Want to be an artistic success? