Down a Driftless Raod

Signed in as:

filler@godaddy.com

Account

About Me

I grew up in the northwest central part of Wisconsin. I became familiar with the Driftless Area when I landed a teaching job southeast of La Crosse. When I married a local boy, the Driftless Area became the place where we raised our family. There is so much natural beauty here, and the landscape and the enduring goodness of the people who provide the backbone of my Driftless series. For me, writing is a way of connecting the appeal of the driftless area to my readers. Each day, I look for the unique characteristics that make living in this area of the country so rewarding. I try to include those in my stories; things like hard work, family cohesiveness, faith, kindness, and goodness. At the same time, every good story need conflict. One look at the daily headlines that dominate the news gives me plenty of conflict and tension. You'll find those in my stories as well.

My Writing Habits

Five years ago, I retired from a career in teaching. I had discussed my idea for a detective series set in the Driftless Area many times with my husband. About six months into retirement (after I had used up every excuse in the book to put off my project) my husband turned to me one day and said, "When are you going to write those stories?" That was the impetus for beginning a daily writing habit.

About the same time, I came across a book called "Shut Up and Write!" by Judy Bridges, the founder of RedBird Studio in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. So I did what she suggested: I quit talking about writing and actually sat down and wrote. Every day. Sometimes it was only for 15 minutes; other days it was for hours. That habit is what helped me finish my first manuscript, Driftless Gold. Since then I have written four more with plans for my sixth book in the wings. If you are a budding writer, then you must quit talking about writing and start. Write every day.

Another habit that is essential for good writing is reading. I always have a couple of books on my nightstand. I am a huge fan of mystery and crime novels, but I also love historical novels. Lately, I have taken to re-reading my favorite authors with the purpose of studying their literary styles and techniques. This is a great way to observe how authors create suspense and conflict, set the scene, write realistic dialogue, and resolve problems.

With COVID, many of the writing workshops I had hoped to attend have been canceled, but there are many offerings online now. I also read books about writing: Shut Up and Write! by Judy Bridges, Don't Murder Your Mystery by Chris Roerden, and Writing Mysteries edited by Sue Grafton.