Secrets & Scents – Days 16 & 17

Two days to write one chapter.

Yeah, some days are like that. A lot of days recently! We are still getting our condo fixed up. Little things, like a new hot water heater, some electrical stuff, a leaky sink. This on top of getting three new air conditioner units, and getting quotes to remodel our kitchen. People in and out for the past few weeks.

Plus, getting ready for my Kickstarter launch. Secrets & Scents goes live on Sept 13. Obviously, I’m not done with the novel yet! But by the time the KS campaign ends in early October, I’ll have finished it, edited it, formatted it, and gotten the new cover design.

Exciting. But making sure my Kickstarter add-ons and stretch goals and tiers all in order, plus getting my story and presentation visually pleasing and easy to read on the KS website takes time and effort. Part of a good group on FB, though, that helps with cross-promotions and helpful advice. This being my second campaign, I need all the help I can get!

As to what’s going on in the novel right now, I’m moving toward the climax, getting the pieces in place for the ‘big reveal.’ Although I don’t know how big a reveal it will be since I don’t think I have a lot of suspects and a keen reader will have probably figured out who the culprit is by now. But you never know.

For the most part, I’m really more interested in the why-dunnit than the who-dunnit, really. I mean, the crime had to be committed by someone and very seldom am I super surprised at the final suspect when I read mysteries. Sometimes, but not often. As a reader, I want to know that the motivation makes sense and is plausible.

When the suspect and the motive line up, then that, for me, makes for a satisfying mystery. Both have to work together, imo, for a plot to work and fulfill the expectations that the setup promised the reader way back at the beginning of the novel.

Fingers crossed that I’m accomplishing that with Scents!

Anyway, Louie is out of jail. Tommy is hot on the trail. Kelli & Jo still have no clue. Ben is facing doubts. Dex is perplexed. Ma and CiCi have just baked the treat for the denouement (they just don’t know it yet). The Coopers are out of the picture…or are they? So yeah, overall we’re moving toward the finish line. Maybe less than 10,000 words to go..

Writer’s Tip…

            Even if the suspect is kind of obvious, make sure the motivation is consistent with the character and plot situation for a satisfying and fulfilling conclusion to your mystery.

Progress: Writing Secrets & Scents... 

• Introduction – Part 1: Launching a New Series 
• Introduction – Part 2: The Missing Novel 
• Day 1 - 3100 (Chps 1 & 2) - Total: 3,100 words 
• Day 2 - 3300 (Chps 3 & 4) - Total: 6,400 words
• Day 3 - 3150 (Chps 5 & 6) - Total: 9,550 words
• Day 4 - 3100 (Chps 7 & 8) - Total: 12,650 words
• Day 5 - 1550 (Chpt 9) - Total: 14,200 words
• Day 6 - 3050 (Chps 10 & 11) - Total: 17,250 words
• Day 7 - 1650 (Chpt 12) - Total: 18,900 words
• Day 8 - 1500 (Chpt 13) - Total: 20,400 words
• Day 9 - 1600 (Chpt 14) - Total: 22,000 words
• Day 10 - 1550 (Chpt 17) - Total: 23,550 words
• Day 11 - 1550 (Chpt 15) - Total: 25,100 words
• Days 12/13 - 1600 (Chpt 16) - 26,700 words
• Day 14 - 1600 (Chpt 19) - Total: 28,300 words
• Day 15 - 1550 (add to Ch 17/18) - 29,850 words
• Days 16/17 - 1550 (Chpt 20) - Total: 31,500

Secrets & Scents Goes Live on Kickstarter!

(Campaign runs Sept 13 to Oct 6, 2022)

I'm Launching a New Cozy Mystery Series... Secrets & Scents - A Kelli & Jo Candle Shop Mystery by yours truly is on Kickstarter. 

Get your exclusive pre-release edition of my latest novel with a brand new, professionally designed cover. Multiple tiers and backing options available. Check it out here!

Secrets & Scents - Day 15

Yep, I had to go back to add a few scenes that I’d missed.

Last time (four days ago! yikes) I wrote what I thought was Chapter 18. But I had this nagging sense that I was missing some of the story. Well, eighteen is now nineteen because I inserted two scenes (two half-chapters) into some previous chapters and thus I had to have my previous last chapter adopt a new number.

Whew. If you can follow that and what I’m about to try and explain, you’re a better person than I. First, I wrote another Sunday morning scene from Ben’s POV and put it at the beginning of Chapter 17. We the readers needed more time with Ben and the guy he’s guiding up in the mountains. A photographer who wants to capture some wildlife…on film. (Is that a hint?)

Anyway, this made Chapter 17 too long, so the last part of seventeen became the first part of eighteen – and since I already had a Chapter 18, that chapter is now Chapter 19!

But then the new eighteen was only a half chapter, of course, so I added a scene to fill it up to about 1500 or 1600 words (my happy place when it comes to chapter length).

