Ka-Boom! Get Creativity-Working at Peak Speed.

By Laura Childs, author of Mumbo Gumbo Murder

One of the great perks of being an author is meeting new people at book signings, bookshops, libraries, and writing conferences. And while I adore folks who are passionate about reading, many of them are also secretly longing to become authors.

So I’m inevitably asked the following questions: How on earth can you write three books a year? How do you keep plots and characters straight in your head? How do you cope with writer’s block? And then there’s the biggie – how do you come up with all those ideas?

The answer, of course, is that most ideas spring from the imagination. And here I’m talking about all sorts of ideas – whether you’re trying to craft a novel, short story, book of poetry, or just want to infuse a spark of creativity into your job or everyday life.

The good news is that revving up your creativity isn’t nearly as tough as you think. But if you’re stuck, here are a few of my favorite tricks to get started:

Carry a notebook around with you. When ideas, words, phrases, or images run through your mind, jot them down. I’ve had concepts like “ghost train” and “shooting party” turn into entire book plots.

Try to work when you’re at your best. (I think this used to have something to do with biorhythms). But, seriously, you know when you’re best able to buckle down and work smart. For me, I start to pick up speed around four o’clock. That’s when my motor kicks in and I can write like the devil for the next four hours.

Doodle your ideas. Use circles, arrows, boxes, whatever. I do this when I’m plotting a book. I take a huge piece of paper and start sketching out murderous openings, then I try to connect them with suspects, plot twists, and a few more nefarious acts.

Don’t be afraid to ditch out and take a break. If you’re working on something and your mind starts to wander, stop and do something else. Take a catnap, read a chapter in a book, go outside and walk around, eat some chocolate. I also find that going to museums, concerts, and movies help recharge my batteries.

Try some collaboration. If you’re in a writer’s group, why not pitch ideas to each other? Often you can help build on each other’s themes and story lines.

Music unlocks the brain and sometimes stimulates it. I write to classical music, Stephen King writes to hard rock.

Go ahead and outline your book, your business plan, or the rest of your life. Write it down on paper, keep tinkering with it, and update as needed. Remember that each of us has been gifted with a brilliant, vivid imagination that’s fizzing with ideas. We just have to unlock those ideas to make our novel, poem, or movie script happen!

Best of luck!

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Laura Childs is the author of the Scrapbook Mysteries, Tea Shop Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. All have been on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestseller lists. Recently, Book Riot named her mysteries to their list of “25 of the All Time Best Cozy Mystery Series.” In her previous life Laura was CEO of her own marketing firm, authored several screenplays, and produced a reality TV show. She is married to Dr. Bob, a professor of Chinese art history, and has a new Chinese Shar-Pei puppy.

Getting Published and Keeping the Whole Thing Going!

By Laura Childs, New York Times Bestselling Author of BROKEN BONE CHINA, releasing 3-5-19

Getting published – breaking into The Wonderful World of Seeing your Book on a Bookstore Shelf – is the one thing I get quizzed about constantly. How did I do it? Why did I do it? How long did it take? The truth is, it took 20 long years spent in advertising, writing TV, radio, and print ads, and heading my own ad agency, for me to finally get my nerve up.

When I did finally start writing, I hashed out screenplays evenings and weekends. These were crazy, high concept scripts like Beverly Hills Trashman (garbage collector woos wealthy socialite) and The Cheddar Cat (ad guy talks to an imaginary cat from his childhood). But after I’d written four screenplays, and Hollywood producers hadn’t come knocking on my door, I set that dream aside and did my own tough marketing analysis. That’s when I realized that only a hundred or so feature films are produced each year, but thousands of novels are released. Suffice it to say I immediately switched gears and began writing mysteries.

