Options by Eric Beetner

  Business - apart from print and ebooks, what other formats have you explored - such as audio books, foreign translations, film rights? Do you have advice for a newbie writer exploring additional income streams from the same book?

I certainly think having your work available in as many format options as possible is a good thing. I know readers who have abandoned print books entirely. I know people who prefer the audio version. I can’t say I have a whole of people in other countries clamoring for my work, but they certainly will never read it without a good translation.

Almost all my books are available in print and ebook format. A few older ones that have been reissued are ebook only as of now, and that is a sticking point with me. As a print reader, I want everything to be available in print. Hardcovers be damned, just so long as I can hold it in my hand.

I love audiobooks. Back when I used to commute to work, I listened to a ton of them. Not so much anymore since my commute these days is from my bedroom to my garage, but I still love a good audiobook and my wife listens to them all the time around the house.

I’ve had very few audio versions of my books and I wish I had more. The recent push for AI narrators makes audiobooks for small press and indie authors much more within reach, budget-wise, but that is a line I will not cross. I may not be able to afford a human narrator out of my own pocket, but I won’t contribute to the eradication of the human narrator profession by exploiting AI, which has been trained on the talents of human readers.

I know a few writers who are friends who are big sellers in France. Lord, I am so jealous. I think being popular in another language is the coolest damn thing. My agent has gone out with my new series to foreign rights, but so far no takers. Perhaps if I get lucky this weekend and win an ITW award, my fortunes will change. But for now, I appear only in English, but this is a major milestone goal for my writing career.

As for film, well, it’s my day job so really writing novels has always been my backdoor way into Hollywood. It’s also pretty much the only way to make any real money as a novelist these days. From the outside, it would seem easier for me since I work in the industry. Not so. I don’t yet have the “right” contacts or influence with studios or networks. I’ve had some interest, carried options on a few of my books, but nothing has made it to the screen yet. This is another major goal of mine that I am actively pursuing.

For a newbie, film is a far-away dream. Focus on print and ebooks. Try to sell audio and foreign right if you can. Don’t fall into the trap of easy promises made by the AI narrator industry. And when you write a great book that people talk about, Hollywood will notice. Be warned that they will notice about 500 other books that same week, but you can’t get plucked from obscurity if you’re not even on that slush pile. So keep writing, keep getting your words out in front of people. Spread you works far and wide, from the digital realm to foreign shores to the silver screen. We’re rooting for you.

Publishing Makes No Sense

Apart from print and e-books, what other formats have you explored—such as audio books, foreign translations, film rights? Do you have advice for a newbie writer exploring additional income streams from the same book?

 

I’m probably the wrong person to ask. To riff on Sergeant Schultz from Hogan’s Heroes: “I know nothing. I see everything. And nothing about this business makes sense.”

E-books? Yes, of course. That’s a given these days.
Audiobooks? Not yet—NO COMMENT.
Foreign translations? Pfft. Let me get readers in English first.
Film rights? Thanks, LMAO. Good one.

So what can I say that’s actually encouraging in a business that defies logic?

I’ll give you this: I know two authors who each sold around 10,000 copies. Not overnight, but steadily. They’re reliable, professional, hardworking, and they show up—at conferences, on panels, in bookstores. Writer Number Two was even asked to revise a WIP and delivered fast.

Both were unceremoniously dropped by their publishers.

One got a “Dear Jane” email that was basically the publishing equivalent of being thrown from a moving car. Neither whined publicly. They dusted themselves off and kept going, because you don’t burn bridges in this industry. You just keep building new ones. What can you control? Not much. But here’s what I’ve learned:

Your cover art matters. We’re visual creatures. Readers judge books by covers, whether we admit it or not. The back cover might entice, the first pages might hook—but it’s the cover that gets the click or the second glance.

Own your rights when you can. When the rights to my Company Files series reverted to me, the first thing I did was rework the covers. Not to throw my previous publisher under the bus (okay, maybe gently nudge them under the tire), but the makeover was overdue.

Focus on your product and your people. Make your book as good as possible, then go meet readers—online, at cons, wherever you can. Nobody knows what will sell, but people respond to connection.

Luck and timing matter more than we like to admit. Walter Mosley made the NYT bestsellers list after President Clinton casually mentioned reading Devil in a Blue Dress. Stephen King once boosted a book’s sales by saying he picked it up while hiding in the bathroom from his wife. (Side note: Tabitha King pulled Carrie out of the fireplace. Give her a medal.)

