Tips to Help Writers Stay Motivated

 

Tips to Help Writers Stay Motivated

by Heather Weidner

Today marks the 25^th anniversary of 9-11. It is one of those moments that I will always remember where I was and how the news affected me. Horrific news stories, the political climate, the economy, not to mention personal tragedies, can all hinder your writing and demotivate you.

Writing is primarily a solitary business, and a bad day, the grumpies, a negative review, someone’s snarky comment, or events in your life and the world can easily cause a writer to question everything.

Here are a few ideas that I have picked up during my writing journey that may help. 

• Look at the feedback/criticism. Learn from it, but don’t dwell on it.
• Keep control of that voice in your head. Be aware of your self-talk. You don’t need to make things worse by letting them consume you.
• Take a break and do something else for a while. Physical activity will clear your mind and get your endorphins going.
• Do something else that’s creative (e.g. paint, cook, draw, knit, sew…). It will boost your energy and your mood.
• Take a minute to be grateful. Make a list of things that are going well. You’ll be surprised at all the positive things in your life that you are thankful for.
• Volunteer or help someone else. You’ll often find that your troubles aren’t as challenging as what others are facing. You are also able to make a difference in someone’s life.
• Writing is work, and it’s a long process. There is a lot of waiting. Stay busy during the quiet times. The best advice I ever received was to write the next book.
• When something happens that you don’t like, take a minute to cry, scream, yell, or eat chocolate. Get it out of your system and move on. You’ve got things to do. Don’t waste precious time.

The writing journey is a roller coaster ride, and there are days that I don’t feel like writing. When that happens, I try to do some other book-related or marketing tasks. What do you do to keep yourself motivated to write?

If you or someone you know is struggling or in emotional distress, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24/7, to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

Heather Weidner writes cozy crime fiction for readers who want justice with a sprinkle of fun and a southern accent.

Through the years, Heather Weidner has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager. She writes the Pearly Girls Mysteries, the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, The Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, and The Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries. 

Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a crazy Mini Aussie Shepherd. 

 

By Heather Weidner

I have taken quite a few aptitude and personality assessments throughout my work career as team-building exercises, and mine tend to show a strong aptitude and inclination for traits that relate to harmony, strong communications, and building relationships. In the day gig in IT, it’s great. We try to solve problems and provide the best product to meet the customer’s needs, so my skills fit my work. These traits may not be what you want when you are writing your mystery. Conflict is a key for good storytelling. Here’s why you need conflict and lots of it.

Years ago, the wonderful Mary Burton told me never to end a chapter where everything is wrapped up neatly. It’s boring when everything works out seamlessly and your character is too perfect. You need those moments that make everyone’s heartrate tick up a few beats, and you want to keep your reader reading past bedtime.

No one’s life is rainbows and roses all the time, and that goes for your protagonist. Your character should have flaws or circumstances that hinder him or her from time to time. There should be situations that the sleuth needs to overcome. The characters should have personal battles that cause issues and pop up at the worst possible time. There need to be bad decisions with consequences. And sometimes, there are circumstances beyond their control that they must resolve.

Make things personal for your protagonist. Allow your readers to see the depth of your character and his or her struggles and fears. When things are happy and comfortable, pile on the disruptions. Isolate your sleuth and take away what the character needs or wants. You may even have to up the body count.

Conflict creates tension that keeps your readers wondering about what is going to happen next. It also moves your story forward and keeps your readers engaged.

As a writer, what are some of the things you do to add conflict to your work, and as a reader, what frustrates you about conflict in your favorite character’s life?

Through the years, Heather Weidner has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager. She writes the Pearly Girls Mysteries, the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, The Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, and The Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries. 

Her short stories appear in a variety of anthologies, and she has non-fiction pieces in Promophobia and The Secret Ingredient: A Mystery Writers’ Cookbook.

Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a crazy Mini Aussie Shepherd. 

HOW TO INSPIRE READER LOYALTY

by Korina Moss

A photo posted by Dana, a loyal reader of mine 

Reader loyalty. Every author hopes for it. Cozy mystery authors count on it for their careers. One way to foster loyal readership is through marketing, but that’s putting the cart before the horse. First, you must write a series that inspires reader loyalty. 

