Research for Writing Archives - Page 2 of 5 - Trisha Sugarek, Author, Playwright & Poet

Interview with Author, Janet Macleod Trotter

TS. This is an author whom it seems picks each individual word as she writes. Elegantly written prose, she scrapes the words down to their most beautiful meaning. She knows her characters and locations and wears them like a second skin.

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.

JT. My writing ‘dens’ have changed over the years! I have a small area in the house that I call my study (seen here) and I’m writing this in there now. The desk is usually untidy with research notes, spiral note books, scraps of paper and of course my laptop. Around me are shelves of non-fiction books, dictionaries and loads of files full of research for the various novels I’ve written.

But I often get more writing done if I go ‘out to work’ and away from the house and its domestic distractions! So I do a lot of my writing in libraries or places of retreat. My favourite one is the Lit & Phil in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Northeast England)– a wonderful old 19^th century building with floor-to-ceiling bookcases and wee cubby-hole spaces in between where I can sit and work, drink coffee and try not to get distracted by the fascinating history books around me!

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.)

JT. I quite often go for a 50 minute walk first thing in the morning, partly for exercise and partly because doing something physical often kick-starts ideas. I think about my characters as I walk and this helps me know them better and decide what to do with them next! As I’ve indicated, my desk at home is not a tidy space but all I need is the laptop and the current file of notes beside me for reference. Sitting down at the desk and getting started is the hardest moment, as I’m a great procrastinator! And I have to have ‘rewards’ along the way such as a huge cup of proper coffee in the late morning and lots of tea in the afternoon (especially since I started writing my INDIA TEA SERIES!)

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

JT. When I was eighteen years-old I caught a bus in London and three months later arrived in Kathmandu! It was the heyday of the hippy trail across Asia in the 1970s and I got to see some amazing places that are now too dangerous to visit. I saw the ancient Buddhas of Bamian in Afghanistan before they were destroyed. The trip was the inspiration for my mystery novel, THE VANISHING OF RUTH.

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

JT. I try and get started by mid-morning and write for a couple of hours. Then I’ll start again after lunch and write till late afternoon/early evening. I don’t write any later than that. The evening is relaxation time or catching up with other jobs, social media, emails etc. But in some ways a writer is never off-duty, as I’m often mulling over ideas or doing background reading. It’s not just about the physical writing.

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

JT. Oh dear, you are asking a hardened procrastinator! Routines are good. Make sure that sometime during the day you sit down at your computer/desk/kitchen table and put some words on paper. It doesn’t matter if it’s not perfect, just write something. Then you have material to go back over later and build on. I find that re-reading what I’ve written the day before and editing it, helps me get back into the story. And while you’re there, put your phone and computer on silent so that you aren’t tempted to check messages or answer them!

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

JT. I always begin with the historical period and the social scene, so I do a lot of reading around the subject and then my characters begin to be conjure……

Join us on July 14th for Part Two of this fascinating Interview
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MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? 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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Life Is Like A Box of Chocolates…..or Words #7

If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you know by now that I love words and more; their origins.

Ashtray ~~ noun. A receptacle for tobacco ashes of smokers.

In the Urban Dictionary it has taken on a new meaning: ash–tray, useless, unwanted, failure.

Never having been a smoker, I wondered why these two words were slung together; ‘ash’ and ‘tray’. I pictured a butler, back in the day, arriving with a silver tray holding a box of ciggies, gold lighter and a bowl for the smoker’s ashes. Nope. I asked myself why not: butt-dish, fagtray, rollie-bowl, stogie-saucer? These are all slang words for the cigarette: ciggy, lungdart, smoke, coffin nail, butt, fag, rollie, and cancer stick.

At my first wedding back in 1959 we received a cut-crystal ashtray and I loved it. We didn’t smoke but had family and friends who did. Back then visitors smoked in your home and ashtrays were mandatory. This wedding present had place of pride on our coffee table.

‘While rudimentary forms of ashtrays existed long before the 19th century, it was during this time that the design, aesthetic and their popularity really took off. As more and more women began to smoke in the early 1900’s, the ashtray inched closer and closer to an art form of sorts. Many women shunned the use of the traditional ashtray as it failed to reflect their feminine values through an activity that was long heralded as being exclusive to men. What emerged were detailed, often very ornate ashtrays. These ashtrays depicted pastoral scenes of maidens wandering through vibrantly colored landscapes. Some even featured very lavish, cast-iron models of women in frilly dresses, animals in states of play and the occasional porcelain/ceramic tray highlighting extravagant floral arrangements.’

