Dividing your Writing Time: An Interview with Emma Cyrus

I can tell by the long list of favorite authors that you are an avid reader. What made you decide to be the one to tell the story rather than read it?

My schooling and business career required me to do a lot of writing over the years – of all kinds except fiction – so I’ve felt confident in putting my work in front of others. Then, eight years ago, the first chapter of Life Without Shoes just sort of presented itself. I started keeping research notes in OneNote, and then began taking writing courses in 2015.

How long did it take you to write the first book? How many rewrites did you do on it?

By early 2016, I committed to finishing the book and wrote THE END in November of that year. I gave the manuscript to several BETA readers in January of 2017 and then went through two cycles of revision during the spring. I delivered the manuscript to the copy editor in May, incorporated her edits over the summer, and finalized both the Kindle and print versions during the fall. In conjunction with a book marketing consultant, I set the publication date for Tuesday, November 28 and began preparing all the promotional content – website, FB page, etc.

Who helped you with the editing?

I had a mentor at Gotham Writers Workshop who critiqued me all the way through, and I found the copy editor online. I picked her because she’d edited two favorite mystery authors.

Could you give me a short synopsis of your novel, Life Without Shoes?

Early one morning, Father Ambrose, the Abbot of New Life Ecumenical Retreat, sees a trash bag being dumped in one of their orchards. When one of his young monks goes to pick it up, he discovers a dismembered body in the bag. Ambrose calls Sheriff Charlie Cormley, and the investigation begins. For a time, suspicion rests on New Life, and Ambrose must commit himself to proving their innocence.

That’s quite a grisly find at a retreat center that should be calming and serene. Sounds like a good set-up! Prior to writing this novel, what other writings have you published?

As mentioned above, I wrote extensively during my professional career, including marketing and business plans, academic papers, employee handbooks, project reports, grant applications and so forth.

I’ve helped other authors with their work, including websites and marketing, but Shoes is the only fiction I’ve published.

Other than the name and Facebook page, I can’t find any info on your publisher, Square Root Press. Is this your company?

Square Root Press is my own company. We’ve published two textbooks and two video courses on sustainability, as well as marketing and website support for that author. Shoes is the only fiction work so far.

What is the hardest part of writing for you? Creating a scene? Dialog? Tension?

I’ve started writing the next book in the series and am working hard to improve on my first book. The issues I’m working on are better character delineation, faster pace, and shifting the dialogue/narration balance toward greater physical activity/behaviors in each scene. Just trying to make those shifts takes longer than the “seat of the pants” process of Shoes.

What’s the best encouragement you’ve had in your writing?

My BETA readers were both supportive and helpful. I was able to use their feedback right away to improve the book. My ARC readers were also very encouraging. My current mentor (different from the one for Shoes) is skillful in giving me constructive criticism while communicating his enthusiasm for my work as well. And I wouldn’t have gone on to finish Shoes if I hadn’t received positive feedback from fellow students in eight different Gotham courses.

We have all experienced rejection. Give me an example of how you learned to write past it.

For me, the most painful “rejections” have been negative reviews – Amazon, Goodreads – especially when the reviewer seemed intent on discrediting the positive reviews, i.e. “I don’t know who these positive reviewers are, but trust me, they are ignorant fools.” I also contracted for a Kirkus Review and, although they embedded positive verbiage in their blurb, the tagline was indifferent and not easily used in my marketing materials. Still, the negatives have given me a lot of insight into what needed to be improved, and the second book will be better as a result.

What has surprised you the most in writing/publishing?

I entered the marketplace at a point where the competition simply exploded. I learn about new authors – high-quality authors – every day. It’s hard to be visible in such a crowd. I’ve also been surprised by the success of some new authors whose work really isn’t up to snuff. I wonder how they’ve managed to get an agent and a publisher interested.

What frustrates you the most? 

What’s most frustrating is finding enough time to work on the second book and market the first. I have MS and it doesn’t allow me to get stressed out working 80 hours a week.

What do you know now about writing you wished you had known sooner?

“Know” and know are two different things. I think I had an intellectual grasp of “the craft” while I was writing Shoes, but now I know what it means to keep developing my skills, studying, re-working in each of the dimensions that make up good fiction.

I’ve started writing reviews of other mystery books on my blog, and I’m amazed to see how even some of the “greats” are off their game some of the time. It is never easy; there’s always room for improvement.

What is the best writing advice you’ve received or could give?

I recently had a book passed on to me called Stein on Writing by Sol Stein, published in 1995. I’ve been soaking up his ideas like a dry sponge. It’s likely someone else’s work will strike me strongly at another point in my journey.

Which takes me to the advice I would give – keep learning while you’re writing. One author I watched in an interview said she divided her time into thirds – creative writing, studying the craft and reading books in her genre. I’d add a fourth – nurturing relationships with the fan base, as some of the best ideas for improvement come from readers.

Are there any other points about writing you would like to add?

I think commitment, discipline, and a thick/thin skin are key. This is a business like any other, and those qualities are necessary for surviving with good humor in the rough-and-tumble of the business world.

I hope there will be more books with Father Ambrose. If you would like to buy Emma’s book or learn about her next one, here are two ways to do just that

Her website: www.emmacyrus.com  Facebook page: @EmmaCyrusBooks