So yeah—if Stephen wants to duck into a bathroom and find one of my books, great. Just say the title, no praise necessary.

As for film rights? David Morrell’s Rambo spent decades in purgatory, and when it was finally produced, the ending was changed. But thanks to a smart contract lawyer—and back when advances actually meant something—he got paid.

What can I say? 

Do the work. Protect your rights. Stay professional. And keep your expectations realistic.

That, at least, still makes sense.

 

 

Eeny Meeny Miney Moe!

 Apart from print and ebooks, what other formats have you explored - such as audio books, foreign translations, film rights? Do you have advice for a newbie writer exploring additional income streams from the same book?

This is a great question to think about it. Especially since we seem to be living in the time of the entrepreneur. Multi-million-dollar businesses have sprung up all over the internet turning bored housewives into a whole industry. Have you heard of #MOMTOK? Apparently, there is a TOK for everything, even #BOOKTOK groups of readers turned reviewers some of which wield tremendous power that can lift or sink a hopeful author’s dreams.

 

There are so many different avenues to explore to get your book out there, but up until now I’ve only tried ebooks and paperbacks for my indie work. Just a few short years ago, it wasn’t that common for indie writers to have an audiobook. But more and more that is changing. And from what I understand it’s not that difficult. So going forward I would want to include that option. 

My traditionally published books are available in paperback, ebook, and audio book. That was a trip, to hear someone read my words for the first time. Wild. I’ve also done podcasts to support both my traditional and indie books. But by far my favorite format is the in-person book club events. Food, wine, and a chance to get together with other book nerds and discuss characters that you birthed. There’s nothing better than that. 

The next best format for storytelling, in my opinion, would be film. Some writers will say their characters talk to them and tell them their stories, mine play out on a projector in my brain so I’m not writing what I’m hearing I’m writing what I see. I think a large number of writers would be stoked to see their vision on the big screen. So, given my druthers, I choose film as my favorite format. 

But I’d tell a newbie, don’t get left behind. Stay up on the new technologies that will allow stories to be told in many different formats. Make connections with bookish people on TikTok and Instagram, these people cannot be dismissed. Become friends with your local librarian and find some book clubs. All these things can lead to new opportunities. Stay open. Get active in your tribe. The tribe is everything.

Not 27, but 10 - the surprises of a writing life, by Harini Nagendra

Tell us one thing that you didn't anticipate about the writer's life, which surprised you once you became a writer. 

I loved all the responses to this week's question. Taking inspiration from my friend James Ziskin, who came up with 27 things that surprised him - but restricting myself to 10 - here's my list. 

The good 

1. Getting The Bangalore Detectives Club on the New York Times Notable Books list. 

(I was so green, I didn't know there was such a thing - when I saw the excited email from my publisher, I called my agent to ask her why all the fuss - was it such a big deal. She responded with a long-suffering sigh. My agent, whose also an old school friend, has never let me forget this!)

2. Getting shortlisted for the Agatha, Lefty, Anthony and Historical Dagger awards. 

3. Realizing that being on lists and reviews can move sales. Sometimes. 

4. The thrill of seeing my books in public libraries in the US and UK - including the New York Public Library, and the Stratford Public Library. That is one of the biggies.

5. Getting mail from readers - this can absolutely make my day!

6. Diving into historical research, and finding a goldmine (like the story of the Ugliest Dog prize in 1920s Bangalore's Dog, Horse and Pony Show).  

The bad

7. How hard it is to write to a deadline when the day job gets intense, a family member falls sick or there's a crisis at home. 

8. Reading mean comments from reviewers. I don't mind negative reviews - I've learnt a lot from some readers who pointed out important mistakes. But the mean ones - ouch. I think there's enough unkindness in the world as it is. I'm sure we can all find a way to point out room for improvement, while also being kind. Or if that's too much to ask for, at least without being cruel. 

9. Writing half of the book, and then realizing that I've backed myself into a corner. I didn't anticipate how stressful this would be, yet each time it's the same thing!

The Ugly.

10. ..... (no ugly so far)

I consider myself very fortunate. So far, more Good; less Bad; no Ugly. 

I'm still writing (book 5 in the series now) and readers are still reading. What more can I ask for? I'm very grateful. 

   

   

Twenty-Seven Writerly Surprises from James W. Ziskin

Tell us one thing that you didn't anticipate about the writer's life, which surprised you once you became a writer. 

