writing, to see what’s working and what isn’t – the definition of a ‘helicopter mind’, I believe. It works for me, but maybe not for you? Find you own way of seeing  your work through different eyes – it may open your mind to what’s working and what isn’t. I must say that I have begun perfecting reading to an attentive audience in my head as hubs is semi-retired, and often in the house, so I’ve found a new way to read my work with fresh eyes, in my head.

Thank you for reading this post, and hopefully it’s given you a little food for thought.

Happy Word Flow One & All.

 

 

A warm welcome to author Linda Berry, who kindly agreed to be interviewed for my blog.

This is your debut novel. How does it feel to have it published?

It feels great. It’s a wonderful sense of accomplishment to see the culmination of years of work and endless rewrites in a physical book. It’s not my first novel, but the first to be published, and certainly the most challenging to write. Hidden is a complex story with many characters and interwoven narratives. When it became clear all these stories could not be told in one novel, my publisher, Winter Goose Publishing, recommended we divide it into two parts.

 

What sparked your interest in writing?

I’ve always been an avid reader. I was raised in a military family and we moved around the globe a lot, and while living in Europe, we had no TV, so books became a ready source of entertainment. Reading sparked my interest in storytelling, and at a young age I started writing fairy tales accompanied by drawings of princesses with long flowing gowns. That interest developed over time. I ended up majoring in art, and enjoyed a twenty-five year career as a copywriter and graphic designer.

 

Some of our readers might not know much about Hidden, Part One. Can you tell us a bit about it?

The story takes place in 2006 and follows a young Marine veteran, physically and emotionally wounded, returning home to his Oregon horse ranch from combat in Afghanistan. While recovering, he attempts to make peace with his abusive father, and pull the family horse ranch out of near economic collapse. Layered into Sully’s story are horse theft, murder, and the seeming futility of pursuing the love of an older woman.

The story is interwoven with that of another young man, Justin, his hardscrabble life, and his attempt to rise above poverty by climbing the ranks of bull riding. There are several strong women in the book, who are instrumental in promoting character arcs in the men, and inevitably, in themselves.

 

What inspired you to take on this subject matter?

 After 9/11, like many Americans, I witnessed our rush to invade Iraq and Afghanistan without a cohesive plan, long-term goal, or proper protection for our troops. My heart went out to the brave men and women in uniform who were being subjected to a new kind of warfare—suicide bombers and IEDs—that could take off limbs in the blink of an eye. When they came home, there were no resources for them. Twenty veterans commit suicide everyday. It’s egregious. By making my main character a vet, I could comment on the struggle vets face here on the home front.

 

There’s also the theme of rodeo in your story. How did that fit in?

 I wanted to pay tribute to what I see as a disappearing culture—that of the cowboy, and small ranches that are being swallowed up by the increasing need to expand suburbs into rural areas. Our American heritage grew out of these tough-minded families who settled the west. I wanted to put in a time capsule the culture of folks who are their own bosses, live off the land, are raised on horseback, and are routinely taught to compete in rodeo as a coming of age. The courage and skill it takes to ride a bucking bronc or bull is extraordinary, and these athletes have fewer safeguards and economic rewards than in other professional sports.

 

It’s fair to say that most of your characters are deeply wounded, and searching for purpose in life.

Yes, that’s true. They all have grave emotional issues to overcome. They are the walking wounded, their pain invisible, hidden beneath their carefully arranged expressions: thus the title, Hidden.

 

Why did you choose Oregon as your setting?

 I’m an Oregon transplant of fifteen years. I wanted to write what I know, what I’ve fallen in love with, and that’s the diverse, rugged beauty of this state, and the interesting mix of people that populate it.

 

Talk to us about your writing routine; what does a typical day look like?

Now that I’m retired, I have the luxury of writing every day. I wake up eager to get to work. I take my coffee up to my sunny office that overlooks a peaceful wooded area, and dig in. I immediately go into the “fiction” zone, a realm of true contentment and total absorption. I have, of course, days where the flow hits a wall, and I know I won’t wring anything good out of my “shut down” brain. I never force the creative process. Generally it means I’m analyzing the logistics of something to come, or something I wrote that I’m not satisfied with. What generally helps me break through the logjam is reading. I’ll bury my nose in a good book, and before long, ideas start percolating to the surface.

 

What inspires you to write?

Everything. It’s almost more like a compulsion at this point. I live and breathe writing. No matter where I am, or what I’m doing, part of my brain is analyzing data to see if any of it is useful to my writing projects. I constantly take notes, and routinely draw from them in my writing. My true challenge is pulling myself away from the computer and balancing my life with other activities, and family time.

 

What is your writing process?

I start a book by researching and outlining the main narratives, the characters, the geography, until it comes to life in my imagination. I don’t write out the whole book in a rough draft. I draft one scene at a time, rewarding myself as I go along. The layering in of beautiful details is the fun part. By the time I get a few chapters completed, I come to understand the characters well, at which point they often take over the reins and guide the story for me, and write their own dialogue.

 

What comes next?

Hidden Part Two, and a police thriller called Pretty Corpse will be released later this year. I’m currently working on another mystery/suspense novel called Quiet Scream, which will be released in 2018.

 

 

Final question: do you have any advice for aspiring writers reading this?

Learn how to steel yourself for criticism and rejection. Try not to turn it into something personal. What will please an agent or editor is subjective. Write about something you love, and then your passion will come out in your words. Write often, everyday, if possible. Read, read, read. Mostly your own genre. I read one or two books a week, and I also watch movies and TV productions that tell good stories. I take notes. I have volumes of notes, and refer to them daily.