This scene features Office Barry bringing in a suspect for questioning. (Remember my one and done plot? A guy is conked on the head and we don’t know who he is or who did it or why.) So a suspect at this point in the story is always nice. I’m over half-way done with the novel after all, I guess I better have a suspect or two for the readers to think about. (grin)

To raise the stakes a bit, I introduced Sugar Pine Station’s loveable but gossipy editor of the weekly Bulletin into the mix. He’s a regular in my Ma Tutt books but he hasn’t had an opportunity to appear in this novel yet. Well, with an arrest, this is perfect timing for Tommy Fairbanks to get the scoop.

I also introduces the Chief of Police, Wilmer Duncan, who has a kind of ongoing feud with Tommy. I don’t know why I set their relationship up like that, except to say the characters told me that was their status. My creative brain at work, I’m sure, setting up opportunities for future conflict in my forthcoming Sugar Pine Station cozy novels. Fun!

 

Just a random cartoon that has nothing to do with my blog post today.

Writer’s Tip…

            Same advice as last time, but also go ahead and heed your creative brain’s desire to plant those seeds for future development. A set up today could lead to a novel tomorrow.

Progress: Writing Secrets & Scents... 

Introduction – Part 1: Launching a New Series 
Introduction – Part 2: The Missing Novel 
Day 1 - 3100 (Chps 1 & 2) - Total: 3,100 words 
Day 2 - 3300 (Chps 3 & 4) - Total: 6,400 words

Day 3 - 3150 (Chps 5 & 6) - Total: 9,550 words

Day 4 - 3100 (Chps 7 & 8) - Total: 12,650 words

Day 5 - 1550 (Chpt 9) - Total: 14,200 words

Day 6 - 3050 (Chps 10 & 11) - Total: 17,250 words

Day 7 - 1650 (Chpt 12) - Total: 18,900 words

Day 8 - 1500 (Chpt 13) - Total: 20,400 words

Day 9 - 1600 (Chpt 14) - Total: 22,000 words

Day 10 - 1550 (Chpt 17) - Total: 23,550 words

Day 11 - 1550 (Chpt 15) - Total: 25,100 words

Days 12 & 13 - 1600 (Chpt 16) - 26,700 words

Day 14 - 1600 (Chpt 19) - Total: 28,300 words

Day 15 - 1550 (to Chpts 17 & 18) - 29,850 words

~*~

UPDATE: Follow my Kickstarter project!

Here's a placeholder image for Secrets & Scents - A Kelli & Jo Candle Shop Mystery by yours truly. I'll be launching a Kickstarter Campaign Sept 13, 2022, for cozy mystery fans to acquire their exclusive pre-release edition of this latest novel with a brand new, professionally designed cover.

In the meantime, if you become a Patreon Subscriber, you'll be able to read Secrets & Scents as I write it! New chapters of my WIP every week, plus a backlist novel a month and bonus short stories exclusive to patrons.

Secrets & Scents - Day 14

I think I wrote another chapter out of order.

Today, I added Chapter 18, a summary of clues kind of chapter. It’s Sunday evening, Kelli & Jo have just finished Day 2 at the bookstore and candle shop (another busy day for them, so they’re happy). Now they’re heading to the 49’er Saloon (which Dex owns; he runs the bar) to check with him about any more news about this and that (no spoilers! lol).

But I need some Sunday morning action with my main suspect. So I’ll probably write another chapter soon and then break it into parts and insert the parts as scenes into Chapter 18, or maybe even swap out the end of Chapter 17. That means I’ll be moving scenes around a bit. Which I think a lot of writers do.

I’ve just not written a full 40k word story from start to finish before. My longest short story is about 23,000 words. And that’s why my previous 4 novels have been episodic. I guess those were extended scenes strung together.

Now I need to writer shorter scenes and put them in order. Same concept but on a different scale. One thing Scrivener (a word processing program that a lot of writers use) is good at is allowing the writer to add a bunch of “index cards” (story scenes) and then shuffle them around by clicking and dragging. It’s a powerful program, I just need to learn how to use it better.

Writing a novel is definitely different that writing a short story. I usually just go from A to Z in a day or two and the story is done. Not a lot of rearranging (although there have been a few stories where I’ve caught myself starting in the middle and going back to write the beginning, lol).

So fun learning curve right now in this muddle of a middle section of a novel.

 

Writer’s Tip…

            Don’t be afraid to write by scene and then move those scenes around so the story flows the way you want it to flow.

Progress: Writing Secrets & Scents... 

