Creative Writing Archives - Page 39 of 56 - Trisha Sugarek, Author, Playwright & Poet

Video of Murder, New Release by this Writer

REVIEW~~Recommended Reading – Donovan’s Bookshelf ‘By now it should be evident, with Volume 7’s addition to the ‘World of Murder’ series, that Trisha Sugarek has a real winner on her hands in terms of an ongoing theme able to sustain itself through book after book. This latest focuses on the Chinese mafia in New York City, and presents a riveting story line that takes two different cultural milieus and ties them neatly together. Replete with satisfying turns, this story not only fits nicely into the prior series but stands well on its own…. ‘ More

TS. I wouldn’t ever have imagined that a short little play, written on a whim, would become a best selling true crime series. Here’s how it all began,

Years ago one of my crew, in a stage production I was directing, said, “Trish for years now I’ve had this great idea for a play script but I know I’ll never write it….hell, I wouldn’t know where to begin…. and you’re the writer so I want to give you my idea.” His name escapes me but it must have been Billy Bob or Bubba or junior seeing as we were in Texas at the time. This idea of Bubba’s blossomed first, into a one act play, and later into this series of true crime mysteries. All because we had a few beers one night and he thought I could write it better than he could. Thank you, Bubba, wherever you are!

I feel like I need to explain the ‘writing a play on a whim‘ remark. I was deep into writing my series of 10 minute plays for the classroom, many of them addressing the serious challenges of teens today. Why not throw in a “G” rated murder mystery, for the kids, just for the fun of it? So I did.
Many of my fans and friends read my play scripts even though they aren’t involved with theatre.
So the feedback that kept coming back was, “We want more of Detectives O’Roarke and Garcia. Can’t you adapt this play into fiction?”
Never dreaming, at the time, that there were seven books (and counting) in me! I have to pinch myself.

Midwest Book Review ~ Angel of Murder ‘It takes a tightrope artist of a writer to create chapters that successfully delve into a killer’s thoughts without revealing his identity in the process, but Sugarek achieves this with a dance of introspection.’

At all fine book stores in paperback & e-books Click here to see them all

Interview with International author, Mehreen Ahmed

TS. World Traveler, Mehreen Ahmed’s new book The Pacifist stirs the imagination and the heart. Come with me while we peek into her writing and traveling life.

Q. Where do you write? Do you have a special room, shed, barn, special space for your writing? Or tell us about your ‘dream’ work space.

MA. I enjoy bustling street-side style cafes, preferably with lilies and gardenias hanging over walls but I usually write in my bedroom. My dream workplace would be sitting on a beach with the waves crashing in, or a mountain resort where I could see the impressive Himalayas spread their majesty across the mysterious land. But enchanting cafes are also good working places.

Q. Do you have any special rituals when you sit down to write? (a neat work space, sharpened #2 pencils, legal pad, cup of tea, glass of brandy, favorite pajamas, etc.)

MA. I’m very messy and so is my desk. I have books scattered all over the place. My tea mug is a permanent feature on my desk, alongside the laptop and little notebooks. Sometimes I try to arrange scraps of rolled papers that spill over the laptop before I write. I suppose that could be considered a ritual.

Q. Could you tell us something about yourself that we might not already know?

MA. I also sing. I took singing lessons as a child, something my family encouraged me to do. I started singing when I was five. I had a private tutor who came to my family home once a week to give me lessons.

Q. Could you tell us more about the places you have lived?

MA. I was born and raised in Dhaka, Bangladesh. I had a very happy childhood. I come from an aristocratic old family in Dhaka. Because of
this, I had the good fortune of going to private schools, which is a huge advantage there. However, during the 1971 civil war, we became
refugees for a while. We were in Khulna then, and I was in grade 5. As a child, I saw some of the worst atrocities imaginable. Still, Bangladesh is incredibly beautiful and I loved it there. But after I received my first degree at the University of Dhaka, I decided to continue studying abroad. That’s when I decided to move to Canada.