Cozy mysteries are intended to be a standalone series. Writing a standalone means you have to focus on writing the best self-contained story you can. But writing standalones within a series means you also have to consider the books you'll be writing next. Ultimately, you want a connection among your books and a progression of your characters. These two things will help to elevate your series and inspire reader loyalty. How to do this? Here are 5 things to keep in mind that may help:

1. Give your protagonist a character arc throughout the series. 

Cozy mysteries are comfort reads, so although we want to write a three-dimensional protagonist (which likely means she’ll have some flaws and challenges), you need to put a light touch on them. Your protagonist must be likable from the beginning, and therefore, her issues can’t be so heavy or need such redemption that the reader isn’t riding with her from the start. With this in mind, you can introduce an arc that gets resolved in book one and then a bigger arc that runs throughout the series, or you can introduce an arc and show your protagonist’s growth incrementally throughout each book. Either way, don’t hit the reader over the head with lessons learned. Character arcs should also apply to your core series characters (those who help your protagonist sleuth and show up in every book). Think about what changes they might go through within each book. What small differences will readers be able to see in your core characters between book 1 and your later books? 

2. Keep in mind the time between when the books take place. 

Does your first book take place in the spring and the second book take place the following fall? Then you need to keep in mind when you write that second book that 6 months have passed for your characters. If your protagonist has just moved into her new apartment in book 1, she’s not going to be unpacking boxes at the start of book 2 if it takes place 6 months later. (Unless she’s like me, lol.) If two characters start dating in book 1, then you have to consider that they’ve now spent six months dating at the start of book 2. If your sleuth and the detective have been awkwardly flirting in book 1, and in book 2, you have them acting exactly the same, you need to mention why their status has remained the same. Have they avoided each other since the last murder investigation? Only seen each other in passing? Are both horribly shy? There should be a reason why their relationship is in the same place. Things will have happened in those months between books that readers didn’t get to see. Make sure each book simply acknowledges that. 

3. Make some community characters recurring.

If you introduce characters who play an important role in your book and they’re part of the community, readers are going to want to see them again and know what they're up to now. It’s a great way to make the town feel alive and slowly grow it. However, not every character can be in every book. They still have to serve a purpose to the mystery. You don’t want too many names and characters for your readers to have to remember. But using these recurring secondary and tertiary characters not only adds color, they help to make your characters feel like they actually live off the page. 

4. Keep the relationships between characters growing and changing.

In real life, romantic relationships and friendships change and grow. Especially if your protagonist starts out in a new town (like Willa does in my Cheese Shop series), you’ll want to show the progression of her friendships and the romantic relationships from book to book. This will have to be done a bit more slowly than in real life, but there are always ways to show growth and for relationships to get tripped up. I age my characters, but not every series does. I understand why and it may not be important to readers to see them age. However, I think if my characters are going to grow and their lives are going to change, and I'm writing different seasons and holidays and shop anniversaries, then my characters should also get older. 

5. Ground your setting.

You want your reader to have a good image in their head of your setting. One way to do this is to have a strong handle yourself on what your town looks like, what’s there, and where the places are located. It will keep you from making mistakes and also allow you to paint a better picture of your setting for the reader. Make note of the shops or locations that play a role in your books. You’ll want to show many of them again in future books, even if it’s just a mention of walking past them. If your protagonist has 3 places she always goes to—for example, her home, the local café, and the shop she runs—you want to describe not only these three places, but where they exist within the town. It will give your reader some idea of the size of the town, if it’s walkable, if your protagonist lives in a rural location, etc. Your setting is like those recurring characters I mentioned earlier—your readers want to be reminded that those places still exist even if they don’t play a role in that particular book. 

Readers become loyal to a series when they love the characters, the town, and the cozy feel. They like to feel like they’re returning to “old friends” in a place they’d love to live (minus those pesky murders). You want to make these things as real as possible for them. A progressing arc of your protagonist and core characters and their relationships not only makes them more realistic, it also gives your readers something to be invested in and look forward to. Connecting the books with many of the same community characters and town businesses leads to a comforting familiarity for your readers. I hope these five tips will help your series become one readers will want to revisit again and again. 

Readers: What makes you return to a series and become a loyal reader? 