Introduction – Part 1: Launching a New Series 
Introduction – Part 2: The Missing Novel 
Day 1 - 3100 (Chps 1 & 2) - Total: 3,100 words 
Day 2 - 3300 (Chps 3 & 4) - Total: 6,400 words

Day 3 - 3150 (Chps 5 & 6) - Total: 9,550 words

Day 4 - 3100 (Chps 7 & 8) - Total: 12,650 words

Day 5 - 1550 (Chpt 9) - Total: 14,200 words

Day 6 - 3050 (Chps 10 & 11) - Total: 17,250 words

Day 7 - 1650 (Chpt 12) - Total: 18,900 words

Day 8 - 1500 (Chpt 13) - Total: 20,400 words

Day 9 - 1600 (Chpt 14) - Total: 22,000 words

Day 10 - 1550 (Chpt 17) - Total: 23,550 words

Day 11 - 1550 (Chpt 15) - Total: 25,100 words

Days 12 & 13 - 1600 (Chpt 16) – 26,700 words

Day 14 - 1600 (Chpt 18?) - Total: 28,300 words

~*~

UPDATE: Follow my Kickstarter project!

Here's a placeholder image for Secrets & Scents - A Kelli & Jo Candle Shop Mystery by yours truly. I'll be launching a Kickstarter Campaign Sept 13, 2022, for cozy mystery fans to acquire their exclusive pre-release edition of this latest novel with a brand new, professionally designed cover.

In the meantime, if you become a Patreon Subscriber, you'll be able to read Secrets & Scents as I write it! New chapters of my WIP every week, plus a backlist novel a month and bonus short stories exclusive to patrons.

Secrets & Scents - Day 11

Chapter 15; 1,550 words; novel at 25,100 words.

This is an ‘inserted’ chapter. I got ahead of the story when I wrote the last chapter, which will be Chapter 17. Now I have to go back and fill in the gaps a bit.

The action right now centers on Ben’s camping trip. He’s a wilderness guide and so he’s taking a client hiking a few days so the man can take some photographs. He’s like a nature photographer.

I debated on how much of these side stories to include. There are a lot of characters in Sugar Pine Station and I could expand the novel a bit by spotlighting a little slice of life in the various characters’ lives.

There’s Ma Tutt at the bakery, of course. But there’s also Doc Moore, the local vet; Tommy Fairbanks, the editor of the weekly Bulletin; Donovan Huckly, our love-to-hate Inspector General; Father Emilio Aguilera, the priest at St. Anne’s; and relative newcomer to my stories, Officer Barry, one of two policemen in Sugar Pine Station.

All of these folks could have a chapter or two focusing on them and their relationship to role in the mystery. Focusing on their lives every now and then seems like a good strategy to ‘pad’ the novel a bit – as long as these side stories tie into the main story and aren’t just some random walk in the woods for no real purpose.

One reason I’m having trouble expanding the story is that I don’t know how far to take these side stories. Plus, I had to get over my reluctance to expand the POVs in this novel. At first, I was hoping I could tell the whole thing from Kelli’s perspective. But that was a no-go almost from the start.

So accepting multiple POVs – like a lot of mysteries out there – was kind of freeing. And it leads to the idea of adding some side stories to make the overall story a bit more interesting.

At least, that’s the goal. As long as these slice of life scenes add to the whole.

 

Writing Tip…

That’s my tip for today. Give the reader some interesting slice of life side stories about all those loveable characters in your novel. But make sure their scenes are tied to the overall plot.

Progress: Writing Secrets & Scents... 

Introduction – Part 1: Launching a New Series 
Introduction – Part 2: The Missing Novel 
Day 1 - 3100 (Chps 1 & 2) - Total: 3,100 words 
Day 2 - 3300 (Chps 3 & 4) - Total: 6,400 words

Day 3 - 3150 (Chps 5 & 6) - Total: 9,550 words

Day 4 - 3100 (Chps 7 & 8) - Total: 12,650 words

Day 5 - 1550 (Chpt 9) - Total: 14,200 words

Day 6 - 3050 (Chps 10 & 11) - Total: 17,250 words

Day 7 - 1650 (Chpt 12) - Total: 18,900 words

Day 8 - 1500 (Chpt 13) - Total: 20,400 words

Day 9 - 1600 (Chpt 14) - Total: 22,000 words

Day 10 - 1550 (Chpt 17) - Total: 23,550 words

Day 11 - 1550 (Chpt 15) - Total: 25,100 words

~*~

Here's a placeholder image for Secrets & Scents - A Kelli & Jo Candle Shop Mystery by yours truly. I'll be launching a Kickstarter Campaign in September, 2022, for cozy mystery fans to acquire their exclusive pre-release edition of my latest novel with a brand new, professionally designed cover. Watch for details. 

In the meantime, if you become a Patreon Subscriber, you'll be able to read Secrets & Scents as I write it! New chapters of my WIP every week, plus a backlist novel a month and bonus short stories exclusive to patrons.

Secrets & Scents - Day 10

Wrote a chapter out of order today.

            I was supposed to write Chapter 15 but once I finished I realized that I skipped some things. Just little things like necessary scenes, some story development, another red herring or two. You know, just more of the plot. (grin)

            This is probably due to the fact that I’m not very focused on this novel right now. I need to be, I made a big deal that I would finish it in 20 writing days. But I can see now that that will probably no happen. Too many real life interruptions like cleaning our apartment (the last owner left a lot of stuff that needed to be thrown out) and setting up our household.

