I’m getting old.
Unfortunately, this is a fact of life, and my body won’t let me forget it. I have arthritis in my fingers and wrists which means in severe cold, I can’t use a knife as I’m unable to grip it. My left hip and knee are very painful making walking difficult.
Let’s not even mention my back!
My granddaughter has accepted that sometimes Nana has to sit down and dance in the chair instead of whirling around the living room indefinitely. She also knows to give me a hand when I’ve been doing jigsaws on the floor and need to get up.
Every Monday I spend a tortuous hour in the company of Josephine as she challenges me to go where no woman has gone before. Or at least, not this woman. She is my Pilates instructor and an ex-ballet dancer. Each week I engage my tummy, squeeze my bum, stretch those hamstrings, and do ten more reps on my obliques. For the rest of the day, I groan when I move and hobble up and down the stairs grabbing the stair rail like a lifeline.
Then, a strange thing happens. The next morning, I walk freer. I can bend my leg further. I can crouch and bend. All that stretching and challenging is good for my body.
The same can be said of writing. If you want to grow and learn, you need to step outside your comfort zone, both in your own writing and the reading you do for leisure or research.
I would call myself a fantasy pantser author writing in a close third POV (Point of view) It’s my happy place. Six of my seven published books would fit that criteria, and of the ones I am currently writing, three of the six are the same.
But a few of years ago, I decided to have a go at writing from different POV’s, purely as an exercise to see how well I could do. I wrote a series of ten short stories, two of which are in the very difficult second person, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself. At some point, when I have added some more stories and given them all a good edit, I intend to bring out my Twisted Tales as a book.
Then, just over two years ago, I had the idea of writing a cosy murder mystery to test my abilities. During the month of November, along with thousands of other writers, I took part in a challenge to write a novel in a month. It was tiring, frustrating, demanding, and sometimes painful. But I did it.
As soon as I finished, my amateur sleuth nagged at me for another case to solve. The village of Myrtleberry Dell and the weird and wonderful residents began to breathe. A series was born from that labour of love.
Writing a murder mystery is a very different process to all my other books. I can’t pants my way through for a start. I need a plan. I need suspects, clues, and red herrings. I need a formula that fans of the genre will recognise and be comfortable with.
So instead of starting my book on page one, I created a story board, a suspect sheet, a character list, and structured framework to follow. I mapped out what had to happen to mislead the reader. Where to hide the clues in plain sight without drawing attention to them. Who to throw a spotlight on. Who to kill.
For one month each year I become a plotter.
It has also affected my real life. I started binge-watching Midsommer Murders, Poirot, Cold Case Killers, and Death in Paradise. I read more murder mysteries and thrillers – not my usual fare at all.
The end result of all of this is strong writing muscles and more flexible writing styles. Last November, I drafted my third Myrtleberry Dell mystery and I can honestly say that I have now got to grips with the process. This draft is better, and more complete than either of the previous two. I won’t be tearing my hair out trying to shoehorn clues and details into it because they are already there. The narrative flows without being forced, and my timing has improved enormously.
If you have become comfortable in your writing, may I suggest raising the bar? Try writing in a completely new way. Choose a different genre. Write from another POV. Stretch those writing muscles and build up your repertoire.
Your efforts may never see the light of day. That doesn’t matter. I can guarantee it will improve your skills and sharpen your mind.
Or, like me, you may find the challenge seeps into your blood and suddenly, a whole new world of possibilities opens up to you, and more book ideas appear, all clamouring to be written.
Women Writing Other Worlds 