I lived in Ottawa and Saskatchewan between 1980 and 1992. Saskatchewan was very cold. But I loved the snow. I could appreciate, “The big sky” of Canada and the northern lights from the flat prairies more so than anywhere else. However, I’ve also visited other places in Canada namely, Calgary, Montreal, and Toronto. Walking through the snow was never easy and I fell down frequently, slipping on treacherous slush piles. Once I remember, I lay there on a blanket of snow, just watching the night sky from that angle. I was in no hurry to get up as I didn’t want to miss looking at the sky from this perspective. The good Canadians looked over
me in concern as they passed by. But I reassured them, smiling, that I was just fine. I have visited Italy, Vienna, France, Switzerland, and Spain as well.

Presently, I live in Australia. By contrast, the landscape of Australia is rugged. The grass is not greener but much scruffier here compared to the tame Canadian lawns; the ones that I saw, at least. The weather much hotter, Australia can also be quite cold in winter, though not as cold as Canada. I have heard that it snows in some parts of Australia, but I’m yet to see it here. I really missed the snow when I first moved away from Canada. But Australia compensates with its warm climate, suitable for swimming and surfing.

Q. Do you have a set time each day (or night) to write?

MA. I usually write when I have a thought. Otherwise, I’d just be staring at the screen. If a thought comes to me, I usually pen it down almost straight away. If I get an idea in a dream, then I would jot it down in the morning. I have many dream-like scenes in all my books. A lot of these ideas were conceived in my own dreams.

Q. What’s your best advice to other writers for overcoming procrastination?

MA. Procrastination is harmful as a writer. Would-be brilliant writers sometimes get nothing out because of it. I think it’s important to write something creative each day. Even if it’s just a few lines, instilling a habit of writing is important. I have a difficult time giving advice, though. Every writer is different and each one has his or her own process.

Q. Where/when do you first discover your characters?

MA. I discover characters as the story is penned. I have a vague idea of who this person is but I don’t necessarily know how they are going to react until they are faced with a situation in the plot. It’s like I’m getting to know them through writing, not that I have imagined them beforehand.

Please join us June 16th for Part II To order “The Pacifist” click here
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MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? Johan Thompson (South African author) joined us in April. June: Mehreen Ahmed. July: Janet Macleod Trotter, author of Tea Planter’s Daughter and in August we say ‘hello’ to Cheryl Hollon.

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Motivational Moments…for Writers #30

Pride Yourself on Your Great Dialogue!

Definition: the conversational element of literary or dramatic composition

I’ve often wondered if authors whom I’ve read, like Edna Ferber, wrote pages and pages of narrative/description because they never mastered the art of dialogue. Hmmm.

I got lucky because I began my writing career writing stage plays. And they are nothing but dialogue. So early on I learned from, not only writing plays but, reading plays…thousands of them over the years.

To be good at it, I think one of the tricks is to write more and more dialogue and then write some more. You have to be able to get in that character’s head. What do they ‘sound‘ like? Is their grammar messy? The character who hails from the Bronx, for example, is going to cut off words such as: walkin’, talkin’, eatin’, and so forth. There will be more idioms (such as ‘grill’, ‘to front’, ‘rachet’, ‘na’mean, and ‘spaz’) than a person who was raised in a household where grammar and diction were more valued. You have to be able to switch characters and write ‘flavor’ into their speech. How would an eastern Indian, whose first language is not English, ‘sound‘? Now write it that way. How would a southern ‘sound’? Be careful, people from Charleston, S.C. sound totally different from people in New Orleans, Louisiana.

Now, go back over your story and focus on how each character sounds. Is one character’s grammatical habits spilling over into another? Once in awhile I will read over my dialogue and suddenly one of my characters ‘sounds’ like me but they’re not anything like me. I let my own idioms slide right into my character’s mouth. It’s disconcerting because it’s so easy to do. When you’re out and about listen to other people’s speech patterns, idioms and speech habits.

“Writing a novel is like driving a car at night. You can only see as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way.” E.L.Doctorow

“People say that life is the thing, but I prefer reading.” Logan Pearsall Smith

~~‘As a writer, I marinate, speculate and hibernate.’ Trisha Sugarek ~~

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MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? February’s author was Sheryl Steines. Johan Thompson (South African author) joined us in April. June: Mehreen Ahmed. July: Janet Macleod Trotter, author of Tea Planter’s Daughter and in August we say ‘hello’ to Cheryl Hollon.

Check out more Motivational Moments…for Writers!