My very first mystery was Death by Darjeeling, a Tea Shop Mystery. It was released at a time when, no pun intended, tea was suddenly hot again. Tea shops were springing up like errant mushrooms, women were digging out their grandmother’s good china, and churches and women’s groups began hosting fancy teas. Basically, the slot machine went bing bong bing and cherries and oranges popped up. Once that happened, I kept writing and writing (occasionally coming up for food and air) until just a few years later I found myself writing three different mystery series (The Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbooking Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries). And they were regularly climbing onto the New York Times Bestseller List!

Writing three series meant tons of hard work, but it also built up a backlist faster than you could say Sorry, dear husband, I have to write again tonight. Creating three cozy mystery series also meant I could do some savvy cross-pollinating. That is, my newly released books always included sample chapters and synopses of upcoming books.

Did this multiple-book-and-backlist strategy work? Boom! Yes, absolutely. Did it make me a little crazy? Funny you should ask. Because when you write three series you also need to market the bejeebers out of them. You have to work your fanny off to get each and every book noticed by booksellers. You need to have book release parties (serving tea and tea sandwiches, no less), avail yourself to book clubs, and give talks at libraries. Of course I send out beaucoup press releases, run my own paid advertising, do radio interviews, and write guest blogs like crazy.

It’s a constant juggling act. There are dozens of moving parts and lots of evening and weekends spent trying to figure out delicious new ways to kill someone – and make it happen in the very first chapter without pages and pages of buildup. Because that’s what today’s time-sensitive readers want. A rip-roaring opening that’s scary and quirky, with a plot that speeds along like a bullet train. After 45 books, do I think I can keep this thing in the air for a few more years? Gosh, I hope so. Because I absolutely love it!

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Laura Childs is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbooking Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. Recently, Book Riot named her mysteries to their list of “25 of the All Time Best Cozy Mystery Series.” In her previous life Laura was CEO of her own marketing firm, authored several screenplays, and produced a reality TV show. She is married to Dr. Bob, a professor of Chinese art history, enjoys travel, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs. Find out more about the author and her mysterie at www.laurachilds.com or become a Facebook friend

@LauraChildsAuthor

Get Out There and Be a Tiger

By Laura Childs

As an author who writes three successful mystery series, I’m asked repeatedly to share a few of my writing tips. And my answer is always a resounding yes.

Because writing a book – and getting it published – is a brass ring (not gold, just brass) that’s out there for absolutely anyone to grab hold of. But be aware, there are a couple of things to be mindful of: You need to have a clear-cut vision in your head. And you must be utterly dogged in your pursuit.

Put another way, you have to be fearless.

Yes, I know that concept can be difficult for many people. We’re human, after all, so we’re all imbued with a modicum of self-doubt which can masquerade as modesty, timidity, or analysis paralysis.

Here’s the gut-wrenching thing when it comes to writing. You have to absolutely, totally believe in yourself and the book you have inside of you. Because if you don’t have faith, nobody else will either.

So let’s say you’ve noodled around countless ideas and finally settled on one that you think might make an absolutely brilliant novel. But perhaps you’re also experiencing fits and starts when putting pen to paper. Here’s a trick – start with a single paragraph, a kind of elevator test that succinctly explains the gist of your book. Now expand that paragraph into two pages. Is your story starting to gel? Is your concept getting a little more interesting? Do you see a few more possibilities for plot lines and characters? Now see if you can expand those two pages to thirty pages. This will entail writing a flushed-out outline that, along the way, will probably yield some sample dialogue, sub-plots, new characters, and descriptions.

Along the way, you should also be taking a writing course. Try to find one that’s taught by a real author who (ideally) specializes in your genre. Someone who’s been vetted and published by an actual publishing house. You could also ask this person for a critique.

You see where we’re going here? You’re learning while you write, and getting professional feedback. Which will eventually land the ball squarely in your court. Because now that you’ve got an outline and some newly acquired writing skills, you’ve got to seriously buckle down and write your novel. This could take several months, it could take years, depending on your circumstances. (My first novel took three years because I was still running an ad agency.) Please don’t get disheartened along the way – this is the writing process that we all go through. If you begin to experience serious doubt or burnout, set your manuscript aside for a few weeks. When you finally go back to it I promise it won’t be nearly as bad as you think.