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series, which includes the winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, as well as two novels short-listed for Best Contemporary Novel. Listed as one of USA Today’s “Best Cozy Mystery Series,” her books have also been featured in PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, and Writer’s Digest. Korina is also a freelance developmental editor specializing in cozy mysteries. To learn more or subscribe to her free seasonal newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.

The Mouse in Our Canoe: Life and writing tips gleaned from time spent with the grandchildren by Molly MacRae

 

Lake Sara in Effingham, Illinois

We spent last week with our grandchildren (11, 9, and 3) at a lake. The week was full of sandcastles, canoeing, kayaking, fishing, reading, and playing games. Watching their amazing minds blossom as they soak up the world around them is a joy. It’s also a neat way to pick up tips for life in general and for writing. Here are a few I learned last week.  

Weigh the ramifications: When you and the 3-year-old find a mouse in your canoe, just as you’re about to get in it, you have choices. One is to agree with the three-year-old that Mousie is sooooo cute and wants a canoe ride, too. Another is to help Mousie out of the canoe (without Mousie running up your arm) so she can go home to her cute, cute family in the woods. 

Writers make choices affecting their characters’ lives every day. Choose wisely.

Reversals: When a child is clearing their place after a meal, happy and excited to get back outside, will the not-quite-empty milk cup in one hand stay upright or will it suddenly reverse, with the next three hops? 

Reversals are good for ramping up tension in a story. Reversals in real life are good for ramping up tension, too, but the issues they cause can sometimes be resolved with a paper towel and a yell of “oopsie daisies!”

Persevere: If you don't catch a fish the first day, don’t give up. The next day you and your brother might catch fifteen each! 

Success isn’t guaranteed for writers or for anyone attempting anything. If you give up, though, success will be a whole lot harder.

Be well-rounded: Realistic, memorable characters need to be as well-rounded as ballerina bulldozer drivers.

Don’t panic: Until this week I have never, ever had a tick. Seen them on others? Sure. Dealt with them calmly? Yep. But when I woke up Thursday morning and found one on the back of my upper left arm—gah! Ick, ick, ick. But it was okay. I knew what to do: Find the helper. In this case the helper was my husband. He knows all about ticks. 

If you’re going to be out there with ticks, someone is bound to get one. Just remember, there are people who can help you through fraught situations from ticks to computer viruses.

Twists: Do you know any little kids who like to play with stick-on flowers, jewels, bugs, and butterflies? I do. How on earth did one of the glittery stick-on jewels from the kids’ art kit end up stuck to the back of my upper left arm? 

A good twist ending is a jewel in a story and in life. Especially when it makes everyone laugh.  

Not a tick

My biggest take away from our time at the lake is this: If you slip, trip, or let go of the sandwich you’ve been waving like a flag and it sails off into the lake, dust yourself off, keep going, and yell “oopsie daisies!”

 

Molly MacRae writes the Haunted Shell Shop Mysteries, the Highland Bookshop Mysteries, and the award-winning, national bestselling Haunted Yarn Shop Mysteries. Visit Molly on Facebook and Pinterest, connect with her on Instagram, Threads, and Bluesky. 

 

 

Is Your Generational Influence Showing in Your Writing?

By Heather Weidner

Recently, I’ve taken several management classes for work about communication and coaching different generations in the workforce, and some of the discussions of each cohort’s preferences and experiences made me think about my writing.

The generations and their birth years have been defined as: 

The Generation	Birth Years	Description
Greatest Generation	1901-1927	Resilient, came of age and fought/supported WWII
Silent Generation	1928-1945	Influenced by the effects of the Great Depression and WWII
Baby Boomers     Generation Jones	1946-1964     1956-1965	Post-war expansion and social change   Came of age during the Vietnam War and the civil unrest
Generation X	1965-1980	Latch-key kids, self-sufficient
Millennials or Generation Y	1981-1996	First generation Internet and known for work-life balance
Generation Z	1997-2010	Digital natives or iPad kids
Generation Alpha	2010-2024	21st Century kids
Generation Beta or Sigma Generation	2025-2039	AI and Automation generation

As I age and some of my newer series’ sleuths get younger, I found that there are some key things to be aware of to ensure that my writing is accurate.