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Motivational Moments…for Writers #29

All works in a series, sequel or trilogy must stand alone. Therefore the writer must duplicate information (set-up) about the characters, place, time, etc., in each book.

Being an avid reader and fond of series, I noticed that it didn’t bother me that I was reading duplicate information. It struck me that it was probably true of most other readers. I doubt readers even notice unless they are ‘binge’ reading an entire series.

My message here to you other writers, is don’t let it worry you. Each book must be written as if it’s the only book that your reader will read of yours.

It’s also acceptable to throw in teasers from books in the series. For example, I tell (in book #7, World of Murder) of my detective going to a cake tasting in preparation for his wedding. This might ‘tease’ my readers into wanting to know how O’Roarke and Summer met, fell in love, how he proposed, and so on.
And nothing is sweeter than to have a fan ask if there will be a sequel or if the first book will become a series. Both has happened to me!

“words like wine, words like blood, words out of the mouths of past loves dead. words like bullets, words like bees, words for the way the good die and the bad live on…” Charles Bukowski

“Mostly, we authors must repeat ourselves…that’s the truth. We have two or three great moving experiences in our lives…experiences so great and moving that it doesn’t seem at the time that anyone else has been caught up and pounded and dazzled and astonished and beaten and broken and rescued and illuminated and rewarded and humbled in just that way ever before.” F. Scott Fitzgerald

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MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? February’s author was Sheryl Steines. Johan Thompson (South African author) joined us in April. June: Mehreen Ahmed. July: Janet Macleod Trotter, author of Tea Planter’s Daughter

Check out more Motivational Moments…for Writers!

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Motivational Moments…for Writers! #28

As writers, we are all guilty of using particular words or phrases WAY TOO MUCH!!

I was recently reading a delightful series by an author but it was very distracting when she used the same phrase over and over.
“Custom glass workroom”. The shop where the story takes place is just four rooms so it is my opinion that:

1] the author needed to change it up; There is an office, a retail room, a classroom and the custom workshop. Just a little chance would make all the difference. For example: ‘the workroom’ and ‘the workshop’ and ‘the specialty glass room’.

2]readers are smart and we should never underestimate their ability to follow along. If they can’t then we, as the writers, have failed at our job.
3] If we miss our idiosyncrasies, and we all have them, then the editor, beta reader, proof reader, etc., should catch it.

My most common ones are the words, ‘just’ and ‘that’. My watchdog, first defense, is to use Word’s ‘find’. Then I review the manuscript looking for when I over use the words and why.
“There is no way of writing well and also of writing easily.” Anthony Trollope

“All fiction is largely autobiographical and much autobiography is, of course, fiction.” P.D. James

Now available! Release date, May 15th.

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MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? February’s author was Sheryl Steines. Johan Thompson (South African author) joined us in April. June: Mehreen Ahmed. July: Janet Macleod Trotter, author of Tea Planter’s Daughter

Check out more Motivational Moments…for Writers!

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Motivational Moments…for Writers! #27

I’ve always believed that to be a good writer you must read. Why?

I can only answer for myself. Other writers inspire me to improve my writing skills. This is true of my fiction, stage plays, and poetry.
Their styles are innumerable, their dash extraordinary, the story telling superb. Oh sure, I stumble upon the ‘not so good’ authors but they contribute to my self-confidence. I say to myself, “Oh! So I’m not the absolutely worst writer out there.” I learn from the great ones and I learn from the mediocre.

When I’m not writing, I’m reading. Fiction mostly. I love a good story…and better, a good story-teller. I recently discovered Janet Macleod Trotter, one of our hidden treasures and, I predict, her books will be considered some of the best modern-day classics of our time.

Here are more some quotes that I stumbled across recently and really enjoyed.

“That’s what the greats of literature did — they got their characters up a tree and threw rocks at them…” Robyn Carr (excerpt from ‘What We Find’) Another great weaver of stories.

“Be able to be alone. Lose not the advantage of solitude.” Sir Thomas Browne

“Technique alone is never enough. You have to have passion. Technique alone is just an embroidered pot holder.” Raymond Chandler

Coming Soon! Release date, May 15th.