            But those are just excuses. I need to get back to this cozy mystery. I’m enjoying it. Don’t know how it’s all going to come together, but I’m having a blast figuring it out. I do know the ending I’m shooting toward, I just need to take my time in getting there.

            That was the problem with today’s chapter – I was rushing ahead and realized that I needed some more story development first before I got to this section. So Chapter 15 is now probably Chapter 17 since I feel there are about 3,000 words I missed writing!

            Happens all the time to writers, I imagine.

            In fact, Hugo Award winner Kristine Kathryn Rusch says that she writes many of her novels out of order. I can’t say for sure, but I think she writes scenes and chapters and then ties them together in order once the story takes shape or is completed. Heh, it works for her!

            Rusch also writes novels to understand the backstory for another novel she has in mind. In other words, she has a project she wants to start but has to write a kind of prequel where she explores the characters’ motivations and development before she can properly tell the novel she intended to write.

            In a sense, that’s what Secrets & Scents is. I have in mind to write Ma Tutt’s Christmas Cookies, but that novel involves Kelli & Jo’s bookstore and candle shop. So I need to write this novel first in order to establish in my mind what that store is all about – and what the “Big Mystery” is that definitely comes up in Christmas Cookies. (Those mysterious notes and prophecies.)

            You see, in this novel Ma does not know about Kelli’s discovery of the envelopes (that serve as the writing device to tie all the Candle Shop cozies together). Martia does, but not Ma. But for Ma to come through and help Kelli & Jo in Christmas Cookies, the store owners will have to tell her.

            All that to say, I’m writing this novel so I can get to the next.

            And I’m going to go back and write a few chapters so I can connect the story to the chapter I wrote today.

            Writing’s a complicated process! Thanks for joining me on my journey!

Image by Engin Akyurt from Pixabay. Used by permission.

Writing Tip: Don’t be afraid to write your story out of order.

Progress: Writing Secrets & Scents... 

Introduction – Part 1: Launching a New Series 
Introduction – Part 2: The Missing Novel 
Day 1 - 3100 (Chps 1 & 2) - Total: 3,100 words 
Day 2 - 3300 (Chps 3 & 4) - Total: 6,400 words

Day 3 - 3150 (Chps 5 & 6) - Total: 9,550 words

Day 4 - 3100 (Chps 7 & 8) - Total: 12,650 words

Day 5 - 1550 (Chpt 9) - Total: 14,200 words

Day 6 - 3050 (Chps 10 & 11) - Total: 17,250 words

Day 7 - 1650 (Chpt 12) - Total: 18,900 words

Day 8 - 1500 (Chpt 13) - Total: 20,400 words

Day 9 - 1600 (Chpt 14) - Total: 22,000 words

Day 10 - 1550 (Chpt 17) - Total: 23,550 words

~*~

Here's a placeholder image for Secrets & Scents - A Kelli & Jo Candle Shop Mystery by yours truly. I'll be launching a Kickstarter Campaign in September, 2022, for cozy mystery fans to acquire their exclusive pre-release edition of my latest novel with a brand new, professionally designed cover. Watch for details. 

In the meantime, if you become a Patreon Subscriber, you'll be able to read Secrets & Scents as I write it! New chapters of my WIP every week, plus a backlist novel a month and bonus short stories exclusive to patrons.

Secrets & Scents - Day 9

Skipped four days of writing. Yikes!

What with the move and me not knowing how the story is to progress from here, I haven’t made very much progress lately. This novel will not be done in 20 days of writing. (Unless it turns out to be a short novel of 40k words with only about 30 chapters, then I’m right on target!)

And that would be fine. I’m releasing myself from all expectations at this point and just seeing where the story goes next. I do this by implementing the “just write the next sentence” technique. I’ve mentioned it before, but the best writing advice I’ve heard is just write one more sentence. Then go on to the next one.

Now I’m a big believer in writing my first draft as clean as possible. I’m not one to puke it all out and then clean it up on edits. That's just a waste of time, imo. I do my best as I write it and then move on to the next project. I can’t learn to write by going over the same paragraph ten times. I’ll edit for spelling and grammar goofs and obvious mistakes, but that’s it.

That’s a huge controversy in the writing community, btw. Some people advocate getting an editor to go through a ‘deep edit’ (structural stuff), then hire a copy editor to clean up the sentence structure and move a few paragraphs around, and then get some proofreaders or a slew of beta readers to see if they should change anything else.

Well, that’s just dumb. The novel is not your novel anymore at that point. The writer has lost his or her ‘voice’ (unique way to tell the story). Sure, could a story be improved upon? Yep. Nothing is perfect. But at some point you have to let it go and move on. I choose to make that moving on point early in the process. I write it, read through it, then publish it.

Any feedback I get I’ll apply it to my next novel. And yes, that’s very controversial. The main complaint is that without a lot of edits the finished novel isn’t as good as it could be. But that’s a myth. It’s based on a false assumption that one’s first draft is never really any good. And I don’t buy it.

