Tag: writing a cozy mystery

Cozy Mystery

When Staying Focused Is Difficult

carolyncordon

Right now, as so many people are struggling to stay safe, and to understand the crazy scary things happening all around the world, as we try to keep on top of the terrible emergency regarding the Covid 19 virus, staying, or getting, focused on our own writing is difficult, or even impossible.

I haven’t written anything new for my current large work-in-progress for a couple of days, it is feeling the relevance to life has been squashed, and the Coronavirus has taken hold of almost everything … We’re all hunkering down, and hoping, because that’s about all we CAN do, because getting ‘out there’ may bring exposure to this virus …

My writing group met at our usual spot though, and as long as the venue will be open, we will meet again next week, on the usual time, at the usual place. These times are far from usual though … The markets and the government have gone mad, in Australia, and in all of the other countries too, by the look of it. The Australian dollar is down, down and down, although up a bit at the moment, on the most recent lowest rates …

The venue for the Adelaide Plains Poets writing group. I hope they can remain open throughout this current medical emergency.

So we had our meeting yesterday, with a goodly enough number of attendees. And many of us stayed after the meeting, and we had a meal together. There were no hugs at all, while there often are at least a couple of hugs shared. We were aware of the idea of staying not too close, but I have to admit we may have been a little bit slap dash about it, obviously believing ourselves to be immune for the virus. I hope our arrogance about this doesn’t bit us badly, and kill us …

So with all of this going on, the idea of writing a Cosy Murder Mystery, hasn’t managed to cut through the media deluge, and numbers of deaths, are real deaths, not make believe ones from my novel … So yes, my focus on “Winds of Death At Talloola” is nonexistent, with apparently 800 cases of coronavirus as at 3.00pm 20/03/20 … Which is more important? Well, actually, wearing my Stoic hat rather than my poet and novelist hat, the most important thing isn’t to watch non stop news about things I can do nothing to fix, so I might as well get on with my writing, which I can do, and it would be a good distraction, and mood enhancer for me.

So why am I here? I have a novel to write, and I know being able to read my words will definitely be a happy thing for a few of my writing friends, who are waiting to read this novel, and help me to make it a better piece of writing! So novel, here I come!

Cozy Mystery, inspiration, Uncategorized

Talk to your Character

carolyncordon

A dear friend of mine, Martin Christmas, is a fine poet, and even finer human being. He is a doer, an encourager, and as I said, a dear friend. Martin knows of my current troubles (a fractured ankle), and he is making sure my brain is still good, even if my ankle is busted.

I appreciate his effort, and his ideas that it might be a good chance to work on my written work. I agree that is should be a good chance for that, I’m comfortably seated, my laptop on my lap, with plenty of power available. So why is there no action going on with my proposed series of Cozy Mysteries, featuring Meredith, my main character.

I want this to happen, this series of books. I did lots of work on them earlier, perhaps when I was in hospital? Or it may have been before that. Hmm, before, I think. My mind is a little befuddled with all of the pain relief I had been taking, over the past fortnight … but anyway, I did manage to have a Talloola township thought while in hospital. I thought that I had to have a hospital in my town in my books, Talloola, and there had to be a murder in the Talloola Hospital, for Meredith to solve that crime.

I haven’t got much further than that thought, consciously, but I hope my subconscious mind may have been fiddling with the idea. To that end, I am going to do some free writing, chatting with Meredith, and see where (or if) things go. Meredith and I are good friends, she is a bit like the me I’d like to be, taller, prettier, a working woman, with a hunk of a football player as her love interest. (that bit is not me, my love interest is the wonderful man who is looking after me at the moment (and always).

So excuse me, while I go away and talk with my main character. If anything happens, and I sincerely hope something will happen, well, I’ll come back here and talk about it! I am very grateful to have Martin as a good friend, am hope I can live up to his (and my) expectations of what I am capable of doing!

Writing a whole series of Cozy Mysteries was a big project, but if I can live through a fractured ankle, and do it well, there’s no telling what else I can do, Ciao!

Cozy Mystery, Writing

When Work is Huge Fun

carolyncordon

I spent almost all day yesterday, and into the night, working on various bits and pieces of my upcoming “Cozy Mystery” books. More words were added to the one I’ve written the most for, lots of work done on characterisations too, and more ideas for some of the titles already named.

This is so much fun, that even if I never ever actually get any of the ten plus books in the series planned, it’s still worth it. I can call it therapy, and revel in the amazing things my brain is doing, even with the damage my Chronic Illness (MS) may, or may not be doing to it.

I know more and more about the people in my stories, what they look like, what they fear, what their secret powers are, what their role is, and so on. As I learn more about my characters, more subplots pop up, for the various titles, and I’m working at putting relevant ‘bits and pieces’ in the correct story.

This is creative writing times twenty, putting together not one story, or one book, but a whole series of stories in books, and it feels like the best fun ever, as a writer. Creation of a town, its residents and writing about it in a new (to me as a writer) genre, and having fun doing it, what a life this is, wonderful!

I’ve found the thing I really feel I can go on doing for the rest of my life, and I’m loving it! My main character (Meredith Webster) is going to be my best friend, and my helper characters (Gert and Mister) and going to keep it all going! Murder in the small town of Talloola is going great, with Meredith there to find out Who Dunnit!

I created this town and these characters for the novel I’ve been writing (in bits and pieces) for a couple of years, but the Thriller genre wasn’t ‘thrilling’ me. But as soon as I changed it to the Cozy Mystery genre, Bang! It all started coming together beautifully well!

I’ve based my setting on one I know well, with the name and some details changed, to suit the story. Coming up with the various things, names, places, community details, these are the funnest thing, to change things at will, but always with an understanding of the real story, world building in small ways, creative fun for sure!