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MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? February’s author was Sheryl Steines.
Johan Thompson (South African author) joined us in April. May’s author will be Cheryl Hollon and in June: Mehreen Ahmed. July: Janet Macleod Trotter, author of Tea Planter’s Daughter

Check out more Motivational Moments…for Writers!

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A Review ~~ “Little White Lies” by Ace Adkins (Robert B. Parker)

(5 out of 5 quills) A Review

Ace Adkins is a brilliant, best-selling author in his own right.

I love his murder mysteries set in the deep south. A South that few people are exposed to unless you and your family have been around for decades.

What truly amazes me is how Ace can write in Robert B. Parker’s voice.

In Little White Lies, Spenser is hired to try and recover a vulnerable woman’s money from a master-con man. Connie Kelly thought she’d found her perfect man on an online dating site. He was silver-haired and handsome, with a mysterious background working for the C.I.A. She fell so hard for M. Brooks Welles that she wrote him a check for almost three hundred thousand dollars, hoping for a big return on her investment. What she got back was zippo, nada, goose egg and her ideal man disappears. He’s slippery and a consummate liar. Qualities that Spenser truly hates.

Characters that we fans truly love are back. Hawk, Susan Silverman, Pearl (the Dog) and Henry Cimoli at the Harbor Health Club. Robert Parker lives on through his stories and the wonderful writers who
keeps them alive.

Did you miss my Interview with Ace Adkins?

Little White Lies Released May 2nd. Order now!
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MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? February’s author was Sheryl Steines.
Johan Thompson (South African author) will join us in April. May’s author will be Cheryl Hollon and in June: Mehreen Ahmed
Check out more Motivational Moments…for Writers!

To receive my posts sign up for my On the home page, enter your email address. Thanks!

‘My momma always said, ‘Life is Like a Box of Chocolates’….or words (part 8)

An argument was presented to me recently in the film Words and Pictures (movie, 2013 with Clive Owen and Juliette Binoche)

As the students looked up a word, on their electronic devices, the English, Honors teacher presented the theory that if the students relied on their device of choice they would see only the word that was assigned. If they used the (paper) dictionary, and while thumbing through the pages to find the word, they would be exposed to other words and mostly likely one or two would reach out and grab them.

I put it to the test. EQUIDISTANT Definition: equally distant <a location equidistant from two major cities>Origin of EQUIDISTANT
Middle French or Late Latin; Middle French, from Late Latin aequidistant.First Known Use: 1556

Nostalgia: A Greek word meaning to Grieve, to Ache
Modern Dictionary: a wistful or excessively sentimental yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition. And:

Meritocracy: A system in which the talented are chosen and moved ahead on the basis of their achievement

BUT then one can make a strong argument for ‘Pictures tell a thousand words’ too. Pictures almost always illicit some sort of reaction from us.

Can you look at any of these photos and say that you feel nothing?

The movie Words and Pictures is worth your time!

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Interview with South African author, Johan Thompson (part 3)

Q. What makes a writer great?

JT. O boy… I’ll ask one when I see one, but will try and answer the question. It must be your passion in life as it will reflect in your writing.

Persistent writing, in order to create your unique writing style. The talent to envision and write that special story. When other writers read it and say, “Why the hell didn’t I think of that?” My exact words when reading George R. R. Martin’s work. Like Gary Player once said, “The harder you work, the luckier you get.”

Q. and the all important: What does the process of going from “no book” to “finished book” look like for you?

JT. In the beginning I feel like a sculptor, standing in front of a big rock, visualizing an image. I don’t know exactly how the sculpture will look but I have a rough idea. Then, I start chipping away, starting at the feet, laying the foundation. The most exciting time for me is that first few pages, the opening scene. I set the bar as high as possible in order for the momentum/story to carry me to the end. The moment I get bored writing, I know the reader will also get bored. So I write what I love, and I think with any writer it reflects in his work. It keeps the story alive, and it also helps with your rhythm and routine. It’s not that hard then to get your ass in the chair and start with the next chapter. I’m not one of those writers that pushes themselves to write a certain number of words each day. I work on a scene, maybe for two or three days until I’m satisfied.