My first draft is as good as I can make it. I’m working hard at the story as I tell it. I’m not just throwing mud at the wall to see what sticks. So I write a bit slower than others (3,000 a day is a good day, maybe I could hit 4,000 a day with time and practice). But I’m saving time on the back end. If I were to toss up 9,000 words at one setting and then spend the next 3 days editing what I’ve written, well, I’m back to 3k a day. That makes no sense to me.

Like a painter. I paint and it’s either good or not good. I can’t keep touching it up with more paint. Eventually the piece of art will become a colorless blob of brushstrokes. I have to either toss the painting (which is fine, no problem), or put it on display for people to buy.

The painting will either sell (great!) or it won’t sell (that’s fine, too). Either way, no one cares. If it doesn’t sell, no one notices. It’s ignored and forgotten. But the painter must go on to the next painting and can’t wait for that one painting to sell. He or she is practicing and getting better – for the next piece of art.

Again, controversial. Back to writing. Because some people think if you publish a work that isn’t edited to death and it doesn’t sell, then you’ve ruined your reputation. Ha! That’s a good one! Oh, you mean you’re not joking? Come on! Seriously, no one knows who you are and no one cares. If you put out a bad book, no one will notice because no one will have read it! You’ve ruined your reputation? That’s so dumb. You don’t have a reputation to ruin!

So anyway, those are some of my thoughts. Should I go back and edit this post ten times now? Nah.

Image by Ricarda Mölck from Pixabay. Used by permission.

Writing Tip…Just write the best first draft you can and move on.

Progress: Writing Secrets & Scents... 

Introduction – Part 1: Launching a New Series 
Introduction – Part 2: The Missing Novel 
Day 1 - 3100 (Chps 1 & 2) - Total: 3,100 words 
Day 2 - 3300 (Chps 3 & 4) - Total: 6,400 words

Day 3 - 3150 (Chps 5 & 6) - Total: 9,550 words

Day 4 - 3100 (Chps 7 & 8) - Total: 12,650 words

Day 5 - 1550 (Chpt 9) - Total: 14,200 words

Day 6 - 3050 (Chps 10 & 11) - Total: 17,250 words

Day 7 - 1650 (Chpt 12) - Total: 18,900 words

Day 8 - 1500 (Chpt 13) - Total: 20,400 words

Day 9 - 1600 (Chpt 14) - Total: 22,000 words

~*~

Here's a placeholder image for Secrets & Scents - A Kelli & Jo Candle Shop Mystery by yours truly. I'll be launching a Kickstarter Campaign in September, 2022, for cozy mystery fans to acquire their exclusive pre-release edition of my latest novel with a brand new, professionally designed cover. Watch for details. 

In the meantime, if you become a Patreon Subscriber, you'll be able to read Secrets & Scents as I write it! New chapters of my WIP every week, plus a backlist novel a month and bonus short stories exclusive to patrons.

Secrets & Scents - Day 8

Starting to struggle here.

Today the novel hit 20k words. Only one chapter done. That’s not bad, of course, but I get the feeling that the story is about half way finished. Which kinda disappoints as I was hoping this novel would go 60k. The four previous books I’ve written are all around 40k, so maybe that’s all my current creative brain can handle.

I sort of had this vision that my cozies would fall into three distinct categories. First, my Mister the Magical Cat adventures would all be novellas at 20k each. Then my Ma Tutt and Mack books (supernatural cozies) would be 40k each. And then this new series – true cozy mysteries without any magic (but with a hint of supernatural mystery) would run 60k words.

The best laid plans of mice and men, I suppose.

And maybe I’ll reach my target yet, but the story has hit a bit of a wall. For sure, my disjointed schedule is taking its toll. We just closed on our condo, but we have to transfer the utilities before we can inhabit the place – I don’t want try to survive in mid-80 degrees without electricity or water!

Then we have to clean out the condo. They are called apartamentos here in Puerto Rico and evidently when we signed the contract to buy it “as is” that mean as is! As in, the previous owner left without really cleaning the place up! We took out 9 large bags of trash that the last owner should have thrown out on their own. Stuff that needed to be tossed.

Ah well. The apartment comes fully furnished (although a couple of the ACs aren’t working), and there’s a great ocean view. So it’s a trade-off. The problem is that I’m also trading off my writing time so that I can get the condo ready to occupy.

Thus, I’m losing focus on the story.

I feat the story is going to bog down as well. If I’m truly at hal-way, then I'm hitting that middle section of the novel that often starts to drag. You know what I’m talking about. That 40% to 70% range where we start to skim as readers.

Don’t know about you, but when I read books, a lot of stories slooowww way down in the middle. I can see why. The exciting part is front-loaded to get readers interested and hooked. That’s what I’ve done with Secrets & Scents. These first 12 or 13 chapter are pretty action packed and filled with excitement (at least I think so! lol).

