Tag Archive for: how to write

The Path Through the Forest of Words

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 by Bethany Maines

Writing is both hard and easy.  Like a lot of things,
it’s a relatively simple process that is accessible to just about
everyone.  Sit, type, repeat, and you’ve got a book.  Also like a lot
of things, doing it well is something that takes years of practice and
refinement. And the better you do it, the less the effort is apparent. Good
writer’s make writing seem easy. From the effortless flow of a sentence to the
way the plot of a book doesn’t strain to contain it’s characters, but seems to
come directly from the characters themselves. But what can elevate clunky
sentences to art?

I’ll be giving a guest lecture in a few months to some high-school
students on the topic of writing a mystery.  I love connecting with kids
and I’m really looking forward to this class, but it got me thinking about how
to teach such a thing.  I’ve been known to teach a variety of things—how
to write action scenes, karate, how to pee in the woods. According to my
daughter, who was four at the time, that last one is not my strongest topic.
But like any skill, there are ways to breakdown each skill and pass on that
recipe to the next person. Even if some small children don’t want to listen to
you, not peeing on your underwear is still an achievable goal.  As is
writing a mystery.  But can I teach someone how to write a good
mystery?  

As I have pondered the ins-and-outs of good writing and mystery’s and
teaching I’ve come to the conclusion and I don’t think I can teach someone how
to write well.  I can teach someone how to be competent and I can give
them an entire toolbox of tips and tricks, but I think in the end the only
person that can make a writer write well is… the writer. I think that it
really comes down to the practice and ambition of the writer to push themselves
beyond craftsmanship and into art.

I hope I’m on the path to art as I wander through the
forests of words, but I have to admit that on some days, the best I can say is
that I didn’t pee on my underwear.

Writer Update: The Lost Heir – The Deveraux Legacy
prequel novella is now available! Catch up on all the Deveraux family dirt.

Aʟʟ Rᴇᴛᴀɪʟᴇʀs﹕ ʜᴛᴛᴘs﹕//ʙᴏᴏᴋs2ʀᴇᴀᴅ.ᴄᴏᴍ/Lᴏsᴛ–Hᴇɪʀ

👑👊👑

𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒚 𝒉𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒆𝒏.

Jackson Deveraux was orphaned, abandoned and imprisoned, but
life is about to hand him a second chance and a new family. Eleanor Deveraux
lost her children in a plane crash and she’s in danger of losing her
grandchildren to the Deveraux Legacy of drugs, abuse and secrets, but life is
about to hand her Jackson. When Eleanor discovers an illegitimate grandson in
prison for armed-robbery she grits her teeth and does her duty—she gets him
out. But being out of prison doesn’t instantly make Jackson part of the family.
And as Jackson and his cousins struggle to find common ground, Eleanor steers
Jackson away from befriending her other grandchildren. She only needs Jackson
to keep them out of trouble—not be their friend. But Jackson and Dominique, the
youngest Deveraux cousin, have other plans and, as his first Christmas as
Deveraux arrives, Jackson sets himself on the path to fixing the Deveraux clan
and getting the family he’s always wanted.

 **

Bethany Maines is the award-winning author of the Carrie Mae Mysteries, San Juan Islands Mysteries, Shark Santoyo Crime Series, and numerous
short stories. When she’s not traveling to exotic lands, or kicking some
serious butt with her black belt in karate, she can be found chasing her
daughter or glued to the computer working on her next novel. You can also catch up with her on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and BookBub.

 

 

The Story Starts Here

/in /by
by Bethany Maines
One of the most common question a writer gets asked is
“Where do your ideas come from?”
Once my brother made me lay on his floor so he could tape
outlines of me all over his bedroom carpet as though his room had been the site
of a mass murder; we found it was surprisingly difficult to get just the right
pose so that all the limbs were showing and you didn’t just have weird potato
shaped outlines. (Yes, I know that was an odd transition, but I’ll circle back
I promise.) When was 12, I told my Dad I had a stove box to make a Halloween
costume out of he got out the black and white spray paint and turned my best
friend and I into Two Fools in Pair-o-Dice; our heads came out the one dots – naturally.
My mom’s friend once had eye surgery and had a rather large bandage, so my mom painted
on an eye over the bandage and added a great set of false lashes. Why did we do
these things? Honestly, the question never occurred to us. Had you asked at the
time we probably would have said, “Why not?” My family has a culture
of creativity and odd projects from passing thoughts are the norm not the
exception. And as is often the case with cultures, I didn’t think to question
it until someone from a different culture asked, “So why don’t you put
mayo on fries?”  Or in the case of my
writing, “How do you come up with your ideas?”
The people asking don’t mean anything by the question, they
are genuinely interested. The problem is that at any given time I’m vacillating between two of my personalities, Helpful Instructor Bethany and Diva Artiste
Bethany. Helpful Instructor is usually nice, but Diva Artiste is kind of…
well, I won’t use the B-word as we are in a family friendly forum, but you get
the idea, and sometimes it’s a struggle to rein Diva Wench back in. Helpful Instructor
realizes that the questioner was not raised in a culture of creativity and they
are asking for help understanding the creative process. Diva Artiste
imperiously demands how anyone cannot have ideas. Ideas are literally littered
on the sidewalk, in the newspaper, on the radio, sleeting through the universe
like a tiny meteorite looking for a receptive brain (Terry Pratchett, you are
missed) and all you really have to do to have an idea is make your brain
receptive. It’s easy to do – read blogs by creative people (thanks), buy creative people presents (ok, maybe not really on that one, but I like books, you know, just in case), try new things. But the number one tip that Helpful
Instructor or Diva Artiste both agree on, is to ask “What if?”
Any topic can work. Earlier this week there was a news story
about a man who ran from the police and got stuck in mud.  What if you had been that man – up to your
knees in river mud, unable to move, sinking slowly? What would you do?

What if I… What if you… What if they… The story starts
there and you can decide the ending – just answer the question.
Bethany Maines is the author of the Carrie
Mae Mysteries, Tales from the City of
Destiny and the forthcoming An Unseen
Current.  You can also view the Carrie Mae youtube video
or catch up with her on Twitter and Facebook.