Q & A WITH COZY CAT AUTHORS

We all have habits or a certain routine that we follow over and over; from a baseball player stepping up to bat, or a home chef cooking an omelette.   This is no different for authors.  They must find their creative space, or follow a routine that they believe helps their writing process.

Agatha Christie reportedly thought best while eating apples. This small habit meant that she often had multiple apples in her writing room and even at different rates of decomposing.  There could have been a few fresh ones to eat, a forgotten one rotting in the corner, and then a handful of apples cores all in her room at the same time! 

And so, we turned to some of our own Cozy Cat authors to see if they had any special writing habits or rituals that helped them create their Cozy mysteries.

"I have two separate phases of writing. The first bit is where I slpodge it all out on the screen, careening through scenes to get the story down. That phase has to happen in a  cafe. I love the anonymity and bustle. I love the fact that in trying to look busy I actually am busy. The editing phase happens in bed. I set myself up with three pillows, a pot of tea and tell everyone to get out of the house. I like the house empty when I get up and circle the dining room table. The pacing helps me to decide if the next body is going to be found propped up in the janitor's closet with a knife sunk three inches into his chest or on the dancefloor, convulsing from a cleverly concealed dose of strychnine while trying to maintain the rhythm of the tango. Serious considerations."

-Kate O'Connell (author of Maddie Fitzpatrick Dance Mysteries)

"We don't have any really quirky rituals or habits to get us writing, but we do rely on the spirit and joie de vivre of our pen name barbara jean coast. she is a bit of a throwback and gets us thinking in a 50's mindset. we talk out loud all the time as we write, and imagine what her take on her world would be. images, movies, music (especially jazz) from the time period not only get us in the writing mood but make us laugh, too."

- Andrea Taylor and Heather Shkuratoff aka Barbara Jean Coast                                             (Authors of Poppy Cove Mysteries)

Thanks for your wonderful responses authors! They were a great insight into different writing processes. 

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