I decided to be a bad boy this week and answer this question with twenty-seven things that surprised me instead of just one.

In no particular order, here they are:

I was surprised by…

1. How vicious some readers are when reviewing books.
2. How hard it is to sell books.
3. How generous and welcoming most writers are.
4. How great it feels to find your book in the wild.
5. How quickly I change the subject when someone compliments my book. (Never thought I’d do that.)
6. How getting published didn’t make my life a perfect dream.
7. How long it takes for your book to come out.
8. How quickly your book disappears from the shelves after it comes out.
9. How quickly you’re forgotten when you don’t have a book or story out each year.
10. How exhilarating writers conferences are.
11. How tiring writers conferences are.
12. How much I hate wearing ties.
13. How good it feels to think of myself as a writer.
14. How fun/sad it is to say, “I sell TENS of books!”
15. How lucky I am to have an agent.
16. How people never thought to hoist me on their shoulders and parade me around the room when each of my books came out.
17. How inaccurate royalty statements are and how unwilling I am to try to sort them out.
18. How only a handful of readers noticed that a pug named Little Leon magically appears in every one of my Ellie Stone novels.
19. How good AI is at writing vaguely worded reviews/summaries that could apply to almost any work of fiction or non-fiction, but people are impressed just the same—even though it’s not saying anything specific or of substance—simply because everything is spelled and punctuated correctly and it “sounds” smart. 
    
    
    
20. How bad AI is at writing fiction.
21. How hopeful I am for the future of humanoid writers.
22. How hard it is to spell “parsley.” 
23. How many writers hate prologues.
24. How many writers hate semicolons.
25. How many writers hate nazis (yay!).
26. How anyone could have thought my books and stories were worth publishing.
27. How lucky I am that someone did.

Fdgjhd

Get under the skin

Tell us one thing that you didn't anticipate about the writer's life, which surprised you once you became a writer.

by Dietrich 

Some writers getting into storytelling might anticipate overnight success, only to find it’s more of  a slow burn—and that the myth of the “starving artist” isn’t necessarily a myth.

I heard all that too, but I did it anyway. Before I set out to write, I envisioned myself in my studio weaving tales of bank heists, coming up with gritty scenes filled cunning villains and intricate plot twists. Staying one step ahead of the reader, layering surprises and constructing airtight narratives. What I didn’t realize was there’s an emotional weight to creating a story, one that can carve into you, and not just for the reader, but for the writer too. I found out it was more than a creative exercise of plot twists and building imaginary worlds where the moral lines can blur. 

Stories are living things, and I came to understand that to craft characters that feel real, I needed to feel their desperation and fears, the human cost of every decision they make. Marginal characters aren’t just shady, they might’ve lost everything and see no other way to go. The character pulling off a heist isn’t just clever—he or she is likely desperate and driven by need. I find when I step into their skin, I feel the pulse of their emotions and the desperation that drives their actions. To write their stories authentically, I need to understand what they feel.

That realization shifted how I approached storytelling. Sure, there’s a challenge in the mechanics—crafting unpredictable twists, pacing the action, balancing moral ambiguity to provoke thought. But I came to see that writing fiction demands heart as much as mind. It asks me to open myself to the messiness of human emotion. A scene where a character faces betrayal isn’t just a plot point; it’s a moment where I have to feel the same sting. A moment of triumph isn’t just a narrative payoff, I need to really get what they had to sacrifice for it.

Emotional depth blurs the line between right and wrong, and it tends to make the story heavier, but also richer. I think that’s what has readers wondering why they feel themselves rooting for the villain. Think of Hannibal Lechter. 

Characters infused with emotional complexity carry more weight and get readers more invested, giving them something to take with them after they close the book. And a backstory of betrayal or abandonment can tap into a reader’s own experiences, forging an emotional bond. Feeling the villain’s pain, one may hope for the character's redemption or success, even if it’s misguided.

Surprise!

 

Terry here with our question of the week: tell us one thing that you didn't anticipate about the writer's life, which surprised you once you became a writer. 

There are so many things I didn’t anticipate about the writer’s life, that I can’t hold it to one. I’m going to list a bunch! 

It starts with those last two words: writer’s life. I always wrote stories. Even when I worked long hours in computer programming and analysis, during lunch hour I often went to my car and wrote. And I wrote after work. BUT that didn’t mean I was living a writer’s life. I discovered (to my surprise) that a true writer’s life meant I had to take writing seriously—not just dash off a few pages at random. The writer’s life meant working and reworking the same thing again and again. It meant I often had to decide not to do something frivolous, but instead keep myself moving forward with whatever I was working on. 