Plus, I now know the ending I’m working toward. I’ve plotted this novel out for the most part, but wasn’t sure about the exact ending. Still not 100% clear on how it all wraps up, but I do know ‘whodunnit’ and I’m moving toward that final reveal. The challenge for the next few chapters is to make the journey from set-up to resolution interesting.

So…any advice? (grin) Should I blow something up? Don't laugh, that's actually a plot strategy. When the action slows down and the pace of the story begins to stagnate, one way to get the audience (if in a movie) or readers (if in a book) to re-engage is to throw in a huge catastrophe and then watch the characters pick up the pieces.

Maybe that’s what I need to do next! I have to expand this middle section so that we don’t end the story too early or too abruptly. We need more tension or red herrings or a few more subplots and surprising elements. Sounds easy once I put it down in writing.

Harder to do when I start writing the story! I’ll let you know what strategy I chose in the next few journal entries.

Writing Tip…

Avoid the middle of the novel bog down. Keep things interesting and the story moving forward. Easier said than done!

Progress: Writing Secrets & Scents... 

Introduction – Part 1: Launching a New Series 
Introduction – Part 2: The Missing Novel 
Day 1 - 3100 (Chps 1 & 2) - Total: 3,100 words 
Day 2 - 3300 (Chps 3 & 4) - Total: 6,400 words

Day 3 - 3150 (Chps 5 & 6) - Total: 9,550 words

Day 4 - 3100 (Chps 7 & 8) - Total: 12,650 words

Day 5 - 1550 (Chpt 9) - Total: 14,200 words

Day 6 - 3050 (Chps 10 & 11) - Total: 17,250 words

Day 7 - 1650 (Chpt 12) - Total: 18,900 words

Day 8 - 1500 (Chpt 13) - Total: 20,400 words

~*~

Here's a placeholder image for Secrets & Scents - A Kelli & Jo Candle Shop Mystery by yours truly. I'll be launching a Kickstarter Campaign in September, 2022, for cozy mystery fans to acquire their exclusive pre-release edition of my latest novel with a brand new, professionally designed cover. Watch for details. 

In the meantime, if you become a Patreon Subscriber, you'll be able to read Secrets & Scents as I write it! New chapters of my WIP every week, plus a backlist novel a month and bonus short stories exclusive to patrons.

Secrets & Scents - Day 7

Back to the future…

Well, back to the present moment in the story at least. Finally caught up the opening chapter. So Chapter 1, present day. Chapters 2 through 11, flashback catching up – with lots of good mystery and tension as I introduce the characters and the “Big Mystery Thing” that will tie the whole series together.

Now Chapter 12 (about 1,650 words, btw). It’s time to start the process of bringing together what’s going on beneath the surface (those mysterious notes) and the one-and-done plotline of this particular novel (a man left for dead at the bookstore).

Plus, I’m introducing my first few red herrings!

Image by Wade A. Tisthammer from Pixabay. Used by permission.

Evidently, red herring (the fish) have a pretty strong odor, is often served smoked, and so covers up the scent of everything else around it. In mysteries, the introduction of a red herring or two (or three) covers up the scent, metaphorically speaking, of the clues that the author plants which point to the real suspect.

Since I’m new at this cozy mystery thing (I think what I’ve written up until this point are cozy adventures, lol), I’m practicing the art of distraction. I’m trying to throw the reader ‘off the scent’ if you will. Basically, I’m introducing a few subplots that might or might not go anywhere, but will hopefully serve to send the reader a few different directions, wondering who the real culprit is.

We readers expect this. It’s part of the contract between the writer and the audience. If there’s no suspense or intriguing details that obscure matters, then there’s really no mystery and not much of a story to tell.

Now mind you, I’ve read a few plotless stories and they can be well done. They take you on a beautiful ride with no destination. (These kinds of novels are often ‘literary.’) But most of us expect a twisty mountain road kind of journey that sometimes heads off in the wrong direction but ultimately gets to the final tourist stop.

Whether I succeed at this is for the reader to decide. I figure since this is only my fifth novel, and the first that focuses on one major story arc from start to finish (the first four of my novels being more episodic in nature), I’ll probably fail big time.

That’s part of the adventure, though, of being a writer.

~*~

On a personal note, this past Monday (Aug 1) we just closed on our new condo (well, new to us) in Vega Baja, Puerto Rico. And while I’d like to think I could write in the mornings, clean the new place in the afternoons, and move our belongings in during the evening, it did not happen like that at all.

I’m already feeling overwhelmed with trying to keep up on adding words to the page every day – and have skipped a few days already on this novel. For examples, I outlined Secrets & Scents last Tuesday, July 26. Wrote three days in a row (chapters 1 to 6) for almost 10k words. Stumbled a bit on Saturday, July 30, then finished two more chapters on “Day 4” (Sunday). Day 5 was just one chapter – Monday, and we closed on the condo that evening.

