Ask the Author: Penny Goetjen
Answered Questions (9)
Penny Goetjen
Your husband just ate the last of the chocolate. And there's no more wine.
Penny Goetjen
Writing is more of a compulsion than anything else. And I draw inspiration from all around me, particularly if I'm in a new setting, traveling and exploring new places. But I also get my inspiration from within, from my random thoughts and what-if questions. I look forward to sitting down to write. I never know where a story is going to take me. I allow it to pull me along. Very often "we" turn a corner and I'm confronted with something totally unexpected. I'm as surprised as my readers. ;)
Penny Goetjen
With the excitement of releasing MURDER ON THE PRECIPICE (Nov 2017), I'm working to wrap up the rough draft of its sequel, MURDER BEYOND THE PRECIPICE. I started the sequel a while back but got sidetracked (It happens a lot. It's not really a matter of a short attention span. I just have so many stories in my head that are demanding to be written.) At the time, I was on trip to the Caribbean, trying to stay on task writing about the rugged, tumultuous coast of Maine with nippy morning temps and rogue waves on the rocky breakwater. It was tough to feel it. After all, I was immersed in the tropical vibe; palm trees fluttering in warm balmy breezes, turquoise water so clear you can see the fish, soft white sand between my toes, and in all likelihood a paper-parasol-garnished coconut rum drink within arms length. I can't say I'm sorry, but I just wasn't feeling Maine. Don't get me wrong, I love Maine but I was in the moment. Another story (Caribbean setting) came crashing through my head so I flipped the page on the note pad on my lap and frantically jotted down my thoughts as fast as I could. When I returned home, I clearly had a dilemma. Do I try to keep going with MURDER BEYOND THE PRECIPICE or forge a new path and find out where the Caribbean story takes me? Since it was the middle of winter at the time, I went with the warmer setting. The result was THE EMPTY CHAIR ~ Murder in the Caribbean which came out late last year (2016). But back to Maine . . . MURDER ON THE PRECIPICE is the re-release of the original THE PRECIPICE and at the moment I'm working on wrapping up the rough draft of its sequel MURDER BEYOND THE PRECIPICE.
Penny Goetjen
Besides where all the socks went? Ha! Guess that's just one of those enduring mysteries that will NEVER be solved.
People, however, are a much more interesting mystery! Think about it. Are the people you meet really who they seem to be? How well do you know your friends, neighbors, and co-workers? How often do you hear, after a real-life murder takes place, something like "He seemed like such a nice guy. I never would have expected him to do anything like that"? We don't know what we're capable of doing until presented with the right circumstances. I think most of us have something that will push us over the edge.
Very often I meet someone who intrigues me. Usually I only get a glimpse of what they might be like but I take it from there and develop a background for the person which very quickly develops into a story line. Try it sometime when your flight gets delayed and you've inadvertently packed your reading materials in your checked luggage. Of course, your seat assignment may end up being next to the person you've transformed into someone they're not--someone with a dark past that could resurface with the right trigger. You won't be able to sleep on that flight!
People, however, are a much more interesting mystery! Think about it. Are the people you meet really who they seem to be? How well do you know your friends, neighbors, and co-workers? How often do you hear, after a real-life murder takes place, something like "He seemed like such a nice guy. I never would have expected him to do anything like that"? We don't know what we're capable of doing until presented with the right circumstances. I think most of us have something that will push us over the edge.
Very often I meet someone who intrigues me. Usually I only get a glimpse of what they might be like but I take it from there and develop a background for the person which very quickly develops into a story line. Try it sometime when your flight gets delayed and you've inadvertently packed your reading materials in your checked luggage. Of course, your seat assignment may end up being next to the person you've transformed into someone they're not--someone with a dark past that could resurface with the right trigger. You won't be able to sleep on that flight!
Penny Goetjen
3 things:
o Write often
o Be willing to work at improving your writing (do workshops, join a writing group, listen to feedback)
o Engage an excellent editor (Don't skip this step. Everyone's work needs editing!)
o Write often
o Be willing to work at improving your writing (do workshops, join a writing group, listen to feedback)
o Engage an excellent editor (Don't skip this step. Everyone's work needs editing!)
Penny Goetjen
Sometimes a story line just shows up unexpectedly and demands to be written! Such was the case with THE EMPTY CHAIR ~ Murder in the Caribbean. I was in St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands on a vacation with my family. At the time, my writing project was the sequel to my first book, THE PRECIPICE, both of which take place on the rocky, tumultuous coast of Maine. Not wanting to miss the opportunity to write while I was away, I brought my writing along with me. After a few days of soaking up the Caribbean "vibe," I was sitting out on the deck overlooking Charlotte Amalie Harbor with a pad of paper on my lap. Distracted by my surroundings (spectacular views!) and struggling to focus on my mystery that was unfolding nearly a hemisphere away (I do exaggerate a bit), another story practically hit me over the head. I probably gasped and then flipped the page on my legal pad and started writing furiously, jotting down everything that was going through my mind. At first the story was going to be a young woman looking for her father on the island. Then I quickly changed it to her mother so they could look quite similar and have the same name. I was excited to have another story to write but that left me in a quandary. Which one should I keep going with? I actually attempted to write both at the same time, but I quickly figured out that wasn't an efficient way to approach it. At that point it was the middle of winter in New England so I opted for writing about a warm climate. (The things we have to do to survive these cold and, at times, miserable winters!) Now that THE EMPTY CHAIR is published, I'm back to writing the sequel to THE PRECIPICE. Hopefully I won't get interrupted again before I can finish it. I know readers want to know what happens to Elizabeth!
Penny Goetjen
The best thing about being a writer is being able to interact with readers and find out what they like about my writing or a particular part of a story. I love stopping into (or skyping with) book clubs. The energy and enthusiasm is contagious. I usually get such great questions, too!
The best thing about being a FICTION writer is being able to use my imagination and see where the story takes me. I'm usually surprised by twists and turns that I didn't see coming. The ending in THE EMPTY CHAIR~~Murder in the Caribbean was totally unexpected!
The best thing about being a FICTION writer is being able to use my imagination and see where the story takes me. I'm usually surprised by twists and turns that I didn't see coming. The ending in THE EMPTY CHAIR~~Murder in the Caribbean was totally unexpected!
Penny Goetjen
I once heard Dan Brown speak and during the Q& A he was asked the same question. So now I take his advice and just write SOMETHING! He went so far as to say there was no such thing as writer's block. It's just a crutch some writers use. I've found this to be great advice. Even if what you're writing is not up to your standards, don't worry about it. Just get your ideas down. There will be plenty of time for you to edit later. If you don't write anything, there will be nothing to edit!
Penny Goetjen
First couple that comes to mind is Thomas Crown and Catherine Banning in the movie The Thomas Crown Affair. Set in exhilarating NYC, it's one of my go-to movies with a bottle wine for a "let's stay in tonight" night because it has everything! Mystery, intrigue, romance, and an art heist, in one of my favorite museums, with a little Caribbean thrown in. Thomas and Catherine are an unlikely couple that somehow become connected even though Catherine is investigating Thomas's role in the heist.
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