I also did not anticipate how hard it would be to get published. Yes, I thought my prose was so brilliant that publishers would fall all over themselves for the privilege. Well, maybe it wasn’t quite that dramatic, but still…Even after I started becoming more serious, I had many, many failures. And then, finally, the publishing gods smiled on me. 

That’s when I really was surprised. 

1) I was surprised at the success of my first novel. A Killing at Cotton Hill was nominated for numerous prizes, winning the Macavity Award. There was huge “buzz” about it. It was a heady adventure. 

2) My goal had truly been to have a novel published—period. It was a surprise when the next one in the series presented itself, and I wrote it! Two books. I’m still surprised that the ideas keep coming and that the books keep being published. And that I have readers who love them. 

3) I was surprised at how natural it felt. It was as if I had been auditioning as an author for a long time. Once it happened, it felt like I had finally come home. 

4) I could never have anticipated how much I enjoyed my relationship with my editors. I had no idea that an editor was the rock I could depend on. 

5) Same with my agents. I had some vague idea that an agent just handled the money. It was a shock to me when I found out they could also give me writing advice, and advice about what publisher might work best for my particular books. 

6) Here’s an odd one—I hated public speaking before I became a published author. My hands would sweat, I’d practice again and again and still feel nervous and embarrassed. After the first book came out, it was as if a switch had been flipped. I found that I could easily talk in front of hundreds of people and feel completely relaxed. What is that all about? I still don’t know. 

7) I never knew I would have fans. Fans who wrote to me. Fans who told me they read all my books—more than once. I had sat mesmerized when a friend who had just published a novel was approached by someone when I was with her, telling her how much they enjoyed the book. Wow! That seemed like it could never happen. I’m still stunned when someone comes up and tells me they’ve read all my books. It happened last weekend and after twelve years of being published it still stuns me. 

8) Perhaps the most amazing unanticipated result was that I found a whole new community of friends. People who have the same fears and doubts that I have. The same struggles. The same welcomed me into the writing life. Who always seem willing to help. And who admit to having their own struggles. A warm, generous community that I can laugh with and commiserate with. 

9) Reviews. I don’t know why, but I’m always surprised when my reviews are great. I’ve had some terrific comments, including one that I’ll list below. 

10) And finally, the biggest surprise of all is that I don’t sell that many books. I have loyal following, and a loyal publisher. I have fans and good reviews. And still, my book sales are modest. Go figure. 

 So now for a little BSP: Deep Dive comes out July 2, and just got a terrific review from Booklist, which ended the review with: “With taut suspense, scary moments beneath the sea, and a surprising conclusion, this twisty, watery tale is a must-read thriller!”

Introducing Myself - by Matthew Greene

I'm so excited to join these Criminal Minds! I tried to think of a more erudite first tine than that, but it never hurts to lead with a little enthusiasm. My name is Matthew, and I'm relatively new to the crime writing world. My first novel—There's No Murder Like Show Murder—came out last summer, and it's been a whirlwind debut year. During that time, I've had the pleasure of meeting some of the kindest, funniest, most generous folks I've ever known. That's crime writers for ya!

My background is in theatre (hence the subject matter of my first book), so that theatrical bias is bound to creep into my posts here. But I'm a long time mystery lover who has enjoyed bringing crime fiction to the stage before bringing it to the page. As a novelist, I've got some exciting stuff in the works and am thrilled to be part of this community. 

I asked the other bloggers to send over some interview questions for this first post, and they did not disappoint! So, without further ado...

*****

Why did you suddenly start writing a novel? 

It’s on a short list of good things that came from the Covid lockdown. When all my theatre gigs went on pause, I needed somewhere new to put my creative energy. I’d always wanted to try my hand at a novel but, to put it frankly, it just seemed like so many words. In 2020, though, I suddenly found myself stuck inside without much to distract me. (And it helped that my boyfriend was working on his novel in the next room.) So, I buckled down to transfer those playwriting skills over to prose.

 

And why crime? 