Tuesday, Aug 2…nada. Wednesday was Day 6 (2 chapters). Thursday, nada. Now today, Friday, Aug 5 is Day 7 (1 chapter done). So seven days of writing, story is at almost 19,000 words. But it’s been ten days since I started the novel. All that to say, I’m going with writing days. Not sure I’ll finish the book in twenty writing days or not, but that’s still the goal. May take over a month in actual chronological time, but heh, it is what it is. We’re moving! (grin)

Writing Tip…

Research red herrings (the literary ones), what they are, how they’re used, and what to avoid when weaving them into your story. That’s the extent of my advice since that’s what I’m doing right now as well…researching like a new student, which is what I am.

Progress: Writing Secrets & Scents... 

Introduction – Part 1: Launching a New Series 
Introduction – Part 2: The Missing Novel 
Day 1 - 3100 (Chps 1 & 2) - Total: 3,100 words 
Day 2 - 3300 (Chps 3 & 4) - Total: 6,400 words

Day 3 - 3150 (Chps 5 & 6) - Total: 9,550 words

Day 4 - 3100 (Chps 7 & 8) - Total: 12,650 words

Day 5 - 1550 (Chpt 9) - Total: 14,200 words

Day 6 - 3050 (Chps 10 & 11) - Total: 17,250 words

Day 7 - 1650 (Chpt 12) - Total: 18,900 words

~*~

Here's a placeholder image for Secrets & Scents - A Kelli & Jo Candle Shop Mystery by yours truly. I'll be launching a Kickstarter Campaign in September, 2022, for cozy mystery fans to acquire their exclusive pre-release edition of my latest novel with a brand new, professionally designed cover. Watch for details. 

In the meantime, if you become a Patreon Subscriber, you'll be able to read Secrets & Scents as I write it! New chapters of my WIP every week, plus a backlist novel a month and bonus short stories exclusive to patrons.

Secrets & Scents - Day 6

Wrapping up the flashback / catch-up chapters.

            Wrote just over 3,000 words today. Chapters 10 and 11. Finally caught up to Chapter 1. Next chapter begins in the present moment, just after the strange man is found passed out in the back of the bookstore.

If you’ve been reading along as I post my WIP updates, you know that I flashbacked three months after the opening scene. This backtrack is really working. It’s not boring because I’m introducing an overarching mystery that will carry this series of books to nine novels. (I hope!)

To get to the overarching mystery (the notes, or predictions/prophecies) and its ultimate solution (which I don’t know at this point – it’s a mystery, people! even to me!), I need to introduce a mysterious character from the Ma Tutt stories. Her name is Martía and she’s a Gypsy.

Actually Romany (or Roma or Romani). Anyway, her and her husband Rohan are a curious couple. I won’t spoil the Ma Tutt mysteries, but suffice it to say, they are a lot more than they appear to be.

One of Martía’s specialties, however, is knowing special ingredients, recipes, spices, herbs. That sort of thing. So now that I have the bookstore stocked with books, I need to get the candle shop part of the store up and running.

Kelli’s in charge of this portion of the store and involved CiCi, a teen helper of Ma’s at the bakery. But she can work part time with Kelli to make candles and create their inventory. Where Martía comes in is helping with some scents or aromas. Thus I’m using the situation to introduce new characters that are vital to the ongoing Big Mystery Thing.

Now if you could follow all that, you’re better at story development and plotting than I am! Suffice it to say, the novel is progressing really well.

Chapter 11 ends on a high note. Kelli & Jo host an open house the night before the Grand Opening and all their friends show up. It’s a nice way to get most of the ensemble of the series into the same scene.

A little clever writing ploy I used, though, was to almost end the chapter with another disaster. Spoiler! Our love-to-hate General Inspector Donovan Huckly shows up and threatens to put the kibosh on the store opening. Turns out he’s teasing and everything will move forward as planned. Everyone cheers.

Kelli and Jo end the night content and excited. They just know everything will work out great in the morning.

Bum bum bummm. A little bit of irony.

For the next chapter (which I’ll write next) is the present moment. And we already know there’s a possible murder, or ‘something bad’ that has happened at the end of Chapter 1. So that’s what’s next, the Big Mystery Thing and the one-and-done plot mystery thing come together.

But the characters don’t know it yet. Finally, I the author know something the MCs don’t! Won’t they be surprised? Fun to write this novel so far. We’ll see what unfolds next!

Writing Tip…

I got nothing. Maybe, just be sure you introduce your characters in a normal setting before exploiting them later on when the ‘big mystery thing’ is finally revealed. Don’t bring someone in out of the blue who the readers should have had a chance to get to know earlier in the story.

Progress: Writing Secrets & Scents... 

