Does Our Voice As A Writer Change Over Time?

As writer's we all know what our "voice" is - it is how we express ourselves through our characters. It is the emotions, feelings, and ways of looking at things that make our characters real. It remains the same from book to book, article to article. Well, it does if we have defined our voice, that spark that make reflects the authenticity of who we are. It reflects our personality and life experiences. It is what keeps our readers coming back.

Does our voice change over time? From my experience, I would say yes. So, what are we doing ... reinventing ourselves? Not at all. We are simply reflecting new life experiences and our evolving personality because of them. The change comes over time, and is very subtle. We are simply an updated version of who we were.

Allow your voice to grow. Allow yourself to reflect your life experiences. Allow your readers to grow with you.

(c) October 2019 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission of the author.

The Secret Ingredient - Food!

Food appears front and center in many of the cozy mysteries that I so love. I decided to share some of my favorites:

Joanna Carl's "Chocoholic" mystery series, with protagonist Lee McKinney as manager of her Aunt Nettie's chocolate shop (all handmade chocolates!).

Laura Child's "Tea Shop Mysteries", where the protagonist, Theodosia Browning, owns a tea shop in Charleston, SC.

Mary Jane Clark's "Piper Donavon/Wedding Cake Mysteries" series.

Cleo Coyle's "Coffeehouse" mystery series, with protagonist Clare Cossi as manager of the historic New York City coffeehouse "Village Blend", owned by her elegant ex-mother-in-law.

Joanne Fluke's "Hannah Swensen Mystery Books", where the protagonist owns a delightful bakery in Lake Eden, MN.

Katherine Hall Page's "Faith Fairchild" series, where the protagonist is a caterer/minister's wife. 

(c) October 2019 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission from the author.

Cozy Mysteries

Like many writers, I choose to write in the genre that I like to read - that of cozy mysteries. Sex is played down (referred to, but not seen or heard), and there is little to no violence. The environment for the stories often carries a small town vibe, even if the action takes place in a big city. Those doing the detecting are most often amateurs, and most often women. The people executing the crime, be it murder or something else, are usually members in good standing in the community. 

So, how do we go about writing this type of story? The first thing that I do is define my protagonist - who they are, where they live, what their goals are, who their friends are. Then I define the setting - city, small town, seaside - wherever I think the action will play out in a natural manner. Now comes the issue/event being investigated. Remember, in cozy mysteries the protagonist usually has a small group of friends or family that help them solve crimes. The characters in these books know each other well, and usually have lived in the area for a long time. The crimes often originate from issues going generations back.

We want to make both our characters and our setting distinctive. Use descriptive words that will leave an impression. Be detailed, and specific. Regional and local differences should be played up big. Pick your victim, and pick your crime. Both need to be believable! Then develop a list of suspects - some obvious, some not so obvious. 

Create a sense of suspense that fits with both the characters and the setting. I love delving into the past - this is where our present grew its feet, and is a definite link to both the present and the future. Think the "seven generations" concept here. 

Have fun, and allow your mind to go where it wants to go to be creative. Then accept that your characters will have minds of their own!

(c) October Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission of the author.  

First Impressions

As writers, we want to make a good first impression. However, we also want our books to make a good first impression. How can we do this? It is called editing! (BTW - aside from getting our books edited, we also need to edit query letters, cover letters, and book blurbs.) It probably is not the best idea to do the final editing on our own work. If we missed something the first few times through, we aren't suddenly going to find it. How many times have I thought my end product was good to go, then showed it to a friend that found a spelling or gramatical error, or a formatting error, or something that simpy did not flow well!

So what keeps me from hiring a professional editor? Money. And why should I hire a professional editor? Money. So far my books are not selling enough copies for me to know how they are seen by my prospective audience. That is a promotional issue.  That is another blog. I need to look long term, and budget for a professional editor. 

I am lucky, in that I do know a couple of professional editors. They may not accept my work, but they are a place to start. I know them, and I know their reputation. My suggestion to anyone looking for a professional editor is to review their credentials, then go over their reviews. See what other people think of their work. Then make sure that you and the editor are on the same page as to what they are offering. What I would be looking for is someone to review grammer and punctuation, to do an overview and see where there may be inconsistencies in the story, or where the plot doesn't flow well, and to look for things like the repetitive use of words. (I once read a very poorly written mystery where the same word was used nine times on the same page!)

You might also want to think about whether you want to wait until the editing job is completely finished before you review it, or whether you want to have an ongoing conversation with the editor about what is being done. Do what is comfortable for you, and what is comfortable for your editor.

What you are looking for here is a fully edited manuscript that looks professional, feels professional, and presents your work in the best manner possible.

(c) October 2019 Bonnie Cehovet

Reproduction prohibited without written permission of the author.