Once your novel is finished, do not pop that bottle of champagne, do not think that all the hard work is over. Now you have to find an agent. You need to hi-ho yourself to a writer’s conference – mystery, romance, whatever, and pitch your little heart out to anyone who’ll listen. Again, put your self-consciousness on the back burner and sing and dance the heck out of that manuscript! 

You also need to mine your friends, business colleagues, and acquaintances for publishing contacts. When I was trying to sell my first thriller, I had an advertising friend who put me in touch with Mary Higgins Clark. Mary advised me to attend the Mystery Writers of American Symposium and, when I arrived, took me by the hand and introduced me to a dozen publishers, agents, and editors. I also worked the room like crazy and passed out little postcards that showed my book’s cover and featured a short synopsis. In the end I connected with a terrific agent who wasn’t able to sell my thriller, but did get me a three-book deal that jump-started my Tea Shop Mystery series – and my entire fiction writing career.

Thanks so much for reading this. Now go ahead and write that book so you can get out there and be a tiger!

Love,

Laura Childs

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Laura Childs is the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbooking Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. Recently, Book Riot named her mysteries to their list of “25 of the All Time Best Cozy Mystery Series.” In her previous life Laura was CEO of her own marketing firm, authored several screenplays, and produced a reality TV show. She is married to Dr. Bob, a professor of Chinese art history, enjoys travel, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs. Released December 4^th – Laura’s new Cackleberry Club Mystery Eggs on Ice! Connect with Laura Childs at www.laurchilds.com or on Facebook at Laura Childs Author

Insider Secrets on Getting Published

By Laura Childs, New York Times bestselling author

If you’ve written a book, congratulations are definitely in order. I’m sure it’s been a long, difficult journey. But now, let’s see if we can get that puppy published, shall we? First off, you’re going to need an agent, which means you have to write a whiz-bang query letter telling that agent exactly why he or she should represent you. In other words, you’ve got to write a short, intriguing synopsis and then enthusiastically explain why your book truly is the next best thing. Here’s the important takeaway – agents and editors are always on the hunt for the next best thing. Usually that means a great story with memorable characters, because a character-driven story is what’s critical these days.

Just as important, editors are looking for breakout books – books that are different, don't re-tell the same old story, and stand out in their categories. Yup, that’s the tricky part. If you’re writing genre fiction you need to know what the current trends are and what kind of books are selling well. If you’ve already been lucky enough to score an agent, quiz them on what today’s acquisition editors are searching for. And if you’ve been asked to submit your manuscript to an agent, never mistake slow response time for interest. Don’t be afraid to keep the pressure on!

Okay, now let’s talk about what goes into a successful novel. Clearly, the internal architecture of your novel needs to be flawless. I’m talking about plot, pacing, turning points, character development, dialogue, and building suspense. If you’re a little shaky on these points, take a class, read a book, or ask an author. It’s going to pay off in the long run. Also, in today's on-demand publishing climate, no matter what kind of book you’ve written, it's hugely important to establish an opening story hook immediately. These days, editors don't want pages and pages of build-up; they want you to toss your reader directly into the action. As my agent once said to me, “You're writing mysteries, so you’d better deliver a dead body right there in chapter one!”

Good luck and please always believe in yourself. Don’t ever let a naysayer tell you that you’re too young, too old, not good enough, not smart enough, or don’t have enough experience. Banish those turkeys from your writing life, because if you work hard enough, if you believe in yourself, you will get your novel published!

