Ask the Author: Susan Holmes
Answered Questions (4)
Susan Holmes
The idea for this story began with a news article about a cold case murder investigation of an unknown female in a rural Arkansas county. Initially logged in as Jane Doe #3 for the year, detectives now refer to her as Bone Woman. What kind of person, I wondered, could commit murder, burn the body, and stack the charred remains neatly beneath a tree? Was the killer a stranger or someone known to the victim—perhaps a family member or close friend? How did they meet, and why did she die? The questions lingered, and I tinkered with the idea of bringing Bone Woman into a novel.
About that same time, I met noted historian and folklorist Phillip W. Steele and was captivated by Ozark tales of buried treasure. As Mr. Steele notes in the introduction of his Lost Treasure of the Ozarks “considerable amounts of treasure still may be waiting to be discovered under Ozark soil.”
As Mr. Steele and I discussed regional folklore, it occurred to me that a treasure hunt would be an intriguing backdrop to a murder mystery set in the Ozarks and thus Deadly Ties began.
About that same time, I met noted historian and folklorist Phillip W. Steele and was captivated by Ozark tales of buried treasure. As Mr. Steele notes in the introduction of his Lost Treasure of the Ozarks “considerable amounts of treasure still may be waiting to be discovered under Ozark soil.”
As Mr. Steele and I discussed regional folklore, it occurred to me that a treasure hunt would be an intriguing backdrop to a murder mystery set in the Ozarks and thus Deadly Ties began.
Susan Holmes
To be a writer, you need first to be a serious reader. In addition to reading the genre in which to write, you need to read different genres. Read a variety of authors. Study the way writers use language, point of view, and voice to construct the story. Analyze the plot and overall structure.
Read. Read. Read more. And then write. Give yourself permission to write a really bad draft. After all, nobody will ever see it, except you! Draft, review, revise, and repeat. As one of my writing mentors told me, good writing is rewriting.
Read. Read. Read more. And then write. Give yourself permission to write a really bad draft. After all, nobody will ever see it, except you! Draft, review, revise, and repeat. As one of my writing mentors told me, good writing is rewriting.
Susan Holmes
Letting the voices in my head out!
(Oh, yeah, and creating cool "plot puzzles" to share with mystery fans.)
(Oh, yeah, and creating cool "plot puzzles" to share with mystery fans.)
Susan Holmes
I have a few strategies to break the block. Sometimes I can get back on track by "interviewing" one of my characters. If that doesn't work I'll jump to another project. And when all else fails I go for a walk!
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