I love to watch people’s rituals when they light up. (the writer in me). They never deviate from it. Open the pack, shake or draw one out. Stick it in their mouth, reach for their lighter, cup the flame with the other hand (whether there is a breeze or not) and take that heavenly, first drag deep into those poor, beleaguered lungs. Ahhhh!
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MY BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! Did you miss the past few months? November was best selling author, Grace Burrowes and in December, Reed Farrel Coleman, contributing writer for Robert B. Parker series. January is Dinah Jefferies and February’s author is Sheryl Steines.
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The Birth: ‘Scent of Magnolia’, a Tribute to Billie Holiday

It all started when a jazz singer/actress asked me to write a one-woman show for her; portraying the life and music of Billie Holiday. At the time she had a three piece band and they played small jazz clubs in Chicago. She had just finished acting in a showcase that I had produced (Women Outside the Walls) and was on her way back to the windy city.

I laughed. Why would she want a middle-aged, white Irish woman to write a play for her showcase of an iconic African-American woman? She replied, “you got inside the heads of the women in this play you wrote. You’ve never been in prison or been married to a convict. But you were able to make us feel empathy for these forgotten wives and families.”

I said I’d think about it and started researching Billie Holiday’s life. Sure, I’d seen “Lady Sings the Blues” but felt certain that there was more to the story than a song-bird who OD’d on hard drugs. I discovered the story of a fearless woman who rose above poverty, rape, bigotry, prostitution and imprisonment to become one of the most memorable and celebrated artists of the twentieth century.

The resulting one-woman show was not only Billie’s story, but the nation’s story. In her own words, she talks about her struggle to succeed in spite of the segregation of that time and the difficulties she experienced singing with the great bands, most of which were white men. Without pity for herself, she talks about the daily slings and arrows which are a part of bigotry. She took complete responsibility for her life, her choices, and her actions. Her triumph was her music and her songs that will live on forever. The script does not dwell on the sensationalism of her addiction to alcohol and drugs but chooses, rather, to celebrate the whole woman.

You might wonder about the title. After all Billie was known for her white gardenias. I chose Scent of Magnolia from the lyrics of Strange Fruit.
‘Pastoral scene of the gallant south
The bulging eyes and the twisted mouth
Scent of magnolias, sweet and fresh
Then the sudden smell of burning flesh…..’

Original music by composer/song writer: Gary Swindell PRESS play
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My BLOGS feature INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! November was best selling author, Grace Burrowes and in December, Reed Farrel Coleman, contributing writer for Robert B. Parker series. Coming up, January: Dinah Jefferies.

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Writing Fiction Organically

This was the first time, in twenty+ years of writing that I couldn’t find a place to end the book. What was going on? Every new adventure that LaVerne had in the wilds of Alaska suggested another story thread.

It took me three years to write this saga.(87K words) I didn’t know it at the time, but I was letting it ‘rest’ at certain points and I think it’s a better story for it.

I have learned over the years to let it flow organically; when characters come busting through the door, I welcome them in. They always tell me their story and it always fits with what I am writing. The indigenous people in Song of the Yukon joined me early on. Black-eyed Joe was sitting in the back of the village store and LaVerne (heroine) and I were both surprised to find him there. Then I went on to meet Joe’s brother, Elk-tail and his mother Edna.

Without exception, at some point (early, if I’m lucky) my characters take over the story and I become the typist. I interview authors on my blog and so many of them say the same thing, so, with relief, I find I’m not as crazy as I thought I was.

Research: The story about my auntie LaVerne running away to Alaska is a true family tale. So all I had to do was pull from the many stories my mother told me as a child. But, living ‘off the grid’ in Alaska, in the 1920’s? The Internet is a writer’s best tool. Can you believe that we used to have to go to the library and do all this research, pouring through books? With a couple of clicks I was able to weave the Athabaskan (native American) language, their folk lore and their customs throughout the story. I was able to build a dog sled, from scratch using only wood and rawhide lashings. I was able to set a fur trapping line. I was able to build a cabin with only hand tools. (think about it) I was able to train puppies to become a dog sled team. I was able to describe, accurately, a funeral pot-latch.

My advice to other writers is: write every day. If you get stuck, let the story rest; go write something else. And never, never give up!
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DON’T MISS UPCOMING BLOGS featuring INTERVIEWS with best-selling AUTHORS! September’s author will be Joseph Drumheller and October: Author, Lisa Jackson. November’s author will be best selling author, Grace Burrowes Check out Motivational Moments…for Writers!
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Writers! Leave Yourself Open To Stories!