Do I have the slang right? Are the expressions from the correct time period? We often do a lot of factchecking of things in our research, but dialogue is often overlooked. Here are some examples from each group. Sometimes the terms overlap generations, and other times, you need a dictionary, encyclopedia, a search engine, or an AI chat to translate. 

The Generation	Slang for Fabulous	Slang for Awful
Greatest Generation	Swell, grand, top-notch, first rate	Lousy, rotten, no good, the pits
Silent Generation	Neat, keen, peachy, dandy	Crummy, bum deal, for the birds
Baby Boomers	Far out, groovy, cool, right on	Bummer, drag, bogus, bad trip
Generation X	Awesome, sweet, cool beans, rad	Lame, weak, harsh
Millennials or Generation Y	Awesome, epic, legit, amazing	Trash, cringe, fail, the worst
Generation Z	Slay, fire slaps, lit, hits different	Cheugy, sus
Generation Alpha	Slay, bussin’, fire, GOAT, cooked	Mid (mediocre), trash, NPC behavior (Non-player character in a video game)
Generation Beta	It’s Too Early to Tell	It’s Too Early to Tell

Your language choice is influenced by your experiences and those around you. I’m GenX, and I grew up with Baby Boomer teachers and co-workers. I tend to use slang from both of those groups. Now that I have more Gen Zs in the workforce, I’m adapting to a whole new set of words. (Some days, it’s like learning a foreign language.)

Do my allusions fit the age or experience of my character? When I first started working, the Silent Generation or the Boomers would always talk about where they were when certain historic events happened. (My generation was not born when Kennedy was shot, we were toddlers when Apollo 11 landed on the moon, and we were in elementary school when Nixon resigned.) I have a Boomer on my team who often doesn’t get why some of his teammates don’t get his jokes and cultural references. (“Seinfeld,” and “Cheers” are available in reruns or on streaming, but Gen Y and Gen Alpha didn’t watch “Must See TV.” They are used to on-demand not cable or network television.)

Do my historical and cultural references match the age group? As authors, we check our facts to ensure authenticity, but sometimes we make mistakes when we reference things that happened before a certain group was born or when they had to be in bed before “Late Night TV.” (I didn’t get to see “Saturday Night Live” live until the eighties because of a nine o’clock bedtime.)

Does my technology reference the correct age group? Just ask someone younger than you what the little icon next to “Save” is in most computer applications. They all know the button is  for saving, but those who didn’t use floppy disks have no idea what the picture is. (My Gen Z niece calls record albums “big CDs.”) I discovered when I did a ride along with my local police department that some of my law enforcement references were dated. (Most use digital fingerprinting now.) If you write police procedurals, make sure you keep up with the new technology.

There is so much research out there now about the different generations, their experiences, and their preferences, and if you want an immersive lesson in jargon, spend an hour or two watching TikTok.

For additional information on the generations, check out:

A Year-by-Year Guide to the Different Generations

The Changing Generational Values – Imagine | Johns Hopkins University

Age Range by Generation | Beresford Research

Through the years, Heather Weidner has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager. She writes the Pearly Girls Mysteries, the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, The Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, and The Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries. 

Her short stories appear in a variety of anthologies, and she has non-fiction pieces in Promophobia and The Secret Ingredient: A Mystery Writers’ Cookbook.

Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a crazy Mini Aussie Shepherd.

COZY MYSTERIES: TIPS FOR CHOOSING A THEME

by Korina Moss 

A theme, as it refers to cozy mysteries, is the topic or hook that sets your book apart from others. Cozy mysteries all have an amateur sleuth, a close-knit town or neighborhood, likable sidekick characters, and a murder to solve. The focus is on solving the “puzzle” of the mystery and allowing your readers to try to solve it along with your sleuth. The biggest distinguishing factor for a reader on first glance is a cozy’s theme. It might be their profession: librarian, postmistress, or in my case in the Cheese Shop Mystery series, a cheesemonger. It might be a hobby: knitting, doing crossword puzzles, or antiquing. It might be a specialty of your protagonist: fixing old clocks, knowledge of botany, or being a history buff. Your choices are varied, but they are not limitless. There are important factors to consider when deciding on your theme. 