Introduction – Part 1: Launching a New Series 
Introduction – Part 2: The Missing Novel 
Day 1 - 3100 (Chps 1 & 2) - Total: 3,100 words 
Day 2 - 3300 (Chps 3 & 4) - Total: 6,400 words

Day 3 - 3150 (Chps 5 & 6) - Total: 9,550 words

Day 4 - 3100 (Chps 7 & 8) - Total: 12,650 words

Day 5 - 1550 (Chpt 9) - Total: 14,200 words

Day 6 - 3050 (Chps 10 & 11) - Total: 17,250 words

~*~

Here's a placeholder image for Secrets & Scents - A Kelli & Jo Candle Shop Mystery by yours truly. I'll be launching a Kickstarter Campaign in September, 2022, for cozy mystery fans to acquire their exclusive pre-release edition of my latest novel with a brand new, professionally designed cover. Watch for details. 

In the meantime, if you become a Patreon Subscriber, you'll be able to read Secrets & Scents as I write it! New chapters of my WIP every week, plus a backlist novel a month and bonus short stories exclusive to patrons.

Secrets & Scents - Day 5

Something has to go wrong.

            Stories need tension. In the course of the MC’s life, something has to go south and the main character then has to deal with it. It’s an obstacle, a point of ‘rising action’ (for those familiar with the traditional plot diagram). Mostly, these are small hurdles, but over the course of the story, the crises get worse.

            The general idea is to follow Lester Dent’s ‘Master Plot Formula.’ Dent was the author of most of those early pulp adventures featuring Doc Savage. His pen name was Kenneth Robeson (actually, Robeson was a ‘house name’ that a half dozen or so authors wrote under, but Dent was the go-to writer for many years).

            What is his Master Plot Formula? It’s basically a crisis every 1500 words. A pulp story back in the day (say, 1930s and 40s) was about 6,000 words in length. So right from the get-go there is conflict – the hero gets hit with a menace, a mystery, or a heap of trouble. At the end of that first scene, he (or she) gets smacked upside the face with something more sinister than the opening crisis. You, the writer, must ramp up the volume.

            Next 1500 words, same thing. More grief for the hero, more struggle, more physical conflict, then another twist at the end of the scene with an increase of danger. Next 1500 words, same thing. Turn it up to 11. But in this third act, it looks like the hero will win – the ending could be near…but the hero doesn’t win! He (or she) gets it in the solar plexus! (Metaphorically speaking.)

            Finally, the last section, when all seems lost, the hero – with his or her own skill (not relying on a deus ex machina saving event) – extricates him/herself from the danger, the villain is overcome, the mystery is solved, and in one final twist or surprise, the opening problem or conflict or mystery is solved.

            Sounds great, right? I mean, I’d read something like that. But, truth is, it’s hard to pull off. Yes, it’s formulaic, but the power of rising tension and overcoming the odds is compelling. This kind of story telling is in our DNA, I believe. Not being mystical here. It’s how we’re wired up as humans. (No time to tease this out, maybe one day, lol.)

            All that to say, I only wrote one chapter today, Chapter 9. And the scene could have been pretty boring – Jo gets her inventory delivered. Remember, she’s handling the book part of the store, Kelli is doing the candles. It’s a book and candle shop mystery, right? (I don’t think there are many cozy mysteries using this combination, but I could be wrong. Anyway.)

            Getting 10,000 paperbacks delivered could have been mundane – but what if the majority of those paperbacks are duds? What if Donovan Huckly, Sugar Pine Station’s ‘Inspector General’ won’t allow Jo to sell most of her stock?

Or, what if there’s a special and very valuable book in the mix? All ideas I’m exploring in Chapter 9. You’ll have to read the novel to find out what crisis Jo faces while stocking the shelves in anticipation for their Grand Opening. I’m not going to spoil it for you! (grin)

            So that’s what I wrote today. Not sure why it was more of a struggle to get two chapters in, but I only wrote one. But, I’m happy with the progress. More thoughts next time.

Add more tension! Rising action is where it's at. (grin)

Writing Tip…

You don’t have to follow Lester Dent’s formula exactly, but it’s worth reading, and the ideas of increased tension and struggle for the main character are worth incorporating into your story. Here’s a link that outlines his Master Plot formula. 

Progress: Writing Secrets & Scents... 

Introduction – Part 1: Launching a New Series 
Introduction – Part 2: The Missing Novel 
Day 1 - 3100 (Chps 1 & 2) - Total: 3,100 words 
Day 2 - 3300 (Chps 3 & 4) - Total: 6,400 words

Day 3 - 3150 (Chps 5 & 6) - Total: 9,550 words

Day 4 - 3100 (Chps 7 & 8) - Total: 12,650 words

Day 5 - 1550 (Chpt 9) - Total: 14,200 words

~*~

Here's a placeholder image for Secrets & Scents - A Kelli & Jo Candle Shop Mystery by yours truly. I'll be launching a Kickstarter Campaign in September, 2022, for cozy mystery fans to acquire their exclusive pre-release edition of my latest novel with a brand new, professionally designed cover. Watch for details. 

In the meantime, if you become a Patreon Subscriber, you'll be able to read Secrets & Scents as I write it! New chapters of my WIP every week, plus a backlist novel a month and bonus short stories exclusive to patrons.