It may not be a very interesting answer, but it’s no less true—crime fiction is my favorite genre to read. There’s something about the high stakes and forward momentum of a mystery that make way for fascinating characters and scintillating dialogue. I’d also recently finished a murder mystery play called Bad Accents, and I must have been in that headspace still. Early on during lockdown, I started writing little whodunnit dinner party games I could play with my friends over Zoom. But I'd get irritated when they didn’t quite grasp the character complexities narrative nuances I could see in my head. (Not their fault, of course—it was supposed to just be for fun, but I ended up taking the whole endeavor too seriously. Story of my life.) So, it only made sense to pivot to a format where I had more control.

 

And why cozy crime? 

Before I started on There’s No Murder Like Show Murder, I didn’t really know what a cozy mystery was! But we were watching a lot of Murder She Wrote, and I started to research the genre from there. I assembled a stack of paperbacks and read them on my fire escape with a glass of rosé, devouring cozies one after another like our favorite readers do. I learned about the conventions and the unspoken “rules” of a cozy, all of which presented an interesting challenge. Most importantly, I fell in love with the various small-town settings of these books, and it made me pine for the picturesque Connecticut theater I was supposed to be working at. And thus, the Eastbrook Playhouse came to be!

 

Describe your best and worst day being in theatre in NYC.

I always say my ideal day is spent in a rehearsal room with talented people, then followed up with dinner and a Broadway show. It’s a blessing to have access to so much great theatre, so I try and see as much as I can. (Current Broadway recommendations: Operation Mincemeat and John Proctor is the Villain.) But I’m a bit of a workaholic, so there’s nothing more fun than collaborating with other artists on something new and exciting. This can make even the “worst” days feel worth it. Reading this question, my mind flashed back to early years at the Fringe Festival, waiting on the sidewalk in the sweltering summer heat until we got the go-ahead to carry our set pieces inside and start the show. Or the all-nighters I’ve pulled trying to get new pages ready for actors by morning. Or the time a new musical workshop stressed me out so much I got shingles. But, let’s be real, I was lucky to be doing what I love.

 

What are you reading and watching right now?

I recently moved to New Jersey and joined three book clubs in order to make new friends, so I’m letting them choose a lot of what I’m reading. But when I’m making decisions for myself like a big boy, I love a traditional mystery with memorable characters, a cozy with a little edge to it, or a thriller with a protagonist questioning their own sanity. Over the last year, I’ve made a lot of author friends, so I’m making my way through their books, and I’m currently loving the Every Day a Little Death short story anthology. And yes, I admit, I watch a lot of TV, and I couldn’t be happier to have new seasons of Poker Face and Hacks to enjoy, along with new discoveries like The Studio and Overcompensating.

 

You’ve written in both narrative and dramatic formats. What are the biggest challenges or shifts in writing for the stage as opposed to the page?

In theatre, you have collaborators to help bring the story to life. I often think of a script as a blueprint, something others can use to build something greater. But in the process of writing a novel, you have to build it all yourself! You won’t have a costume designer come in and decide what the characters are wearing. You won’t have an actor making creative choices with the dialogue. You won’t have a director helping to set the pace. It’s all on your shoulders! In some ways, I like the control. But it does get a little lonely, by comparison. 

 

Are you a plotter or pantser?

I’m a plotter who sometimes veers dangerously far from his outlines. If I had it in me to be a pantser, I’d probably have a lot more fun. But I need structure in place before I can deviate.

 

Do you read your reviews?

It’s so gauche to say so…but yeah, sometimes. I think all feedback is useful input, even if it hurts my feelings more than I like to admit. I don’t read everything, of course, but I'm pretty good at parsing out what’s worth paying attention to...then leaving the rest behind. At least, I try.

 

What was your favourite book as a child?

In chronological order, it went from In the Night Kitchen to Harriet the Spy to The Westing Game to The Picture of Dorian Gray. 

 

Which author - living or dead - would you love to take out for dinner, and where would you go?

Oscar Wilde, without a doubt. He'd be endlessly entertaining. I'd take him to Cafeteria in Chelsea for dinner, he'd probably find some withering way to call my choice of restaurant "basic," and then we'd hit up a gay bar or two. After what he went through, he deserves a little fun.

 

Which book do you wish you wrote?

The Bible. Just kidding. I’m not sure…maybe something so far outside my genre that I’m not sure I’d ever be able to pull it off. Like Giovanni’s Room or People of the Book. Or maybe The Lavender House, because I think that’s such a cool series. Highly recommend. 

*****

And that's me in a nutshell! Like I said, I couldn't be happier to be welcomed into this fantastic community of authors and to be joining this cadre of Criminal Minds. 