It could be 500 words or 2000 words a day. For me creativity can’t be rushed. As my story unfolds, I make notes on discrepancies, plot twists I need to change in the beginning of the story etc. After I’m done with the first draft, I start from scratch, applying my notes and fix grammar mistakes. ONLY THEN do I give it to an editor friend to read and give feedback on. I never let anyone see it until I’m done with the story. Another rewrite follows. After that the sculpture is still far from done though. Next it’s the publishers turn: Usually three edits – continuity, content and grammar. Douglas Owen from DA Owen Publications is a brilliant editor and picks up on things that I’ve never thought about. So taking a book from “no book” to “finished book” takes bloody hard work, but when you hold that “finished book” in your hands… it’s all worth it.

Q. How has your life experiences influenced your writing?

JT. When writing an emotional scene, I draw from my own experiences. You have to in order to create an authentic character. With regards to storyline and plot twists, not much… my life, luckily, is not that chaotic.

Q. Have you or do you want to write in another genre`?

JT. I will definitely give it a go, but as soon as I get bored writing it, I will drop it. The reader will realize, because it will reflect in my writing.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like our readers to know?

JT. I’m not going to go away, so they might as well start reading my books. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge.

Did you miss Part I of this Interview?
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Interview with South African author, Johan Thompson (part 2)

Q. Where/when do you first discover your characters?

JT. It can happen anywhere or anytime. In our business we meet a lot of people, so I take a note of the strange and crazy ones. The characters in my stories are never a carbon copy of someone I’ve met or read about. I take the interesting bits and create my character, almost like Frankenstein. Sometimes a good story pops into my head, then I work on the character to fit. Or a unique character pops in my head and I think of a situation to put him or her through. I then start adding the meat.

Q. What first inspired you to write your stories?

JT. My love for stories. Before I started writing, as a kid, I would get into bed and think of a story. It would be like a mini-series, every night I would continue with the story. I know, weird. I’m still doing it, but now in daytime as well. The only difference is, I put it on paper.

Q. What comes first to you? The Characters or the Situation?

JT. It’s a difficult one. What was first, the chicken or the egg? Do you develop a plot around a character or a character around the plot? With The Clone, I started with the plot and then created the characters to fit. The plot, in the beginning is very basic, but then, as you add the characters, it starts to grow, twists develop, characters develop. I do have some idea of how the story will end, but I’m in the hands of my characters. You cannot force a story into the direction you want to, in the end the characters steer the ship. You have to stay true to your characters, otherwise the reader will disconnect.

Q. Do you ‘get lost’ in your writing?

JT. A lot. It’s a part of the writing process. You need to keep at it until – BAM! – you get that plot twist or beacon that gets you back on course. That’s one of the most exciting times for me. Actually, I’m lost with the story I’m developing now. But every morning I wake up, make my cup of coffee and start writing. I’m trying my best to get my stubborn protagonist to see the beacon, but she won’t bite. I’m at the point where I want to send in a tsunami.

Q. Who or what is your “Muse” at the moment?

JT. My fingers, just kidding. I think it will always be my wife. She is the first one that reads the beginning of my draft, so I push myself to create a unique story, thereby pushing the limits of my creativity.

Q. Do you have a new book coming out soon? If so tell us about it.

JT. I’ve recently completed a sci-fi novel that is set in the not too distant future. Burnt Brethren confronts the burning issues of global warming and immigration which divides our nations. That is why I love to write science fiction; I magnify social issues, and create a world and story that portray a worst case scenario. I’m also currently working on a time travel novel. The basic premise of the story is that if you could go back in time and prevent a bad experience, would you do it. Sometimes from a bad experience, a good experience will flow. So if you prevent the bad experience…

I met my wife of twenty years, because my father died of cancer and my mom installed a new kitchen from his life insurance money. My wife was the kitchen designer. Life is truly stranger than fiction. So the question is, would you go back? I would, in a heartbeat, but I will also go back and give my parents the money for a new kitchen.

Q. When did you begin to write seriously?

JT. Approximately eight years ago.

Q. How long after that were you published?

JT. I finished my first novel five years ago, but didn’t submit. Instead, I started with my next manuscript… and then my next…

I only really made an effort two years ago, sending in my first manuscript. It took me about six months to find a publisher. Don’t ask me why it took me so long to submit – maybe it was the fear of rejection.

Q. What makes a writer great?

Did you miss Part I of this Interview?

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