If you’ve been reading my blog for any length of time you know that I am a proponent of keeping yourself open to life, stories, and snippets of tales.

I recently heard this question asked of a West African chef, “How did you feel when you heard a fat, rich, white woman (cooking show) claim that her recipe had been handed down from generation to generation in her family? When actually the dish (Shrimp and grits) has been cooked on the west coast of Africa for hundreds of years?”
The answer?
The chef/host who was giving an intimate dinner party in his home in Dakar, Senegal, West Africa (each syllable drips with mystery, doesn’t it?) smiled and said, “Gratitude that our cuisine lives on and is enjoyed in the United States.”

And Gumbo is another example. Louisiana claims it originated there. A poor man’s dish. Ingredients: Fish/seafood from the river out back, tomatoes and other veggies from the garden, a roux from pork drippings,(from the pig pen out back) butter and flour. Again, Africa via France and brought to the south with the Cajuns.

When I heard this conversation (above) what this writer’s ears heard was: “MamaBelle, cook up some of your shrimp and grits as a side dish for my guests!” The fine lady, from the mansion on the hill, had walked down to the kitchen house to talk about the menu for her dinner party. MamaBelle had been the head cook on the plantation for decades but still had knife-sharp memories of arriving in Georgia, bound in shackles, barely surviving the trip on the slave ship from West Africa. Put on the block for auction, teeth examined, hips examined (for breeding) stripped naked. Being marched miles and miles to the plantation. Working the fields until it was discovered that she was of better use in the kitchen. Living through the horror of her children being sold off when the Masta’ needed ready cash. Continue reading “Writers! Leave Yourself Open To Stories!”

What are Writers? Crazy?

……..to want, to need to be writers?? I am happy (and nostalgic) to report that the world of writers has not changed all that much…..I came across these quotes and laughed. Writers of the World! We are not alone!

John Steinbeck: ‘The profession of book writing makes horse racing seem like a solid, stable business.’

Edna St. Vincent Millay: ‘A person who publishes a book willfully appears before the populace with his (or her) pants down….if it is a good book nothing can hurt you. If it is a bad book nothing can help you.’

Somerset Maugham: ‘There are three rules for writing a novel. Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.’

Trisha Sugarek: ‘Writing is a lonely business. You pour your heart and guts into the written word, often exposing what you’ve experienced in your own life. You nurture it, feed it, trim its toe-nails, wash its hair, dress it up and send it out into traffic.’ Continue reading “What are Writers? Crazy?”

Authors, Where Do You Find Your Characters?

Over and over again, I preach the concept: ‘let it flow’, ‘let your characters take you on a journey’, ‘If it’s going well, I will happily be just the typist’.

I recently interviewed Dean Koontz and here’s what he said on the subject:

“And then I start. In the first few chapters, the lead characters are forming, and I am learning who they are. I’ve often said that if I give characters free will, if I don’t plot out the story and instead present them with a problem and watch them deal with it, they begin to take on a life of their own, frequently surprising me with the choices they make. This is mysterious and exciting. When it’s going well, it’s simultaneously an intense intellectual endeavor and an almost dream-state journey of wonder and emotion.”

Author, Matt Jorgenson recently said when asked: Where do you first discover your characters?
“Initially I don’t think of them as characters. It’s kind of like arranging furniture. I need something tall here, wide there, elegant there. I often just plop them in for the energy they lend to the development of the story. When I’m unable to sit at my laptop and write I will often sketch out backstories for some of the characters with pen and paper based on what seems reasonable according to how they act/function in the story and then weave those details back in later.”
Continue reading “Authors, Where Do You Find Your Characters?”

How to Write a Novel….the writing Process!

……is there a wrong way??

NO! There is no ‘wrong’ process when writing your story….but, as I and other authors (I’ve interviewed here on my blog) have stressed….be certain that you HAVE a process.

1. Write about what you know. If you are a beginner…and we all were at one time…write a story about something you know or have had first hand experience with.

2. If the idea of writing a novel (75,000+ words) is way too daunting, write a short story (3,000 words) or a series of short stories. Write a novella. (16-25,000 words). After writing three full length novels, I decided that my mystery series The World of Murder would be short novels. I didn’t run out of story, I just believe that there is a market for short novels (24–35,000 words).