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Laura Childs is the USA Today, Publisher’s Weekly, and New York Times bestselling author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. She also writes the Afton Tangler thriller series under the name Gerry Schmitt. In herprevious life she was CEO of her own marketing firm, authored several screenplays, and produced a reality TV show. She is married to Dr. Bob, a professor of Chinese art history, and has two Chinese Shar-Pei dogs. Her most recent mystery, Egg Drop Dead, hits bookstores Dec. 5. Find out more at www.laurachilds.com

The Art of Creating Character

By Gerry Schmitt

Of all the ingredients that go into writing a novel, I think character may be the most critical. An engaging plot and dynamic storyline are absolutely critical, too, since your main purpose is to entertain readers. But job one is to create a main character – your protagonist – that readers will either love, root for, or identify with. After all, great characters not only make us think, feel, and see things differently, they help up fall in love with the story.

If you’re writing a mystery or thriller, which is my specialty, it’s even an advantage to have a character that’s somewhat flawed, that reveals a touch of human frailty. And as your story progresses, your main character never has to evolve into a perfect human being, they just have to possess a good moral compass. You want your main character to be angry, outraged, or upset enough to take up the cause of going after the antagonist/killer and solving the mystery. Your character’s desire for final justice can be a powerful engine that drives the entire story.

When I begin writing a novel, I develop a loose outline on a large sheet of paper. I jot out notes for my first grab-my-reader-by-the-throat scene as well as a bang-up conclusion for my final chapter. And then I start adding secondary characters. I create scenes where my protagonist begins to rub elbows with various other characters, any number of which could be suspects as well as the antagonist/killer himself. These scenes also give me prime opportunities to sprinkle in clues along the way, as well as a few red herrings. When my paper outline starts to feel fairly gelled, I transfer it to my computer and tighten it up. Sometimes I even take that initial outline to around eighty pages. Then, I go back to chapter one and start writing. I judiciously put in character names and descriptions. But I never do a lot of back story on my characters. It’s always better to let their personalities be revealed by their actions. And sometimes, as you’re typing along, those pesky characters will begin to come alive and you end up with a little bit of magic on your page!

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Gerry Schmitt is the author of Shadow Girl, an Afton Tangler Thriller, and Little Girl Gone, the first book in the series. Writing under her pen name Laura Childs, she is the New York Times bestselling author of more than forty mysteries that include the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbooking Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. Her books have also been on the USA Today and Publisher’s Weekly bestseller lists. Gerry is the former CEO of her own marketing firm, has won dozens of TV and radio awards, and written and produced two reality TV shows. Social Media:  Author Website www.laurachilds.com Facebook laurachildsauthor

Nancy Drew Made Me Do It!

By Laura Childs

I think it was all those nights as a kid, huddled beneath a blanket, reading Nancy Drew Mysteries that made me yearn to become a mystery writer. Those were pretty heady adventures for a 12 year-old, and the first time I’d ever encountered girls a little older than myself who drove spiffy cars and dashed about solving mysteries at the Inn of the Twisted Candles or Red Gate Farm.

But somewhere along the line, Nancy got kicked to the curb.  Because I ended up at an advertising agency as a broadcast writer/producer.  That taste of fun and fame ignited my burning desire to start my own agency and I jumped feet first into a great career that led to working with Fortune 500 companies and garnering national awards.  But I never forgot old Nancy Drew.  In fact, I started haunting used bookshops and collecting all the old volumes.

Finally, I got up the guts to follow my dream. Evenings and weekends, I pounded away at my manuscripts. When I finally sold my first book, I celebrated by selling my ad agency and never looking back. Now, a decade later, I write 4 different series – 3 cozy mystery series and a soon-to-be-released thriller series.

What’s sort of funny is that my current mysteries, which I call thrillzies (cozy mysteries written with a thriller’s pace), are not unlike Nancy Drew books. They all feature strong, female protagonists who either find themselves in a terrific amount of hot water or are compelled to solve a murder mystery in order to bring about justice. 

In fact, in MING TEA MURDER, my newest Tea Shop Mystery, tea maven Theodosia Browning vows to track down the killer of a wealthy socialite who’s murdered during a museum gala. And, as blame falls on Theo’s PR director boyfriend, she is forced to delve deep into old Charleston society to find her answers – investigating a scorned mistress, angry business partner, and shady antique dealer. It’s a story that’s gripping, realistic, and a lot of fun. I think Nancy would have loved to jump right in!

