Be Interested in Your Own Story: Author Interview with Barbara Emodi

You’ve now published 3 cozy mystery books, but what inspired you to write that first one?  

I have a background in journalism and even worked for a politician as a press secretary. Through my work and my life, I just collected so many stories, characters, funny incidents, it was just getting crowded up there in the brain. Writing fiction was a place to put all this stuff. Of course, it means that many things that happen in my books really happened in real life, but they tend to be the most unbelievable parts so I think I have that covered. 

Also, I had published two non-fiction books and I thought stuff I could make up would be easier. That sure wasn't true. Cozy mysteries were an obvious genre. I am completely unqualified to write about sex or violence. 

How long did it take you to write your first book that was published?

My first book took me about eight months. I edit as I go and then again at the end, as well as with my publisher's editorial team, so I would say about 4 edits?

 

How do you go about plotting your mystery? Do you pick the victim or the murderer first? 

 I am a complete failure as a plotter. I have read all the books, used the tools, tried real hard. I make elaborate outlines that take me about a month then never look at them again. I do much better getting up in the morning and thinking, well what interesting thing is going to happen in this chapter? It's messy and disorganized and I have to go back a lot to fix things up. 

This week someone actually stepped out from behind a dumpster in a church parking lot in my current manuscript and said something interesting. Now I have to go back and put this person in somewhere so the reader doesn't say "Where did they come from?" All that said I don't start with the exact crime, that evolves, but I do start out with an angle, what you might think of as the larger theme. 

When you are a reporter you just have facts, tying it into a larger theme makes the story. For instance, I once interviewed a guy who had built a big business empire. This was going to make a fairly dull story listing the chronology of his career. Then I discovered he was functionally illiterate. Bingo. Now I could write about overcoming odds and how people adapt. 

What do you think makes for a perfect murder mystery?

For every book, I think about what its angle is. Book one of my series is about second chances and can you really go home. Book two is about how to decide what to hold on and let go in your life. Book three is about how political power exposes an individual's potential for ego and ambition. Yes, these are crafty cozy mysteries but if you look at every detail in these books that is what they are each about. It has to be a question that matters to me. 

I have two rules. If I don't enjoy writing it the reader won't enjoy reading it and if I know what is going to happen next the reader will too. The best thing I think a reader can say about a mystery is gee I didn't see that coming. I find this easier to do if I am in that position myself.

 

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

Absolutely reader feedback. I love my newsletter readers and correspond with a lot of them. When someone writes and tells me my story made them laugh or took their mind off a worry, I am energized to keep trying to do that for them.

 

Marketing is the biggest key to getting sales. What is the best marketing source you've used that has produces more sales rather than just clicks? 

Definitely my personal relationships with my newsletter readers. I see a jump in sales every time one goes out. I have stories in serial form in my newsletter and that helps my open rate. Honestly I think my readers buy my books because they know me and don't want to hurt my feelings.

 

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

Definitely that we all have different routes to do this and that's OK. To me whatever you have to do to get in the zone, or your flow state, whatever you want to call it, do it. I wasted way too much time trying to follow writing systems for plotting. Counting beats, etc. The Story Grid folks make me feel like a Martian. But then I hear from people that their favourite characters or scenes are the things that I just riffed on writing at my dining room table making myself laugh. You can string in the plot connections later if you have to. 

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

Be interested in your own story. Cut out a bunch of words when you edit. I have worked as an editor and I can tell you only .ooo5% of the time did the writer need to use more words. Read Lee Childs. I think his hero is a nutcase and his plots are strange, but there is not one extra word in any of his books. That's so so hard to do.

 

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

Be authentic. Write who you are. The real thing is rare. Enthusiasts are always great writers on a topic. Remember not everyone needs to love what you write, but you do.

 

What is the next book coming out? Can you give me a short synopsis?

I do four novellas a year, seasonal ones, but the next big novel, I do two of those a year,  comes out late fall. It's called Crafting Deception and it's based on a real story. During WW II Churchill sent the entire contents of the British Treasury by boat to Canada for safekeeping. Top secret, no one knew about it. It sailed from England to Halifax Nova Scotia where my series is set. 

On the way a storm blew a small spotter plane off one of the decks. What if that plane was washed ashore in Nova Scotia? What if rum runners found it? What if it contained some treasure? Seventy years later some crafters find an old parachute. You can take it from there. I love this story, there is so much real history and maybe it really happened in it. My characters see the romance and so do I.

Sounds like an intriguing read. If you'd like to learn more about Barbara's books, check out her website at  https://babsemodi.com/ and you'll find links to buy there as well. 

And here's a bonus for my readers, leave a comment on this post and we'll pick one reader who'll receive an eBook copy of Crafting for Murder. So do that now. It can be as simple as I want to be in the giveaway. We'll chose a winner next Friday!