Just kidding. I really don't know. Here are some thoughts, though.

First they have to know it exists. Estimates vary, but there are thousands of books released each year. Just having someone hear your title is a plus, so you need to let people know that there is a book. A lot of people.

Second, potential readers have to become intrigued. I've worked on this one, because I tend to be a real self-deprecating sort and, the first time a friend told me he wanted to read my book,…

Sometimes when a story forms in your head, you jump into writing it before thinking very hard about the characters around whom the story revolves. Plot is a wonderful thing, and certainly we can point to massively successful novels in which we never learn one important thing about the main character. Most of the time, however, readers want a protagonist to be life-like. And if she's going to move on into other novels, she also has to grow in some way.

The best way to get to know your…

Sara Teasdale's poem, "The Long Hill" has always been one of my favorites. She speaks of how she ended up on the other side of the "hill" before she realized it. The reason she didn't notice is "brambles" that catch on her clothing and cause her to look down rather than ahead.

The brambles have been at me today. A mistake in mailing out promotional material, little things that sidetrack me from my work plan, and that worst of bugaboos, computer problems.

What happened to that…

When I started the quest for publication, the question came up of what name I would use. There are of course two possibilities: use your own name or use something else. I chose to use my own name for the simple reason that I like things uncomplicated.

At conferences where I worked at the registration table, I've met authors who don't know what name they gave when signing up. One gave me four possible names that her agent might have registered her under! I'd rather not clutter up my…

Someone asked me yesterday if writing is less fun now that I'm officially in the business of writing (well, sort of). The answer, at least at that moment, was no. I'm at the point in my newest effort where the protag has grabbed me by the shoulder, pushed me to the keyboard, and ordered, "Write down what I tell you."

It sometimes takes a while for that to happen, and then it's work. But when she's talking in my ear, as fast as she can, my job is simply to write down what I hear, and…

We all know that the news has become a cutthroat business these days, with stations everywhere vying for the attention of viewers. As a result, things have become "newsworthy" that are somewhat laughable when you think about it.

The weather. You'd think that knowing to the half mile where the next rainshower will fall is an essential part of every person's life. We have a whole channel dedicated to weather, of course, but then we have local stations trying to edge each other out by…

It's not necessarily a good thing, but it's the way things happen for me. A book springs into my head almost like the goddess rising fully formed from the sea. I know who the characters are, what's going to happen, and what mood I want to create.

Unfortunately, I have a zillion things to do besides write all that down, and I know from experience that it's an all-absorbing process that takes weeks, even months for just a first draft.

How do authors write while they're marketing…

I got my ARCs a week ago so I'm reading Macbeth's Niece one more time. My husband is surprised by the number of times it's been read, by me, by amateur helpers, by agents, editors, and who knows who else. (The worst part is that we're still finding things to fix!)

I've had people contact me and say, "I just finished writing a book and I'd like you to take a look at it." I always disappoint them by telling them to put it in a drawer for six months and then read it again.…

I won't keep you in suspense: "I couldn't put it down."

Now that's what keeps a writer writing. The form varies, of course. Last night it was almost a complaint: "I didn't get anything done yesterday because I had to know what happened." No matter what the tone, the message is the same. The book, my book, grabbed a woman's attention and kept her from other tasks she meant to accomplish. I imagine dirty dishes in the sink, the cat drinking out of the toilet, and leftovers hastily…

There are three general reactions to me around my home town since I've gotten published. One is what one might expect, excitement. People want to know when the book will be available, how long it took to write it, how much research I had to do, etc. These people are my favorite kind, even when their questions include, "When do I get my free autographed copy?" or "Do you think your agent would look at some of my daughter-in-law's poetry?"

A second group seems to be afraid that I'm…

Short post due to the fact that a Russian publisher has requested one of my MSs. It raises all sorts of questions, but right now I'm just concentrating on a timely and professional presentation.

One might wonder about Russians reading Elizabethan mysteries, but my experience has been that they (along with many other countries) have a much better grasp of world literature than most Americans. Russian exchange students I taught in high school had read more American lit than the vast…

I've been doing "Mystery Talks" at libraries over the last few months as a way of letting librarians and patrons get to know me, and I have to admit it's more fun than work. After thirty years in the classroom, it's great to have audiences that actually want to hear what I have to say, and of course talking about mysteries will never bore a fanatic like me.

I feel a little guilty sometimes recommending Author A over Author B, because we all know that tastes vary, and Author B wouldn't…

There is some concern in the publishing industry about the fact that every year there are fewer readers in this country. We all know why, and I'm not here to argue that it's wrong, wrong, wrong, even though it is.

The question is what can build interest in reading? Those factors need to be cultivated. For one thing, there's the popularity of certain books among young people. Once a kid has developed an interest in Potter or Goosebumps or Chillermania, chances are he will understand…

Exposing one's writing to the world is more terrifying than all the chainsaw massacre movies put together. Emily Dickinson said it: "How can you print a piece of your soul?" And yet, there is a compulsion in those of us who write to share that writing with others. We are tentative at first, but we can't resist handing that "piece of soul" to another person, hoping that he or she will say, "This is good." Often we're even okay with "This isn't too bad."

My first time story: I shared my…

A friend and I exchange manuscripts from time to time, and her latest is, to use an overused word that actually applies here, riveting. That got me thinking about pacing.

Sometimes a book reaches out and grabs you by the throat and won't let go. You need to know what happens to the protag, need to know why he/she's in such deep trouble, need to have the whole story. You hear people say they stayed up half the night to finish a book, and it's understandable. You become so…

This one might have you thinking that I've deluded myself into believing I'm a former President of the United States, but not so. It happened to me.

I'm on my daily walk in the woods. As I follow the path, ahead I see a rabbit, sitting maybe twenty feet ahead of me. This is unusual, since rabbits are, well, rabbity. They tend to startle and run at the first sign of an intruder. This rabbit was sitting very still, in plain sight.

As I approached him, the rabbit took off, as I…

I thought I'd finish out the week with animal stories, having been reminded by the porcupines of yesterday. Nothing to do with writing except that walking is my inspiration time each day.

Story #1 happened last summer. MId-morning I walk to the end of our property, about half a mile, cross a small woods, and return home. It's pretty much the same route every day, and that doesn't bother me in the least. There's always something new to see.

On a particular day, I heard the sound…

Yesterday I was angry at the world, as readers may have noticed. Today, although most of the same problems exist, I have a better attitude for three reasons.

First, I got a request for a complete from a publisher for my MS, Her Highness' First Murder. Few writers fail to be cheered by someone in the pub biz saying, "This is good. We'd like more." The nature of publishing today being what it is, that's a HUGE step forward.

Second, I spent an evening with some great…

Yesterday I posted on Internet angels, those people who post, create, and otherwise assist others, making valuable information available to the masses who don't know much more than how to type in a keyword or two.

Since the universe loves balance, on the day that I lauded such angels, I collided with a person of the opposite type. Having had the nerve to ask a question on-line, I was subjected to name-calling, intimidation, and downright meanness, all delivered in a tone of hauteur…

Did you ever wonder who does all the cool stuff on the Internet that makes it so much fun? I do.

I know a few names. Daniel Arenson, the author of a fantasy novel called FIREFLY ISLAND, helps other Five Star authors by posting their info on the MySpace Five Star site, with a cool revolving thingie that shows each author's latest cover every few minutes. Now I could never do that in a million years (well, maybe I could, but it's kind of like the monkeys with the typewriter…