See you on Mondays!

Flaw. Want. Need. (my not-so-secret recipe to writing)

Poppy teaching a crime fiction workshop at Logan North Library last week.

Craft - How do you come up with character personality sketches for your books - do you plunge in and let your characters develop on the page, use real life people as inspiration, turn to personality frameworks like the enneagram? Especially for those who've written a lot of previous books - how do you keep your new characters from looking and feeling like your old ones? 

Initially, I thought this was a hard question to answer, my instinct was to say that my characters just pop into my head fully formed. Of course, that's not true. I teach crime fiction writing workshops, and in the class I share tools that I use to lean into the characters, to explore them to make sure they appear authentic and fully formed on the page. 

I use a tried and tested technique. For each character, (even the smaller ones) I write notes addressing these three things: Flaw, Want, Need. Once I know these things, it helps me shape the plot, for it shows me the character’s motivation. In one of my works in progress, I have a disgraced hotel night manager who arrives to stay at her estranged stepbrother’s beautiful home. She’s a Curious Connie, she likes to snoop and pry. This is her flaw. Her want is to find a home, and a job, as she has lost both because of her troubling behaviour at the five-star hotel where she worked. Her need is more complex. She needs to learn to trust herself, to accept people as they are without craving to learn all their intimate secrets, and to not be so needy – she needs to mind her own business and stop snooping in order to be happy.

Once I worked out these aspects of my character, the narrative starts firing on all pistons. The momentum picks up and so does my motivation to write. I can feel where the story is going. It’s a fantastic feeling, like being on a fast train heading to a great location. The urgency is what makes writing fun.

For me, the seed of an idea for a character often comes from real life. The seed for the hotel night manager came from my brother, who used to be a night manager. He told me lots of funny stories about rude or weird guests, about the complaints he had to manage, about the strange behaviour of certain staff members, and about the furtive comings and goings from the hotel late at night. It was fascinating, and I turned many of his stories into plot points in my novel. 

I like researching seemingly ordinary but interesting jobs for my characters. Fish farm manager, viticulturalist, colonial art dealer, chicken farmer – I’ve found a person who does each of these jobs and I interviewed them, and used parts of their stories to make my characters. There are so many interesting jobs in the world, I'll never run out of new ideas. 

A Ruth by any other name, by Catriona

How do you come up with character personality sketches for your books - do you plunge in and let your characters develop on the page, use real life people as inspiration, turn to personality frameworks like the enneagram? Especially for those who've written a lot of previous books - how do you keep your new characters from looking and feeling like your old ones?

I too have no clue what "enneagram" is, so that's that out of the way.

Next, I want to say how much I love Mary Higgins Clark, whose every book had a young, slim, pretty, red-haired, Irish-American heroine. It mattered not one jot to me, but I bet you wouldn't get it past an editor if you were anyone else.

I've never tried. But how do I do it? I remember making up Dandy Gilver, in 2002: I worked out where she lived, what her name was, what she looked like, her family structure and then started writing her first adventure. I can't remember what happened after that except for the still strong memory of being terrified, when I started writing book 2, that it wouldn't be the same person. That was the question I asked,voice shaking, when I handed over the draft to an early reader. The feedback was, "Of course it's the same person. Get a grip, you maniac." (The early reader was my husband.)

When it comes to the other, one-and-done characters in the Dandy Gilver novels, I try to find photographs of people who look like them and then I stare at the pictures until their names come to me. Imagine my surprise when, leafing through a coffee-table book about the golden age of travel to find an industrialist I needed, I came upon Dandy herself! To the life! (That's her on the right, with her rouge in the wrong place, looking uncomfortable.)

Modern characters come about differently, for some reason. I don't seem to need to find pictures of them; maybe because the people around me every day look enough like them? Who knows. For them, it starts with the name. Until the name is right, I can't do anything with the characters, and consequently with the story. In Deep Beneath Us, it took me ages to name the family at the the heart of the story. They finally became the Muirs, which is just right. It took even longer to come up with the given names for four cousins (Jo, Johnny, Davey and Tabitha) and their parents (Zelda, Roddy, Watson and Rowan), but the two other voice characters snapped into focus as soon as I knew they existed. Barrett Langholm, a jobbing gardener in his fifties, and Lyle "Gordo" Gordon, a thirty-ish fast-food cook, walked into the story and introduced themselves. 

