My Writing Process by Marilyn Meredith

Marilyn Meredith is the author of over twenty-five published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series, the latest "Dispel the Mist" from Mundania Press. Under the name of F. M. Meredith she writes the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series, "An Axe to Grind" is the latest from Oak Tree Press and "No Sanctuary" is a finalist in the mystery/suspense category of the Epic best in e-books contest .


She is a member of EPIC, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. She was an instructor for Writer’s Digest School for ten years, served as an instructor at the Maui Writer’s Retreat and many other writer’s conferences. She makes her home in Springville CA, much like Bear Creek where Deputy Tempe Crabtree lives. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com
http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/
Stiletto Gang: http://thestilettogang.blogspot.com/




























 
My Writing Process by Marilyn Meredith

Every time I begin a new book, it’s a tad different. I write two different series, the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series–the latest is An Axe to Grind–and the Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series with Dispel the Mist being the last one out.

I collect newspaper articles, notes I’ve taken at Sisters in Crime meetings when a police officer or detective or anyone with interesting stories is the speaker. I also print things out for the Internet that pique my interest. Usually when I’m finishing one book, I go from one series to the next, I have a seed of an idea growing about the next book I want to write.

My research for an earlier Tempe Crabtree book led me to learn more about a legendary creature who lives or lived on the Tule River Indian reservation and I knew had I had to find out more and actually visit the place where he and his family are picture on the walls of a rock shelter–and from there came Dispel the Mist.

While finishing up the edits on An Axe to Grind my grandson posted photos of bears and stories about the bears he and his fellow officers were chasing out of people’s homes in Aspen, CO. The more I read I knew that bears had to be in my next Tempe Crabtree. I had no idea what I was going to do with the bears or what kind of part they would play, I only knew bears would carry a major part of the story.

Bear Creek, the fictional place where Tempe is the resident deputy, has a large resemblance to the little town I live in though I’ve moved up in the mountains another thousand feet. One of my friends called to tell me about a bear sighting in someone’s back yard only a few miles from my house. Great, this would make my story in more believable to those who know I’m writing about where I live.

Anytime I start a new book I start thinking about the characters I want to inhabit that story. Of course the main characters will always be Tempe and her pastor husband Hutch, along with Nick Two John, the enigmatic Indian who often leads Tempe to the way to solve some of her problems. Next comes the person who will be the murder victim and why someone, usually more than one someone, would like to see this person dead. Often the one I think will be the killer is not the one I begin with. Nearly every author I know admits to having this surprising turn of events no matter how well they might have plotted the mystery beforehand.

As I begin to plan even more, there is always some research I have to do along the way whether it be about the actual murder or perhaps some side plot I want to introduce. 

Finally it’s time to begin. That first sentence is important–I want it to be something that will make the reader continue on. 

Once I’m going good I have to think about writing character descriptions, believable dialogue that’s going to move the plot along, what places look like, setting the mood with weather and smells. Of course some of that I may plug in when I go back to rewrite.

I write on the computer, however, I have a notebook nearby to write notes on as ideas occur to me that I want to include later. Piled around me are other sheets of paper with research notes, some that I’ve printed from the Internet.

When I’m writing, I try to stop in a middle of a scene so I’ll know exactly what comes next when I sit back down at the computer. Any questions about guns and cars I ask my husband. I never get technical like some people do, even in my Rocky Bluff P.D. books–since they are more about the old-fashioned way of solving a crime and the relationships and personal problems of the police officers and their families. Those stories never move past the arrest of the guilty party.

Each chapter is read to my critique group. They are absolutely wonderful at not only catching things like typos and grammar errors, but inconsistencies and they question why I have characters doing certain things. I may not always agree with what someone has said, but if he or she had a problem, then I probably need to rework the writing.

When I have finished–think I have, anyway, I got back over the whole thing, reading it with a critical eye. Once I’ve got it where I think it’s really finished, I sent it off to a reader or editor. I have a couple who are really good at catching things I didn’t even see. When it comes back to me, I’ll fix and/or rework sentences and other things they’ve marked on the manuscript.

When I’m done, off it goes to my publisher. After what seems an awfully long time, I’ll hear that the manuscript has been assigned to an editor. That editor will go through the manuscript and make even more corrections and suggestions–sort of a fine tuning. Then it comes back to me and I can agree with her suggestions or not and I send it back. When it’s formatted for the book, it returns to me once again in galley form and I have one last chance to check for errors and corrections.