1. Does it interest me?

2. Can I make it central to each book?

3. Can readers relate to it and/or learn something new about it?

4. Do I know enough about it, or can I learn about it?

5. Are there cozy elements to it? 

6. Is it a theme that’s already been done to death? (pun intended)

7. How can I market it?

1. Does it interest me?

Although I was your average cheese eater before beginning the Cheese Shop Mystery series, I loved cheese. And the more research I did on it and the more cheese shops I visited, the more I loved it. Sharing your authentic interest with your readers will shine through.

2. Can I make the theme central to each book?

The theme is not meant just to be a backdrop. It should almost be its own character. It should be important to your protagonist, perhaps even their passion. The theme should be incorporated into the plot of every book. When readers ask me what idea I come up with first when writing my Cheese Shop Mysteries, I tell them I think of how some aspect of cheese will be the focus of the plot. In the first book, it was the opening of the Curds and Whey shop itself. In another book, it was a very valuable stolen bleu cheese. Another took place at a dairy festival. It was very important to my publishing editor that I went all in on the theme of cheese. 

My books go all in with the
cheese theme.

3. Can readers relate to it and/or learn something new about it? 

Everybody knows cheese and most people have a strong opinion about it. With so many kinds of cheeses, its long history, and its international renown, there’s also so much the average cheese eater doesn’t know about cheese. It’s relatable but there are so many more interesting fun facts to know about it. Incorporating something others love to do or eat is a great way to connect with readers. Giving them some interesting insider information about it through your protagonist is also something readers look for in a cozy. 

4. Do I know enough about it/are there ways to further learn about it?

You don't have to be an expert on your topic. However, you should consider the research aspect of it. How much time are you willing to put into the research? Are there ways to research your topic beyond online? (For example, I spent time with cheesemongers, cheesemakers, and cheese shop owners, as well as researching online.) You want your protagonist to feel authentic, so make sure you know as much as she or he is supposed to know.  

5. Are there cozy elements to it? 

Maybe the question to ask first is, what makes something cozy? Think about how your theme will fit into your book. Will it be a gathering place for members of your fictional community? Will the setting itself or the atmosphere give readers a sense of comfort or happiness? Will it offer your protagonist respite, joy, or time to reflect? It doesn’t have to be all of these things but if you can say yes to one or two, then it’s cozy. 

6. Is it a theme that’s already been done to death? 

If there are too many books already out there with your theme, you have to work harder to make it stand out. You may be thinking, it’s a different book with different characters; of course it stands out! But marketability relies on more immediate factors. You need to hook readers as quickly as possible, which means a striking theme or setting, an intriguing pitch, or an evocative cover. Preferably, all three if you can manage it. And if you can find a cozy theme that you haven't seen done before, all the better. 

Andover's theme is unique, made doubly
cozy by the literary-themed cocktails
served at the lounge. And this cover brings
the coziness home. 

7. How can I market it? 

You may want to consider if the theme offers interesting marketing ideas or specific places that would carry your book. Lucy Burdette takes advantage of her Key West Food Critic theme by holding many popular events in Key West, where she lives half the year. When I was in the gift shop of one of the Newport, RI Mansions, I saw a display of Alyssa Maxwell’s The Gilded Newport Mysteries. I’ve done Cheese and Murder Mystery Pairing events in conjunction with a local cheese shop, where I talk about my Cheese Shop Mysteries and a cheesemonger gives a guided tasting of some of the cheeses mentioned in my books. 

The cheesemongers at Spread Cheese 
prepare plates for one of our
Cheese & Murder Mystery Pairing events.

Choosing a cozy mystery theme isn’t like throwing a dart in the dark. It’s the foundation of your entire series. Your characters, setting, and plot are all determined by your theme. Before you start writing, ask yourself these seven questions. Choose wisely and have fun with it! 

Readers: Which cozy mystery themes automatically draw you in? 

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery, which includes the winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, as well as two novels short-listed for Best Contemporary Novel. Listed as one of USA Today’s “Best Cozy Mystery Series,” her books have also been featured in PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, and Writer’s Digest. Korina is also a freelance developmental editor specializing in cozy mysteries. To learn more or subscribe to her free monthly newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.

How Subplots Help Drive Your Story - by Judy L. Murray

I love subplots. They add depth, color and complexity to the central story. Without them the main character is left to build their world all by themselves. Subplots serve as stories within a story to lighten the protagonist’s burden.