But even with the names in place, in standalones I don't know any of these people. So, yes, I plunge in. I write that first draft not worrying about whether the characters are hanging together. I know I'll know them by the end. When I go back to the start to read the first draft, it's odd to find - for example - Gordo saying something in Chapter 3 that Gordo would never say. What idiot wrote this?

The genesis of Lexy Campbell in the Last Ditch comedies was different. For a start, I wanted her name to be the most ridiculous example of Gaelic spelling I could come up with. I think I nailed it with L-E-A-G-S-A-I-D-H: Lexy. It's Katrina-with-an-O dialled up to 11. After that, she's . . . me. She doesn't look like me or have my life but she has the misunderstandings and mishaps I had when I, like she did too, moved to California. And she says some things about life here that I don't entirely disavow. 

As to how I keep from writing the same character over and over again, now that I'm working on novel number ... OMG, I just clicked over to my website to check ... novel number 39?! I don't think it's up to me to say whether I do manage it. Maybe Mary Higgins Clark thought every one of her heroines was nothing like any of the others. But to the extent that they are different (whether that extent is yawning or titchy) I think jobs are a help. A therapist is different from a librarian. Someone who enjoys working in a supermarket is going to be different from someone who resents it. Someone who's stifled in a family business is not the same as someone who feels safe and happy with her dad telling her what to do. It's not everything, but you've got to start somewhere. 

Cx

Who are these people? by Eric Beetner

How do you come up with character personality sketches for your books - do you plunge in and let your characters develop on the page, use real life people as inspiration, turn to personality frameworks like the enneagram? Especially for those who've written a lot of previous books - how do you keep your new characters from looking and feeling like your old ones?

I definitely don’t start a book until the characters start talking to me. To be clear, I am NOT one of those people who says stuff like, “I don’t write the book, the characters do” or “I’m just here to transcribe what the characters want to say.” It’s a craft and the author is in charge.

That said, once I can start to come up with lines, dialogue, little moments in my head that sound like the characters, that’s my green flag to know I’m ready to start and I won’t be fighting on the page to figure out who these people are.

I don’t formally write anything out about characters. I have my outline of the story, but I don’t do full backgrounds or anything like that. One of the holdovers from my screenwriting background is the idea that character is action. People reveal themselves by what they do as much, if not more, than by what they say and think.

We all know an unreliable narrator. But even the most unreliable can’t hide their actions. So I generally let the actions let the reader know who a character is. And if I ever get stuck, I look at my story outline and I work to stay true to a character who would do those things.

Now, the second half of this question is interesting to me. I have written a whole lot. 33 published books, 5 more completed manuscripts (about to be 6 if I stay on track) I constantly worry about repeating myself.

I’ve written a few trilogies, so there is comfort in following the same character for multiple books. You not only get to know them better, you don’t have to invent all new people each time out.

But I do love to switch it up. I’ve written first person female protagonists. I’ve written older characters as well as younger. I’ve written period pieces, different styles like Western which require a different style of character.

But ultimately I write “my” type of people, which will lead to some inevitable echoes if not repeats.

For my Carter McCoy novels, the last of the trilogy I am finishing now, that name was always a placeholder. I had written about an older character in my McGraw novels named Calvin. So a C name with a Mc last name. I thought, “Nah, too close. I’ll have to change that.” By the time I got through with the book, Carter McCoy was who he was. Changing his name felt like changing the man himself. So I left it (a happy by-product of knowing not a whole lot of people read those McGraw novels…)

But my character naming schemes are awful and ill-advised anyway. Writing so much – all those novels plus 120+ short stories – means I burn through a lot of names.

The McGraws came from a movie poster on my wall featuring the actor Charles McGraw. Carter McCoy came from my bookshelf and picking a Horace McCoy novel to give him a temp name that stuck.

So maybe I should give the names a little more thought. But in a weird way, once they reach that point of starting to talk to you, then they begin to have their own life. I certainly wouldn’t change the names of my daughters (unless they asked for it). 

I’ve resisted using names of real people in my life mostly because I don’t want anyone thinking the character was inspired by them. My people quite often do unsavory things. So unless it’s for a good reason, I don’t like to use real people. 

Someday I may run out of usable names. The good news is, we all know people with the same names. I know a lot of Steves, a few Johns, quite a few Jennifers, Jens and Jennys. Repeating isn’t a writerly no-no. But WHO those name are attached to is the key.

