By Rosemary Lord
Whether it’s time or words – it’s an ongoing challenge for me.
Not having the luxury of a 30-hour day, I’m always trying to squeeze things in, so that, apart from ‘work’, I can have some sort of personal life, family time and of course writing time. As I struggle to transfer my workload at the Woman’s Club of Hollywood to a new dedicated crew, it’s taking a lot longer than I anticipated – and about 6 new people to do the work I’ve been doing on my own for so long!
But – I will make it all fit.
I designated Sunday as MY day, when I will not deal with any Woman’s Club work and only speak with family, friends, potter, catch up on housework and fit in some writing time, too. My ‘work phone’ is switched off. This is the only way I’ve been able to catch up on my personal life, finding serenity, make things fit – and even make time to paint my nails – a pale blue this week! I cherish my Sundays.
I envy some of my friends who retired early and travel all the time. I just can’t fit that in now!
And then there’s making things fit in my writing. I have three major writing assignments at the moment. A non-fiction, 144-page coffee-table history book, an historical novel and a memoir. So far, I’ve not had the time – or the mental focus – to sit for hour after hour, day after day, as I used to, to complete one of them. I tend to fit in the odd hour or two and peck away at one of my projects. Although my mind is always working overtime thinking about them.
First, in fiction, especially in mysteries, I have to get the right name for my characters. I have to make the name fit.
I mean, you can’t really have an exotic, sultry siren called Mary or Jane, could you? Sophia or Camille, maybe. Or a tall, hunky, sun-bronzed hero called Arthur or Reginald, doesn’t really work, does it? The names have to fit the character, the story, the era, the background, in order to be believable.
Although one of my pet peeves as a reader is to have the characters all having a similar sounding name, especially in the same scene: Fin, Tim, Dick, Nick, Rick – or Jim, Jon, Jan, Jen, Janey, Jed and so on. I make a point of making sure the names differ in sound and length. You’re not going to get confused when characters names are specific for the storyline and sound different. Such as a Jim, Stephen, Montgomery, Drew and Samuel. Or Roberta, Annie, Pamela, Sue, Gwendoline and Florence. Different lengths and starting with different consonants. Easier for the reader (and me, the writer) to keep track of.
I always feel challenged with the word-counts we’re given. Tough to fit all I want to say within their limits. Should my work be a short-story, a novella, a novel – or a War and Peace tome? My storyline has to fit into the right category.
Then I (hopefully) unobtrusively, fit in the clues and red herrings. Remembering the villain needs to be seen, fleetingly, very early on in the story. Almost hidden, with no big flashing neon signs. So that at the end, when all is uncovered, I haven’t cheated my readers by suddenly announcing: “By the way, the Butler, whom you’ve never seen before, did it.” As a reader I like to think I know ‘Who Dunnit,’ but I’m not sure and I keep trying to work it out. Then the satisfaction at the end of saying “of course!” and retracing the steps to figure it all out for myself. So, I have to make sure that it all fits in.
And I have to fit in the adversity, the challenges, the processes my characters go through, without the reader aware of what I’m doing. Static stories are boring. My characters need to lose something – or fear losing it. They must process crisis – large & small – then recover and carry on obliviously enjoying life, until another surprise stops them in their tracks from an unexpected source. Unseen forces. Another deadly trap.
It was Raymond Chandler who said, “there’s no trap so deadly as the trap you set yourself.”
Whatever that means. But then it was Mark Twain who said: “write what you know.” So, between the two, I should have a story somewhere!
And somehow, I will fit in the time to make it all happen.
Writing anything is a challenge, but writing mysteries is a unique adventure, unraveling the human mind. It’s like designing a large jigsaw puzzle, making all the pieces fit.
So, I’ve become very proficient at making things – time and words – fit. How about you?
The Writers in Residence 
Great advice for writers, but we all have that problem with finding the time. But the fact you have the tools means you will get the job done. And the part about making sure the names of characters aren’t so much alike that the reader can’t keep them straight is gold. I keep an alphabet at the bottom of the initial page of notes on the story I’m writing and I mark off the first letter of each name used so I make sure I don’t have ten names beginning with the same letter. It helps me and the reader.
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Gayle – you have literally written the book on so much of this. Your methodology never ceases to amaze me.Thanks for sharing your wisdom so readily.
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Fitting in stuff I NEED to do or WANT to do is tough sometimes. But I found that if I prioritize them (put them at #1 on my daily To Do List), they tend to get done.
You have a lot on your plate writing-wise. Get that List out, number 1-10, and then put your writing projects at #1, 2, and 3.
Good luck with all your “stuff.” At least with your schedule, you won’t have to worry about “fitting in” your slacks. 😉
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Good point, Jackie. ‘Need’ or ‘want’ – problem is I both need and want it all! And a solid Priority List is always helpful – if I can remember where I left it! My desk is so deep in folders, files and papers – I’m surprised I have discovered something furry living under there!
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I’m impressed by all you do for the Woman’s Club, Rosemary. And I appreciate all the info and reminders about writing that you just provided in this enjoyable post!
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Thanks Linda. My problem with all I do at the Woman’s Club is that I feel so responsible to make sure things work out…. but little-by-little I’m separating myself emotionally. And I need to write the book about it all….
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How beautifully you have managed to fit in all (I hope) of your pet peeves, challenges, writing times, and ideas into this post, with which all writers can empathize, Rosemary. I usually make a list of what I want to accomplish each day and cross them off as they are finished. Some must be carried over into the following day but the act of crossing some out is very, very satisfying. You have a full plate what with the new book for Beverly Hills, training the new club workers, seeking an agent, and doing dishes – my favorite method of avoiding the butt-in-computer-chair imperative – and you are to be congratulated for handling them all. Let’s remember that mental work keeps the brain humming and exercise keeps the body youthful. I think.
jill
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Thanks, Jill. My doctor agrees – and actually told me that this stress is GOOD for me, as it keeps my brain alert. Now I just need to add dancing to my To Do list and I’ll be youth personified!
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(From Miriam/Miko) Rosemary, you bring up so many common issues with writing. I can certainly agree with what you’ve said. I always wonder about how to pick names that fit the character. Then again, what the old Hollywood moguls would say about the two biggest macho men in cinema named Arnold and Sylvester?
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Thanks, Miko. Picking names is always such a fun challenge. By the time those two macho stars came along, the Old Hollywood Studio System was ended and people like Michael Caine were stars. I think Arnold got away with his un-sexy name because he had a strong foreign accent!
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And John Wayne was born Marion Robert Morrison!
Great post and comments. I love Gayle’s idea of an alphabetical list for character names. That would be especially helpful for me, as I often change names at the last minute.
Yes, fitting it in, aka time management, is indeed challenging. But I bet that blue polish is gorgeous!
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I’d forgotten about John Waynes macho name! Much better than Marion…
And Gayle always has such useful methods! And – yes – the blue polish really cheers me up! Thanks Maggie.
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