As mystery writers we tend to spend a huge amount of time mapping out a plot and envisioning our key characters. Subplots introduce other forces that impact that central plot. They can serve as an excellent way to introduce internal shortcomings of our main character or unexpected outside stresses.

In my first of the Chesapeake Bay Mysteries, our heroine Helen is a fairly recent widow and real estate agent who discovers a dead builder in his new construction project. Her widowhood is an excellent excuse to illustrate her personal misgivings about a possible new relationship and her refusal to try to move on. It’s an emotional struggle that has nothing to do with her solving the crime. The two men who want to date her are very different. One an affluent Philadelphia attorney and the other a tough ex-Marine detective. Her eventual choice will tell the reader a lot about Helen and what is most important to her.

I consider my subplot or even multiple ones as critical to my storyline. They add depth. If the subplot is meaningful readers care not just about crime solving but the wellbeing and evolution of other characters in the book. It can introduce issues the author and her protagonist consider important. In my second book, Killer in the Kitchen, one subplot is the rash of assaults upon real estate agents in her county. At book talks readers frequently ask about this issue. They are shocked to learn seventy-eight agents were killed in 2020 alone. Twenty-three percent of agents fear for their personal safety while working. As an author and former broker I got a great deal of satisfaction in educating readers. It also provided another reason for my readers to remember Helen’s story long after they read the book. One important caution, as much as subplots can enable the author to touch on other elements, they cannot overtake the central story – our protagonist’s efforts to solve a crime. The crime is always paramount.

Subplots can be an excuse for weaving in levity. Every reader needs moments where they can take a breath during the protagonist's fast-moving crime solving efforts. Helen’s children and their frustrated inability to control her desire to solve crime is funny and endearing. It neatly illustrates Helen’s family dynamics. Remember, even humorous scenes need to serve as not just relief but as contributors to the central plot and characters."

Word of caution. Subplots are not just a light dusting of color on top of a cake. Weave your subplots, like sugar inside a cake, to enhance your overall storyline. If your subplot has little impact on the mystery and your protagonist then cut it out. Subplots should not stand alone. Good ones always remain secondary within your storyline.

Can you think of a subplot that contributed to your enjoyment of a great mystery? Let’s hear them.

Judy L. Murray Winner of nine awards for her Chesapeake Bay Mystery Series Find her at http://judylmurraymysteries.com

Are You Using Your Author Tools to Their Full Potential?

By Heather Weidner

Are you using your author tools to their fullest potential? Do you have a website, blog, social sites, and newsletter? Here are some ideas to enhance or spruce up your platform and book marketing.

Website:

• Create a home base. Your website should be the hub or the center for all of your promotional activities.
• Make sure the information is current and fresh.
• Look at your site on a tablet or phone. Is it easy to navigate? Are the colors and photos appealing? Is your information current?
• Check out your photos. Is your information dated? It may be time for a refresh.
• Use a blog to keep readers interested in your site and encourage them to visit regularly. Chances are you don’t have new book content regularly.

 

Social Media Sites:

• Make sure readers know it’s you. Your sites should look similar (your branding: colors, images, photos, etc.).
• Use them to advertise events, new books, your blog, and newsletter.
• Link to posts and pages to drive traffic to your website.
• Make sure you spend some time each week following new accounts and commenting on others’ posts. The social part is key.
• Start your social media platforms before your book is published. It takes a while to build a following. I focus on one site a week to build an audience.
• Post regularly. Readers want to be informed and entertained. Graphics, videos, and posts that spawn discussions attract more attention. 

Newsletter:

• Use this tool to connect with your loyal readers and build relationships. You own and control your email list. If your social media sites shut down or they ban you, you have no way of contacting your readers.
• Start building your email list before your book is published. Collect names and email addresses.
• Use this to advertise events, books, and blog posts. Recycle content from your blog.
• Make sure the branding matches your website and social media sites. You want a unified look.
• Try to be consistent when sending out your newsletter. Decide the cadence that works for you. Weekly may be too much and annually is not enough. Publicists will often say that you should not just send newsletters when you have new books.
• Have a sign-up feature on your website. Remind your folks on social media to register for your newsletter. Just don’t have the pop-up appear when someone visits your site. Put a delay on it, so you’re not doing a hard sell before they have even viewed your content.
• Make sure you have a good, strong subject line that draws people into your newsletter. People have hundreds of emails in their inboxes, and you only have a couple of seconds to attract attention.
• Look for ways to include interesting content that appeals to readers of your genre. Readers want to be entertained and informed.

