wip – Ladies of Mystery

Like many writers before me, I get a deadline for an assignment and spend the days, weeks, or even months leading up to it thinking about what I’ll write. If I pick something lighthearted, I have to consider just how far to go in the humor direction. If the topic is serious, I worry I’ll sound earnest (Oh, the shame!). Either way, I let my mind wander, make a few notes as I go along (and try to keep them on the same pad of paper), and sit down to write with ample time to revise and edit. And then on the day when I’m supposed to post, I plan to finish the essay with a light and quick rewrite, just to keep it fresh. I open a new page, and there it is. The blank page. I’m catatonic.

What is it about the blank page that makes my brain go blank as well? I look at that white sheet which now has the vastness and strangeness of the Sahara covered with a blanket of snow, and I haven’t a thought in my head. Not even an idea that I’m looking at a blank sheet of paper on a computer screen. Nothing.

I had so much to write about this morning at 5:30 a.m. I woke up to the morning sun lightening the New England sky, reminding me that today was supposed to be a nice day, upper 50s along the coast, possibly even hitting 60 degrees. A good day to be outside tackling the weeds and cleaning things up for spring planting. I had the luxury of just lying there thinking about all that I could do today after I posted my blog for the fourth Saturday, my regular day for Ladies of Mystery. But by the time I got to my desk and laptop, something unbeknownst to me was draining my brain of every idea I’ve ever had.

I’ve thought about ways to cheat the blank page of its power to cripple me. It’s possible that pulling up a page from an earlier post will stimulate my tired synapses to get popping, but then I have to make a decision and choose a page. Nope. Still crippled. I could pull up a page from the novel I’m working on (and have been since last summer—what’s with that?) but then I’m liable to fall right into my usual funk of trying to figure out what’s wrong that scene or the other one in the same chapter. Not good for morale, which I need right now.

If you, reading this, are also a writer, you’ve probably already shut your eyes hard against a painful memory of a blank page, the one that just wouldn’t let you get started on what you hoped would be your greatest ever WIP. This experience drives me to question, what is the purpose of the blank page? And I’ve decided it’s the Universe’s way to test us, to make sure we know what we’re doing. If I pulled up a new page and started tapping out advice for ingrown toenails, the Universe would be telling me I’m in the wrong business—I’m not a writer; I’m a frustrated podiatrist. Perhaps I decide to explore the drawing or designing function on my computer. Okay. Problem. No words.

The blank page is the test for me every time. I don’t know what I’m going to write. Even if I think I do, I don’t know what’s going to come out. No matter how much I plan, no matter how much energy I waste on sample paragraphs or opening lines, the minute I look at that blank page, I go blank, white, empty, nothing. And then something comes up, something not planned, not expected, not even understood sometimes. There it is, and a wonder among wonders, For me writing is like breathing. I don’t really know how it works, but I know that it does and that’s enough for me. I thank the Gods of Desperation and go on typing.

Facing the blank page forces me back on myself every time—challenging me to trust that whatever shows up, making my fingers wiggle and stretch, spreading those black squiggly things across the white space, has to be what matters to me at that moment. On this I have no questions, which is good because I also have no answers. I take it all on faith.

I write because I have to, and I accept what comes also because I have to. It’s me.

Eons ago, when I wrote my first book, I actually had to go to the library to research untraceable poisons, fast acting poisons, skin absorption poisons. Yes, I was poisoning someone and yes, I’m that old!

I loved going to the library, I mean after all it is filled with books! But as a single mom at the time, with two young boys, my opportunities to languish in a palace of books were limited.

Also, during my early writing days, there were no TV shows like Criminal Minds or CSI. Though I have a dark and twisty mind, I didn’t know anything about “behavioral analysis” or “DNA” or “national criminal databases.”

In my next WIP, my villain convinced another inmate to kill himself while posing as the villain. The villain would then assume the dead inmate’s laundry job and smuggle himself out of the prison in a laundry truck. My weapon of choice was a lightbulb gasoline bomb, an idea I stole from “The Longest Yard.” So, I was back in the library researching how to make such a bomb. When I found no such information, I resorted to asking my electrician uncle who said he’d remember not to make me mad.