3. If your subject is something that you know nothing or very little about the Internet is a powerful tool. Let me give you some examples: My aunt ran away to Alaska in the 1920’s to homestead. I knew her story but I knew very little about Alaska at the turn of the last century. What did Fairbanks look like then? It was little more than a trading post. How many acres did you get when you homesteaded? 80. What tribe of native Alaskans were in my story-area and what language did they speak? Were there hunting ‘tags’ or seasons for hunting in those days?

Another example are my murder mysteries that are heavy on police procedures and crime scene investigation. I know a lot but certainly don’t know everything. Between the Internet, local law enforcement and the Medical examiners, I have pretty much everything I need in the way of research. Book #4, The Angel of Murder is about the Catholic religion and confession. I am not a Catholic so I called my friend’s priest, Father Gabe, and he was incredibly kind and helpful. DON’T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR HELP! I asked a private detective and a priest, BOTH STRANGERS, and they gave willingly of their time and knowledge.

4. What if my writing process is wrong? NO! There is no wrong process. Just be certain that you have a writing process. Whether it’s with meticulous outlines and story notes or just writing from your gut. My personal process is this: An idea forms and begins writing itself in my mind. I joke about ‘slamming my story down first’. It’s more than an outline (which I don’t use) and less than the finished product. I type 80 words a minute so when I say I slam it down, I mean I slam it down. I frequently write out of sequence. Sometimes the Epilogue is written before the end of the story. Sometimes the prologue is written after the first few chapters. That’s WEIRD’, you say? No, not really, the story such as it is at that point is feeding me. Right now, as I am writing Book #6, The Bridge of Murder, some chapters are un-numbered as I’m not certain where they fit, only that they are part of the story.

5. Have people you trust read your manuscript. They aren’t standing as close to it as you are. But, be certain that they can look at the work and give a constructive critique. When I say trust, I’m not talking about them stealing your work, I’m talking about trusting that they will be honest with you. I have two such people in my circle; one in particular. He is honest and wants the very best for me and out of me.

6. Poor Man’s Copyright: I’ve done this for years. When I have four or five pages of a manuscript completed, I make up a title page, date it and then mail it to myself. When you get it back in the mail, be certain you DON’T open it. Just tuck it away in a safe place. Courts (if it ever came to that) will honor the post marked and unopened envelope. Of course you have saved the date of the saved draft of the first time you worked on it in your computer.

7. Re-write, re-write, then re-write some more! Read your work over and over. You don’t have to read it from start to finish….that will make your eyes cross and make you want to give up. Read sections, edit, re-write, make it as good as you possibly can.

Want to learn more about developing rich and interesting characters? Want to try writing a little poetry or a Haiku? Want to learn more about that all important ‘first sentence’ of your story? Check out my Creative Writer’s Journals. There are six ‘how to’ sections and 275 pages of lined, blank pages for your writing.

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When A Story Takes You by the Throat!

How do writers find their stories?? This one came to me as I sat, one Sunday morning, in the waiting area of a state prison. I was there to interview a convicted murderer for a play I was writing(Cook County Justice) about his case. I found myself sitting with many other women; wives, sisters, daughters, grandmothers. We all had one thing in common; we were there to visit a man behind bars and all of our shoe laces were untied. (They search you.)

Was I nervous? Scared? YES! I’d never been in a prison before and I was about to enter a visiting room filled with convicted murderers, rapists, thieves and drug dealers. The one thing these men had in common was they were someone’s son, husband, and father.

I have often advised new writers to write about what they know. I did not follow my own advice. These women had such an impact on me…..figuratively taking me by the throat and insisting that I tell their story. So I did….with research, research, and more research.

This story is told by three diverse women married to men who made a bad decision. Continue reading “When A Story Takes You by the Throat!”

My Momma Always said, Life is Like A Box…. (part 7)

….a Box of Words. this popular series is for all of you out there that love the English language as much as I do. Especially stumbling over a word I have never heard or used. I am fascinated with the origin of words such as:

Cracker, I’ve only heard it used as a derogatory term for Caucasian people. To imply an ignorant hillbilly or worse depending upon who was using it. (Well, yes, the obvious generic term for those tasty, crunchy squares that we can’t resist.) When in fact it is an endearing term used for the COWBOYS of Florida (past and present) who are adept at the use of a whip. The cattle in Florida are trained to obey the ‘crack’ of the cowboy’s’ whip and hence the term ‘cracker’. Did you know that Florida has the largest number of cattle in the USA? You’d of thought, Texas. But you’d be wrong.

Beeline, “I made a beeline for the car, Continue reading “My Momma Always said, Life is Like A Box…. (part 7)”

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