 

What has worked best for you for book promotions? Is there anything that hasn’t really worked for you?

Through the years, Heather Weidner has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager. She writes the Pearly Girls Mysteries, the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, The Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, and The Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries. She blogs regularly with the Writers Who Kill.

Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and a crazy Mini Aussie Shepherd. 

 

Old Habits are Hard to Break: Avoiding Too Much Backstory

By Heather Weidner

I started my professional career as a technical writer for software and processes and moved on to software testing. Everything I did had to be explained in precise step-by-step detail so that it could be replicated like a recipe. That was a habit I had to break when I started writing fiction. My early drafts had too much description, especially about mundane or routine things.

Readers need to know about your characters, but they do not have to experience every moment or hear about decades of history.

Here’s what I’ve learned about backstory through the years.

• Sprinkle it in your story. Reveal bits about your characters through dialog and what your protagonist experiences instead of from giant, expository paragraphs that interrupt the story’s flow.

• Avoid sounding like a travel brochure or a marketing campaign when you’re describing something, especially a setting. You can describe something unique to the scenery or important to the story, but make sure it fits with the flow of paragraph.

• When you’re talking about characters or setting, don’t stop the action or the momentum of the story to provide details or background. Just about everyone has flown on a plane or gone to the airport. Start the action where the story is and skip the parts that are routine.

• Avoid describing something in minute detail unless it’s important to the story later.

• I do a lot of research ahead of my writing, and I have to fight the urge to add every little fun fact. Research is important, and you learn so many neat things. Don’t waste what you found. Figure out a way to use it in a newsletter article or a blog post. Readers like to know about behind the scenes things or how you research your work. Just don’t bog your story down with stuff that doesn’t really matter.

• I have to know my main characters before I write. I always create a “biography” for them. I keep it in my character list, so I can refer to it later when I need it. It has things like eye/hair color, birthdate, graduation year, friends, pets, and favorites. There is way more information in there than ever makes it to the book. This helps if you write a series that has recurring characters. It also helps me get the ages right, especially if it is a series that spans many years. (My first novel took me five years to write and another two to get published. When I wrote it, the private eye was a Gen Xer who was in her early thirties. Time passed, and I had her a bit younger than she actually would have been when the book finally came out.)

• One quick test for too much detail or history is to look for sections in your book where you would skim or skip over. If you’re bored, chances are your reader will be too.

What other ideas would you add to my list?

Through the years, Heather Weidner has been a cop’s kid, technical writer, editor, college professor, software tester, and IT manager. She writes the Pearly Girls Mysteries, the Delanie Fitzgerald Mysteries, The Jules Keene Glamping Mysteries, and The Mermaid Bay Christmas Shoppe Mysteries. She blogs regularly with the Writers Who Kill.

Originally from Virginia Beach, Heather has been a mystery fan since Scooby-Doo and Nancy Drew. She lives in Central Virginia with her husband and two crazy dogs.

QUICK TIPS FROM A COZY MYSTERY EDITOR: THE VICTIM

by Korina Moss

There are many early choices to make while plotting your cozy mystery. An important one is choosing the murder victim. The victim doesn’t spend too much time on the page. After all, you should have him killed off by chapter three (chapter five at the latest). So, he should be someone who can make a big impression in a short amount of time. If he has an interaction with several characters before he’s murdered, you’ll have the beginnings of your suspect list ready as soon as the body is discovered, keeping the pace brisk. If there’s some kind of relationship between the victim and your protagonist, even better—it may give your main character a reason to investigate or a reason to be suspected! 