Then, when I wanted to know what type of firearm an FBI Agent carried, I emailed the FBI. Instead of receiving an email reply, the FBI called me. Evidently, at the time, they kept this information secret, and I was told I’d be placed on a list as an author in case I emailed them again.

A side note about lack of technology when I wrote this book, it was written longhand on countless sheets of a legal pad. Then I would spend hours carefully typing the novel on a non-autocorrect typewriter. Good times!

Imagine my delight when the World Wide Web was created, along with my ability to own a desktop computer! And, of course, my creative brain couldn’t get enough of shows like CSI and Criminal Minds.

By the time I wrote my next novel, it was 2004. My husband and I were finally empty nesters, and I was blessed with the opportunity to work from a home office.

I have an overactive imagination, which isn’t always accurate. Now when I need to verify an action one of my characters might take. Or the consequences for a specific crime if my villain is caught. Maybe I just need to know what the times are for sunrise/sunset in a specific month. Whatever the question, Google is at my fingertips!

I love that I can get instant information from several sources and within minutes to hours, I have my answer. Generally, I copy and paste my newfound knowledge and store the Word file in a folder for my current WIP. Another great tool is the ability to search my Word program for a specific item, but if I failed to save the nugget of info, I can always Google it again!

Googling does have its pitfalls. When I researched how to smuggle drugs in an RV (think gas tank) I received a phone call from Homeland Security. At first, I thought I was being pranked and the following conversation ensued:

“Hello, Mrs. Setzer,” a baritone voice filled my ear, “this is Agent Michaels from Homeland Security. I’m calling regarding your recent research on how to smuggle drugs into the United States from México.”

Okay,” I laughed, “who is this really?”

“Agent Michaels from Homeland Security.”

“How’d you get my cell number?”

“We’re Home Lane Security, ma’am.” Agent Michaels sounded annoyed. “Please answer the question.”

“I’m an author and just doing research for a book.”

“Understood. You will be placed on a list as an author, but you may want to be careful in the future with regard to your Google searches.”

Oh, good, I’m on another list!

Recently, I was struggling to settle on titles for two new WIPs. One book centers around a character’s survival while stranded on a ledge after a fall. The second WIP is about a serial killer who places bodies into a river. These two books will be part of a series that has two-word titles, which are my favorite. As I had my hair cut and colored, my stylist, Larry, and I tried out different word combinations. We landed on “Ravine”, which I really liked, but needed a lead word beginning with R.

You guessed it, we turned to Google! During my two-hour visit, Google sparked our imaginations with words like rescue and remote. We had fun trying different words with “Ravine.” Given a ravine is generally in the woods, our search led us to rattlesnake dens located on rocky ledges. We finally settled on “Rattlesnake Ravine.” Not only do I love the title, but our brainstorming created another threat for my Hero. And if you hate snakes as much as I do, researching and writing about their behavior was creepy!

This series already has “Redneck Ranch”, “Whispering Willows”, and “Willow’s Woods.” And though the titles are perfect for their novels, I really wanted to use a different consonant. So, on another recent visit to Larry, we repeated our title Googling session, finally landing on “Fatal Falls.”

Now, in an era of instant information, I am in awe of the tools available to me. From acquiring specific knowledge to checking facts to looking for inspiration, I can use Google, Bing, Wikipedia, and more.

While I love being able to use technology with my writing projects, I’m not planning to go down the AI rabbit hole. My mind is already dark and twisty without the benefit, or detriment, of Artificial Intelligence.

I very rarely visit a library these days to do research, but I do still write longhand on a legal pad. My favorite writing spot is a noisy bar where I get lost in the cacophony of sound. And when I need a tidbit to round out a character, to verify the average temperature in Oregon in October, or fact check how a rural Sheriff’s Department would handle a crime scene … I just Google it!!!

Happy Googling, Ladies!!!