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Laura Childs is the author of the Scrapbook Mysteries set in New Orleans, LA, the Tea Shop Mysteries set in Charleston, SC, and the Cackleberry Club Mysteries.  Her books have been continually named to the New York Times Bestseller List and have been featured selections in the Literary Guild’s Mystery Book Club.  She is a former Cleo Award-winning advertising writer and CEO of Mission Critical Marketing. She is currently co-executive producer of two reality television shows. Her website is www.laurachilds.com Laura Childs’ newest Ming Tea Murder releases tomorrow by Penguin Random House.

Why a Book’s Setting Counts as a Character

By Laura Childs

I think every author worth his/her salt constantly strives to create that all-important “sense of place.”  You want your readers to vividly picture your novel’s setting as seen through your eyes.  You want every word to be so filled with imagery that they drink in each scene – tasting the salt on the breeze, smelling the perfumed jasmine in the early evening dusk, and detecting that ominous crunch of footsteps on gravel behind them.  You want your readers’ hearts to pitty-pat a little faster and think to themselves, “Who’s that following me?  What’s happening here?”

When I set my Scrapbooking Mysteries in New Orleans, I hit the jackpot. Seriously, nowhere else in this country is there a spookier, decrepit, elegant, and highly atmospheric city all rolled into one.  Setting a mystery in New Orleans means you can borrow lonesome-sounding tugboat whistles from the Mississippi River or allow faint notes of jazz to bump along on the breeze.  You can impart the grandeur and old world elegance of the Garden District, the raucousness of the French Quarter, and the danger and solitude of nearby bayous.

But there’s so much more to work with. 

I particularly love the infamous aboveground cemeteries in New Orleans.  First of all, they’re bizarre.  I mean, you can’t even bury a body in New Orleans.  If you do, the water table will send it right back to you.  So there’s a nasty concept to play with.  The cemeteries are also a strange amalgam of stately marble crypts, tumbled-down tombstones, oven crypts (you don’t even want to know), and ancient statues whose faces have long since been eroded by hurricanes, rain, and relentless heat.  Yes, a cemetery in New Orleans is always the perfect setting for a somber funeral, a dangerous tiptoe-through-the-tombstones chase, or even a nighttime ghost sighting.

I particularly love the contrast between the French Quarter and the Garden District.  The French Quarter is where the city of New Orleans dug in hard and put down roots.  There are ancient warehouses that have been turned into lofts and apartments, narrow alleys, tiny shops, four-star restaurants, haughty hotels, a genuine cathedral, and cobwebs of wrought iron draped everywhere.  Some of the old brick buildings began life as absinthe bars, houses of ill repute, and voodoo shops.  Interesting enough, some of them are still absinthe bars, houses of ill repute, and voodoo shops.  There’s honest-to-gosh history here and it’s all there for the taking.  And here’s a tidbit that always makes me smile: some of the French Quarter’s interior courtyards are utterly breathtaking with their pattering fountains, marble statues, and riots of flowers, but they’re never seen by anyone except a small handful of privacy-minded residents. 

Even though the Garden District consists of big homes and big money, it is equally private and closed.  When I attended the Rex Ball during Mardi Gras, I came to realize that the real Mardi Gras takes place in these magnificent mansions.  All that hoo-haw down in the French Quarter?  The beads, balconies, drinking, and music you see on TV?  That’s for the benefit of the tourists and the cameras.  No self-respecting member of the Rex, Comus, or Bacchus krewe would ever throw open the doors to their float den, or invite the public in to their elegant parties. 

But there is a way you can partake of these magical, hushed settings.  An author who’s been there can put down the words, take your hand, and gently pull you in for a good long peek.  Are you interested?  Then come along, let’s both enjoy the spectacle of the debutantes, dine on oysters Rockefeller and crab etouffee, and step inside the drop-dead gorgeous mansions and drink twenty-four year-old Bourbon in Baccarat crystal.  Let’s crash this fine eccentric city known as the Big Easy.

