Elizabeth Peters

Author Susan Schreyer ( http://writinghorses.blogspot.com/) asked if I would like to be part of a ’round robin’ author interview. The questions stay the same so you can follow the trail and see what each author thinks.

What are you working on right now?

Book #2 in the Mountain Mystery series, Sparrow’s Silence, is due soon. Book #3 is beginning to simmer in the depths of that space where ideas come from. Oddly enough, the first new character to spring to life is a troublesome dog. And then there’s this story in a different genre plaguing me.

How does it differ from other works in its genre?

Well, let’s see. Sparrow’s Silence is set in Wallace, Idaho, which is such a unique setting. One thing I strive for is a setting that becomes as important as the characters. I want the ‘place’ to be so real, that it pulls at you and haunts you. That’s what I like in books I read, too. I want to be swept away, not just by the plot and characters, but by wherever the author wants to send me.

What experiences have influenced you?

Moving to the woods was a huge influence. The mountains seem so mysterious. I just know there are endless stories up there in the areas few people go. Every time I try to write a story in a different landscape, say for instance the badlands where I have family, the story falls flat. If the setting doesn’t give rise to an almost homesickness for me, it sure won’t for the reader.

Why do you write what you do?

Well, the easy answer is because I love to read mysteries. The harder answer is that I love when a story pulls me in with questions. Not just plot twists, but character questions, too. I always want to know why things happen, why this person is who, and where they are.

How does your writing process work?

I have to say I envy Susan Schreyer, because she plots and outlines. That seems so organized and professional. I tried it once. And failed. I’m an ‘organic’ writer who always knows the very last line of the story. I may not know all the characters, I rarely know the plot. But I know how it is going to end. So writing becomes figuring out how to get to that ending.

What is the hardest part about writing?

Oh man, being able to find time. I want, and know I need, a set schedule. But just like my inability to outline, I also fail at schedules. I’m pretty good at setting aside weekend time, but I need more than that.

What would you like to try as a writer that you haven’t yet?

The non-mystery story I’m attempting is one with multiple points of view. I’ve never written that way, and am intimidated by the scope of multiple voices. I’m not sure I can pull it off, but at the same time even if it never gets published, it’s going to make me stretch and learn as a writer.

Who are the authors you most admire?

Elly Griffiths. She is a master at the haunting landscapes. Try her first book, The Crossing Places.

Elizabeth Peters. I’ve been reading her books for many years. I love all her series, but especially the Amelia Peabody books. These are written in first person, but she does a fantastic job showing the point of view character through the eyes of other characters, even in first person.

Meg Gardiner. All of her books, but especially the Evan Delaney series. Meg knows how to write action and tension and how to grab the reader immediately.

S.J. Bolton. I love how she keeps me wondering what is myth, what is fact, what is ghost story, what is real.

Then there are the authors I love to read: Carol O’Connell’s Mallory series, C.J. Box, Val McDermid, Sharyn McCrumb, P. J. Parrish’s Louis Kincaid series, and Patrick McManus. He writes mysteries, now, too, but when I want to laugh, I pull out his earlier essays on growing up with quirky characters. Try They Shoot Canoes, Don’t They?

Who are new authors to watch out for?

Kaylan Doyle, Susan Shreyer, Lisa Harris. Wonderful writers. And then there are the poets, Sabrina and Pat. I’m not using their last names as they are not ready (in their minds) to be public. But when they send out their poems, you’re going to be blown away.

What scares you?

My son is now driving. Enough said.

And here, for those who want to continue with these travels, is a link to the next person to get interviewed, author Lisa Harris. Lots of humor, quirky characters, and romance…if you like that mix in mysteries you’ll like her writing. http://www.peaceloveandallthegoodstuff.blogspot.com

Where did this little guy go?

What makes you pick up a new book? Usually it’s the title that catches my eye first.

Here are some titles that have resulted in the discovery of a great story: The Crossing Places (Elly Griffiths), Though Not Dead (Dana
Stabenow), Crocodile on the Sandbank (Elizabeth Peters), She Walks These Hills (Sharon McCrumb), and many, many more. I’m sure when I blow out the kerosene lantern I’m going to remember several I should have listed. And it would be interesting to see what titles you like.

But this is more about the difficulty in catching just the right title for your own work. What an impossible thing. I’ve recently sent a story off for editing, with no title. Here are a couple failed ideas.

There’s a line in the story about a small house up against a canyon wall, with rocks scattered on its roof ‘like some weird mountain rain’. I love that line and thought ‘Mountain Rain’, great title! Until I realized that this is part of the ‘Mountain Mystery series’, which is just way too many mountains. The title and subtitle could almost form a mountain range on their own.

Then I thought about the name of some liquid libation that shows up in the story: Silver Mist. Because the liquid is distilled in a silver mining area. But honestly that title did nothing for me.

So I’m still wandering around waiting for inspiration. The right title will show up eventually. In the meantime, I’m pondering what makes a good title. Why one works and another doesn’t.

In some ways it’s obvious. A book called Encrypted won’t be picked up by me. Neither will Lady Sophia’s Rescue (but my sister will snap that one up). So the title clues me in that the book is a genre I like to read. Like I said, obvious.

Yet there are a lot of mystery titles I don’t pick up. So just as obviously, the title is simply luck of the draw. There’s something in the words that I as a reader respond to. The mystery reader standing next to me might pass up the same book I just felt an urge to read.

If it’s all so arbitrary then why is it so hard to come up with a title? Seems like it should be the easiest part. Or at least a little easier than writing the whole story to begin with.

I wonder if anyone has ever titled their book, ‘Pick me! Pick me!’