Once I know when the book will be out, I begin fleshing out my promotional plan. Of course, along with writing, this is something I do on a regular basis anyway. At the same time, I’ll be starting the process all over for the next Rocky Bluff P.D. crime novel.

I know every author has his or her own way of writing a book–this is mine and so far it’s working for me. Why don’t you tell me how you set about writing your book?

Marilyn Meredith

http://fictionforyou.com
http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/
Stiletto Gang: http://thestilettogang.blogspot.com/

How Does an Old Lady Like You Presume to Write Police Procedurals?

Marilyn Meredith is the author of over twenty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery, the latest Kindred Spirits from Mundania Press. Under the name of F. M. Meredith she writes the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series, No Sanctuary is the newest from Oak Tree Press.

She is a member of EPIC, Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. She was an instructor for Writer’s Digest School for ten years, served as an instructor at the Maui Writer’s Retreat and many other writer’s conferences. She makes her home in Springville CA, much like Bear Creek where Deputy Tempe Crabtree lives. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com


Trailer for No Sanctuary -

Trailer for Kindred Spirits -

Blog: http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com

Website: http://fictionforyou.com


HOW DOES AN OLD LADY LIKE YOU PRESUME TO WRITE POLICE PROCEDURALS?
by
Marilyn Meredith

No one has actually come out and put that question into words, but I have seen it several folks’ eyes. I have been asked if I was in law enforcement at one time. The answer to that one is “no.” And I am not writing about me in any shape or form.

What first got me interested in writing about people in law enforcement was my son-in-law who was an officer for the Oxnard CA P.D. My daughter didn’t like hearing his stories, so every morning after he got off the night shift, he’d come to our house for coffee and tell me his exciting stories. I went on a ride-along with him after promising not to mention to anyone that I was his mother-in-law. This was in the days before seat-belt laws and riding with him was not only enlightening it was a bit on the scary side. When he chased after a burglar he made me come along with him, because, as he said, “How’re you going to know what it’s like if you don’t come along?”

When we moved to the foothills, I went on a couple of more ride-alongs with the Porterville P.D. The first was with a brand new officer he forbade me to get out of the car. The second was with the only female officer at the time and she was great. It was Saturday night and she did bar checks and let me follow her around. When she was through in a bar, she’d holler out, “Did anyone see the little old lady who came in with me?” Everyone always pointed at me. (Not so great for my ego.) She also went to a family dispute—I stayed in the car for that one. Her Sergeant showed up and asked me if I’d heard anything. He listened at the door and all was quite. He told me she did a wonderful job calming down volatile situations. From about 2:30 a.m. until 6, she didn’t get a single call. As we patrolled the streets, she told me so much: the difficulties of being the only woman in the department as well as being a single mom.

I interviewed the female resident deputy for our area and she told me many of the same problems she had being the only woman working with so many men.

When I met a lovely Native woman who told me all about growing up on the reservation, I began to get the idea for my Deputy Tempe Crabtree mysteries. Tempe, a Native American, is the resident deputy of Bear Creek which bears a striking resemblance to the foothill community where I live. We are located close to the Tule River Indian Reservation which also makes several appearances in different Tempe books as well as those who reside there. In the latest, Kindred Spirits, Tempe travels to Crescent City to learn more about a murder victim and finds out a lot about the travails of the Tolowa people.

Coming in the fall, Dispel the Mist, Tempe has a close encounter with the Tule River Indian legend of the Hairy Man who bears a close resemblance to Big Foot..

Rocky Bluff P.D. is located in a fictional beach community on the coast with a slight resemblance to Carpenteria CA and Oxnard in earlier times. The characters in the Rocky Bluff P.D. crime series are law enforcement officers and their families. Though the same characters appear in more than one book, the focus changes for each one. A romance began to develop in Smell of Death between Detective Doug Milligan and Officer Stacey Wilbur. In the latest, No Sanctuary, things between the two heat up a bit as Stacey helps Doug investigate the murder of a popular minister’s wife.

My goal in the Rocky Bluff P.D. series is to show how the job affects the family and what goes on in the family also affects the job.

In both series, each book stands alone and it’s not necessary to read them in order. Some of the earlier Rocky Bluff P.D. books can only be ordered from my website, http://fictionforyou or through Kindle. The Tempe books are available from me, on the Kindle, Amazon, or the publishers’ sites.

Back to the main question, how do I presume to write police procedurals? Besides what I’ve told you, I also belong to the Public Safety Writers Association http://www.publicsafetywriter.com and many of the members are active or retired law enforcement and quite willing to answer all my questions. And the bottom line is, I’m writing fiction—and stories that I hope will entertain the reader.