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Laura Childs is the author of the Scrapbook Mysteries set in New Orleans, LA, the Tea Shop Mysteries set in Charleston, SC, and the Cackleberry Club Mysteries.  Her books have been continually named to the New York Times Bestseller List and have been featured selections in the Literary Guild’s Mystery Book Club.  She is a former Cleo Award-winning advertising writer and CEO of Mission Critical Marketing. She is currently co-executive producer of two reality television shows. Her website is www.laurachilds.com Laura Childs’ newest Scrapbooking Mystery, Gossamer Ghost released in October by Penguin Random House.

Fiction – Real or Not?

By Laura Childs

I adore creating and developing my characters – especially the ones who populate my Tea Shop Mysteries that are set in Charleston, SC.  Out of all my series, I am asked the most questions about that particular one.  With the inevitable question being “Are your characters based on real people?”

The answer to that is yes and no.  Drayton, my tea expert who is the right-hand man to Theodosia, the owner of the Indigo Tea Shop, is kind of-sort of based on an art director I used to work with.  Just like my former art director, Drayton always dresses properly (bow ties, no less), gets his nose out of joint frequently, and is a bit of a nit-picker.  If a silver spoon is smudged or a tea blend isn’t quite right, then watch out!  For the most part, however, my characters are really quite fictional, since none of the people I know in real life are that clever, insidious, and devious, or act like out-of-control drama queens.  Which is probably a very good thing.

The Indigo Tea Shop, where much of my stories take place, is also fictional.  That said, I have gotten literally hundreds of letters and emails requesting directions to the Indigo Tea Shop.  One dear lady even asked if I’d send her the interior plans for the tea shop – she apparently wanted to build a scale replica.  Others have walked Church Street in Charleston and lamented that they were unable to locate the venerable tea shop.  Still others have emailed me with requests to please put together a nice “tour itinerary” for them as they are heading to Charleston for a vacation.  Which means I’ve probably been fairly successful in creating that “sense of place” that writers always struggle of achieve.

As far as tea goes, most of the teas I mention in my mysteries are readily available at your local tea shop, stores like Teavana, or the major online tea retailers.  Then again, a few of the teas that are house blends from the Indigo Tea Shop were created solely in my imagination.  These include the Lamplighter Blend, Palmetto Blend, and a Holiday Blend (black tea with dried cranberry, oranges, and Indian spice.)  Lately, however, when I visit a tea shop and peruse their tea blends, I often spot a tea that is suspiciously close to a fictional tea blend I’ve mentioned in my book.  Imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, I suppose.

Because of all the interest in the Tea Shop Mysteries, I’ve just started to write a sort of companion book that I’m calling Laura Childs: Living a Tea Shop Life – Drinking Tea, Finding Balance, and Reclaiming Your Creative Spirit.

I’ve interviewed dozens of tea shop owners and tea aficionados, put together about one hundred recipes, and written a section on life’s lessons learned from thirty plus years of working in advertising, television production, writing, and general business.  So a little bit of fiction in this book, too, as well as a lot of fact.

I firmly believe that all writers are basically alchemists in drag.  We take a few dry facts, put some fancy topspin on them, add a little sparkle dust, then weave them into a story we feel is worth telling and that we hope (oh, do we ever hope!) a reader might enjoy.

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Laura Childs is the author of the Tea Shop Mysteries set in Charleston, SC, the Scrapbook Mysteries set in New Orleans, LA, and the Cackleberry Club Mysteries.  Her books have been named to the New York Times Bestseller List and have been featured selections in the Literary Guild’s Mystery Book Club.  She is a former Cleo Award-winning advertising writer and CEO of Mission Critical Marketing. She is currently co-executive producer of two reality television shows. www.laurachilds.com Laura Childs’ newest Tea Shop Mystery, Steeped in Evil, was published March 4, 2014 by Penguin Random House.