However, you want to stay away from making the murder victim and your protagonist’s relationship too close. If the victim is a beloved family member or best friend, it will be difficult for the lighter tone of your cozy mystery to recover, as it needs to do fairly quickly after the murder. It’s good to include some humor to lift the darkness of what’s just been discovered, but it won’t land well if the victim is Uncle Dewey or your protagonist’s best friend. That’s not to say your protagonist shouldn’t be affected; they absolutely should. Write a scene where she’s shocked, upset, or reflective about the victim or death itself. Although cozies have a lighter tone, they still need to feel grounded and real. After that brief but somber time is taken, your protagonist goes into investigative mode as soon as the death has been identified as a murder (if it’s not obvious). The pacing of a cozy mystery should be quick and compact, so you don’t want to spend precious early pages grieving and not getting back to the fun part—trying to solve this mystery!  

Keep in mind that you’re likely going to be revealing a lot about the victim as your protagonist begins to piece together the murder. So, make sure the victim isn’t just a one-note bad guy. Think of a full backstory for him (for you, not necessarily for the page), so that he’ll come across as a fully formed three-dimensional character. If you think about it, the victim is kind of the star of the book. Make sure he deserves that title. 

When you’re deciding who should be your murder victim, consider the following: 

• How will your victim make the greatest impact in a short amount of time? 

• What is your victim’s relationship with your protagonist? 

• Will your protagonist be able to bounce back from their death to keep the tone cozy? 

• Will your victim be able to interact with some of the characters so those characters can become the initial suspects? 

• Is your victim a fully formed character? 

Readers: Do you have any tips or preferences for a cozy mystery author choosing a murder victim?

 

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series set in the Sonoma Valley, which includes the winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead, and two novels short-listed for Best Contemporary Novel. Listed as one of USA Today’s “Best Cozy Mystery Series,” her books have also been featured in PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, and Writer’s Digest. 

Korina is also a freelance developmental editor specializing in cozy and traditional mysteries. To learn more or subscribe to her free monthly newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.

HOW PAUSES IMPROVE YOUR WRITING POWER

By Korina Moss

One of the best pieces of advice I ever read was to treat writing like a muscle – if you use that muscle on a regular basis, it’ll work better and more efficiently. I’ve found this to be true. It at least gets you into a habit of writing, and now the days I don’t write feel odd. There was a time (before contracts and deadlines) when I’d wait to feel my muse before I’d sit down at my laptop, which could translate to weeks of not writing. My muse no longer dictates when I write—I drag her with me to the chair if need be. (If only I could drag myself to the gym since my other muscles have atrophied, thanks to my writing habit.) 

It's great to get into a writing routine, but after a while of overusing any muscle, it can get strained. Since my Cheese Shop Mystery series has come to an end with my recently released sixth book, Bait and Swiss, I was able to take a trip with my son for the first time in six years without a deadline or a book launch looming. Even without my series, my daily calendar is still packed with writing, editing, and book marketing commitments. Which is why I’d decided I was going to take a hiatus from being an author for our nine-day trip. 

During our time in Quebec City, instead of sitting down at my computer every morning, I sat down at a café for a coffee and croissant. 

Instead of using my writing muscle, I used my leg muscles to climb the hills of the city for a great view.

Instead of getting my word count in, I got my steps in exploring every quaint street with antique shops, art galleries, cathedrals, and a grand hotel. 

Instead of doing Google research, I learned firsthand about the Canadian government with a tour through the home of Canada’s Governor General. 

Instead of staring at my computer, I stared out at the St. Lawrence River. 

But you know what I discovered? You can take a break from writing, but you can’t take a hiatus from being an author. I soaked in every quaint street I walked and interesting person I met and delicious meal I ate and piece of art I pondered and street music I listened to and facts I learned; every laugh and conversation my son and I shared, and every new memory we made—all of it was absorbed. Without intent, to later be used for new ideas, new stories, new words on a blank page. As it turned out, when I left my author cap at home, my imagination flourished, and my writing muscle was revitalized. 

Readers: What does a vacation do for you? 

KORINA MOSS is the author of the Cheese Shop Mystery series set in the Sonoma Valley, which includes the winner of the Agatha Award for Best First Novel, Cheddar Off Dead, and two novels short-listed for Best Contemporary Novel. Listed as one of USA Today’s “Best Cozy Mystery Series,” her books have also been featured in PARADE Magazine, Woman’s World, and Writer’s Digest. Korina is also a freelance developmental editor specializing in cozy and traditional mysteries. To learn more or subscribe to her free monthly newsletter, visit her website korinamossauthor.com.