One of my favorite mystery writers has published Christmas novellas, which I have enjoyed as much, sometimes more, than her other books. I wanted to do something similar, so I combined the Christmas theme with a favorite plotline - that of an old-fashioned large extended family waiting for an older relative to die to gain an inheritance.
Could you give a short synopsis on the book for my readers?
Phoebe Farrell has one distinguishing talent: listening. When a wealthy, if vinegary, widow employs her as a companion, Phoebe becomes acquainted with a variety of people upstairs and downstairs, in and outside of the household. Some are caustic and greedy; some are generous and kind. A few are tender. One is planning a murder. While Phoebe unearths their secrets and desires, can she uncover the truth before it is too late?
What are some of your favorite Christmas traditions?
We have many, but my all-time favorite is making shortbread cookies and decorating them with royal icing. This inspired my favorite gift idea for family and friends: Polymer dough cookie-cutter ornaments. We’ve made gingerbread men, kittens, bunnies, and bears.
What’s next in writing for you?
God willing, I intend to write a short, free prequel to my People of the Book series, and I also have a rough outline for a fourth Phoebe whodunit that I plan to start writing soon.
What’s the best writing tip you’ve learned or been given you’d like to share?
The best? I’m torn between three, but if you want only one it is to make yourself a promise to write for 15 minutes per day. The very hardest thing for a writer to do is sit down and start. If you force yourself to do the aforementioned, the writing will begin to flow.
Here are my other three favorites... Find someone (or several) with high standard but who are not simply critical by nature to read each chapter after you write it and offer content feedback. They should be willing to tell you if a circumstance is unrealistic, if a character's response is odd or insufficient, or if something just doesn't make sense.
The second one is to read each completed chapter or book to someone for their immediate feedback. Errors just show up better when you read it aloud.
The third one is somewhat similar. Have your writing program read the novel to you. MS Word has this feature, and I’ve found it invaluable.
What do you know now about writing and publishing you wish you had learned sooner?
Listen to your critics. When I was writing my first book, I had a friend who was older than I with a bent toward criticism. Although she liked my book, she told me it was confusing in parts. Other pre-readers had not made those comments, so I sloughed off her comments as typical either of her age or her nature. I was horrified when I set the book down and went back to it some time later. I had not wanted to write a book that read like, “Mary said, and then Joe said, and Mary said, and then Joe said…” but I clearly needed to attend better to my pronouns and antecedents.
Yes, in hope that others won't make the mistakes I’ve made. Try not to head-hop. Stay with one person in their thoughts and actions. Don't jump from one person's words to another's thoughts on the same page. In our age of film, it is easier to convey simultaneous responses between two people. This is more difficult to avoid than it appears, especially if the tension in the scene is created by two characters’ thoughts in real time. One way is to portray character B’s expressions or reactions as they listen to character A, but that too can be problematic. As a reader, I’ve found myself trying to imitate the facial or body movements the author has described, trying to figure out what they meant.
That's all for today's interview. If you'd like to learn more about Sydney's books, here are some links to get you started.
Thank you so much, Christine, for the interview!
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