 

 

Excerpt from Hidden, Part One

 Snow started feathering the windshield as Sully pulled off the highway. With all the hay delivered, the flatbed truck was easier to navigate. He drove a half-mile up Monty’s private driveway and parked in front of the sprawling lodge-style house. Sully sat for a long moment before turning to Travis, whose tense expression matched his own. Something was wrong. Normally three or four barking dogs would have loped across the yard to greet them, and a few horses would be standing at attention in the corral. It was mid-afternoon, yet the porch and yard lights were on, and he noticed numerous sets of boot tracks in the snow traveling between the front door and the barn. That much activity was out of character with Monty’s quiet lifestyle. Sully lifted his pants leg and pulled his Ruger from its ankle holster.

Travis lifted his brows. “You’re walking around armed?”

Sully silenced him with a look. He’d been a civilian for two days. He still thought like a Marine.

With Sully in the lead, they inched along the wall of the house and up the porch to the front door. Sully dipped his head in front of the window and pulled back. A body was sprawled on the floor. He tried the door handle. Unlocked. He threw the door open and pressed himself back against the outside wall. No noise, just a smell he’d grown too familiar with in Afghanistan. Travis caught it at the same time and raised his bandana over his nose. Holding his gun straight in front of him with both hands, Sully entered the warm living room. Travis followed. They surveyed the overturned furniture, opened drawers, and books scattered across the carpet. In the middle of the floor, Monty Blanchert laid face up in a wide pool of dried blood.

Sully made a slow orbit around the room, scanning it in slices, missing nothing, and then he squatted next to the body. From the state of the corpse and the temperature in the room, he guessed the death had taken place within the last three days. The dead man’s eyes were covered by a milky film and stared sightlessly at the ceiling. Bruise marks covered his face, and his bottom lip was swollen and split. Two bullets had pierced his chest. “Jesus. Poor Monty.”

Hidden, Part One in now available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

WWW.lindaberry.net

https://www.facebook.com/linda.berry.94617

Twitter: lindaberry7272

Email: lindaberrywriter@gmail.com

Thank you for your interesting interview, Linda.

May I introduce you to the cover of my latest contemporary novel – ‘The Reluctant Mother’, due to be released on the 7th May 2017.

Postnatal psychosis strips Colette of her early time with her baby, shreds her sanity, and almost destroys her marriage. When suicide seems the only option, Colette must face her limitations and move forward with demons clinging to every aspect of her life, whilst desperately trying to hold on to what she dearly loves.

I thoroughly enjoyed writing this novel as it centres around a small group of characters, some laced with mental-health issues, and follows the dark deeds some people will do to attain what they want in life, regardless of how it affects those around them.

Research is something I enjoy when writing a novel, although I can be distracted by it at times, and spend far too much time reading interesting articles instead of writing. This topic was fascinating,  albeit a very distressing condition for the sufferers and those around them. The novel, however, tends to dwell on the relationships and interaction between those on the periphery of the illness, not just on Colette’s condition.

I hope that this short post and the book cover has piqued your interest. Thank you for your visit here.

Happy Word Flow One & All

This is me New Year’s Eve, welcoming in 2017 and all the possibilities that come with the dawning of a brand new year – which will hopefully be brighter and more positive in many ways for One & All.

At this point, in the photo, I had no notion of any New Year’s Resolutions I wanted to make, but on a cold, dark morning, seven bumbled into my head, which I duly noted down in my diary.

What are they? I hear you ask. Although I’m not willing to share them all , as they are not all relevant to this blog –  I can share the one that is. I would like to spend more time reading this year – and by that I mean novels, not books or magazines about writing. I want to feel I can devour more works from different authors, without feeling that I should be focusing on my current WIP. After all, reading does expose me to the craft of writing, a wider vocabulary, and relaxes my mind ready to work on my own projects. I follow numerous book blogs and review sites, hence I have a plethora of paperbacks and Kindle versions lined up for me – so it’s not as though I need to search around for what to read next.

In my writing world, I am completing yet another round of edits of a women’s contemporary novel, whilst continuing to write the next DI Wednesday novel. I have also started planning the next contemporary novel, as just like with reading, I like to have projects lurking in the background so I’m never left hanging around searching for inspiration.

Thank you for following me in 2016, and I hope you continue dropping by in 2017.

Have a joyous, healthy, fun, prosperous, and peaceful New Year and Happy Word Flow One & All.

 

Last night, I finally finished the second round of editing a new novel, allowing the veil of mist to clear from my eyes, to notice the Christmas tree is up and the house is decorated – when did I have the time to do that?

I was keen to get this round of editing completed before the arrival of my daughters from university tomorrow, as time, head-space, and peace will all disappear for a month. They will come home and prod the presents under the tree, enjoy some mulled wine and chocolate, and revel in home comforts and being mollycoddled – which I will delight in doing!

I will still grab snippets of time to work on the dreaded synopsis, aided no doubt, by a few glasses of mulled wine or toffee vodka. I will miss my accustomed writing time – although lately I’ve been getting up at 6 am to edit, so I could still do this before the house erupts into a hive of activity. I won’t be alcohol fuelled at this time of the day, needless to say.

Under the tree, I’ve wrapped more books from my wishlist, to add to my already burgeoning TBR pile. But books are an addiction, and I only feel happy when I have a wide variety of books at hand to read – a safety net for my sanity.

So, have you set your stop-watch ready to countdown to the madness before Christmas Day, where we all run around buying gifts, and too much food to store in your fridge? I hope we can all find a moment to read in peace and allow our frazzled minds to unwind.

I guess this may be my last post before Christmas, as I still have stocking fillers to wrap, so I would like to thank each and every one of you for reading my blog, sharing it, reading my novels, and writing reviews. I’ve met so many wonderful readers at book signing events this year, and I look forward to meeting more of you in 2017.

May I wish you all a Merry Christmas, and may it be a peaceful and loving time for you all.