Laura Childs, author of Honey Drop Dead, a Tea Shop mystery, is visiting Ascroft, eh? today to give us some tips for writing faster.

Welcome, Laura. I’ll turn the floor over to you –

When it comes to writing a novel, most authors yearn to write quicker, smarter, and more efficiently. And there’s no reason you can’t. After all, it’s no fun to just plod along – you’ll begin to lose interest and your project will atrophy. So here are a few tips and tricks that I use to keep the ideas bubbling and the words flowing.

Do your research before you start writing your novel. For every novel I write I create a concept book. Sometimes it’s a three-ring binder, other times it’s a folder that contains articles, pictures, clippings, and even words that catch my fancy and relate to my newest writing project. If your novel is dependent on locale, collect a few maps. If your novel deals with crime scene investigation, find articles on DNA testing, evidence collection, lab work, etc. – anything to help you be spot on. Many times research will spark ideas and give you new ways to approach your subject matter.

Create an outline. This helps break your book into chapters and sections, and creates a roadmap for your writing. It doesn’t have to be a lengthy outline, sometimes even five to ten pages are enough. But an outline will give you structure and help you focus on what direction your plotline is taking you.

Be sure to have a clear idea of why you’re writing your book. Do you know if there’s a viable market for your subject matter? Who’s your audience? How are you going to make your audience care deeply about your subject matter?

Come up with a killer hook for chapter one. (This is a tricky one). You want to grab your reader by the throat, make them smile, gasp, or laugh, then keep them turning pages into the wee hours of the morning.

Write your novel as fast as you can. Don’t worry if your words aren’t absolutely perfect. Just keep writing, even when you’re not exactly sure where you’re going. I have days where I think I’ve written absolute blather. Then I go back and look at it and think, “You know, that’s not half bad. If I edit and tighten these pages a bit I might just have something.” Always – always – remember that you can go back and edit at a later date.

Dig deep into your imagination. Your imagination is a wonderful, magical muscle – and the more you stretch it the better it gets.

Read as much as you can. After a while you’ll start picking up tricks that other authors use. This is super important. When I started writing I’d read a book for fun, then go back and rip it apart. How did the first chapter grab me? What was the first turning point that made my (unwilling) protagonist decide to get involved? Where was the “darkest before dawn” section and how did the author sneak that in? How did the author engineer that surprising ending? Don’t be afraid to learn from the masters.

Be daring! Go ahead and tackle new subjects, introduce oddball characters, or do plot loops. There are authors who have created entire new worlds (Ray Bradbury), mind-blowing situations (Stephen King), and amazing plot twists (Gillian Flynn). They made it work and so can you!

Good luck with your writing!

Thank you for sharing this with us, Laura, and good luck with Honey Drop Dead, a Tea Shop mystery.

Readers can learn more about Laura Childs by visiting the author’s website and. her Facebook page

The book is available online at the following retailers: 

Amazon – B&N – Kobo – Bookshop.org – PenguinRandomHouse

About Laura Childs: Laura is the author of the Tea Shop Mysteries, Scrapbook Mysteries, and Cackleberry Club Mysteries. All have been on the New York Times, USA Today, and Publisher’s Weekly bestseller lists. Recently, Book Riot named her mysteries to their list of “25 of the All Time Best Cozy Mystery Series.” In herprevious life Laura was CEO of her own marketing firm, authored several screenplays, and produced a reality TV show. She is married to Dr. Bob, a professor of Chinese art history, and has a Chinese Shar-Pei named Lotus.