I need to make them “mine” to stay true to the stories I write, but make them different enough to keep readers engaged and not thinking “This is the same old recycled crap.”

The biggest advantage there is my own desire to mix things up. If I’ve just spent weeks, months with a book and living with those characters, I really want to write something totally different the next time out. I like the change because I also don’t want to think I’m generating the same old recycled crap. After all, I’m the first reader, and I only write books I’d want to read. 

Same Riff, Never the Same Solo

 How do you come up with character personality sketches for your books—do you plunge in and let your characters develop on the page, use real-life people as inspiration, or turn to personality frameworks like the enneagram? Especially for those who’ve written a lot—how do you keep new characters from looking like old ones?

First off, I don’t know what an enneagram is. I assume it’s either a personality chart or a Scandinavian death metal band. Either way, I don’t use it.

Explaining creativity is like diagramming a punchline—it only gets less funny the more you pick at it. But here I go.

Characters show up when they want to. Some arrive fully dressed with a name tag and a past. Others sneak in late and mutter. I write until they start talking, then I listen.

Writers are professional eavesdroppers. We steal from bar talk, funerals, waiting rooms, subway and bus rides, or whatever’s going on. We watch people not because we’re nosy—okay, we are—but because human nature is our raw material. Most people are acting. Our job is to catch them when the mask slips.

As for keeping characters from turning into reruns, that’s an architecture problem. You write long enough, types resurface—the liar, the romantic, the bastard with a conscience—but if you’re doing it right, they evolve. Or unravel. It’s jazz: same riff, never the same solo.

And yeah, trauma helps. Not being flippant—life’s traumatic.

We all compartmentalize to survive. Writers just monetize it.

Writing, for me, is part instinct, part discipline, and part con. The trick is discernment—knowing what’s signal and what’s noise. Some call it Talent. I call it knowing when something’s alive on the page, and when it’s just typing.

I started with poetry, which is ironic considering I have a profound hearing loss. But words on the page? They give me sensation—sometimes even color. I hear the music. I’m also obsessed with old films, especially Thirties flicks where the dialogue crackles and the subtext cuts deep on sex and social commentary. Preston Sturges. Early Wilder. Anything with Myrna Loy giving a guy the look that says she already knows the ending.

Writing comedy is harder than murder. Ask anyone who’s tried to write both.

Final thought: writing’s democratic. Everyone gets the same blank page. What’s not democratic? Your relationship to language. That’s the real trick. That’s the one thing no one can fake.

 

Hello, my name is...

 

 

How do you come with character personality sketches for your books-do you plunge in and let your characters develop on the page, use real life people as inspiration, turn to personality frameworks like the enneagram? How do you keep your new characters from looking and feeling like your old ones?

 

I love this question because it seems that it’s one that always comes up once anyone realizes you’re a writer. It’s right up there with where do you get your ideas from. From the idea fairy, of course!  But there are no character fairies. Who needs them anyway.

For me, characters are the beginning of every story. When that first character steps onto the stage of my creative brain and announces themselves, they are fully formed. I can see them and hear them as clear as any other co-worker. But I won’t lie, sometimes these characters do seem a bit familiar.

The first book I ever wrote, Fat Chance, centered around three strong-minded, brave, audacious black women, that some in my family will argue, fiercely, that those three characters were based on them. It doesn’t matter how many times I try to deny it; they stand firm in their belief that I have essentially stolen their character and used them to tell this story. Good thing they liked the story.

The thing is, and it’s quite wonderful too, is many other readers, not in my family, have told me the exact same thing, that these characters could be them, or their sisters, or best friend, which is what I think we writers want more than anything, relatability. We want the reader to find something in our characters that feel familiar, for good, or bad, it’s that connection to the character that keeps readers turning the page.

Have you ever picked up a book that everyone swears is the greatest book ever written but for you it’s as dry as reading an encyclopedia? I bet if you thought back to that book, you’d realize that there was no character that you connected to. Without that connection, forget about it. That’s why for me, character is king.

Full disclosure, I’ve never actually sat down and completed an actual character personality sketch. I am definitely a plunge in and let the character develop on the page kind of girl. Having said that, I will acknowledge that intentional or not, it’s impossible not to be inspired by the people around you.

I’m at the beginning of my writing career. But I do believe that as long as I continue to let my characters reveal themselves to me, I won’t have to worry too much about them looking or sounding like each other since every character has their own story to tell. I hope.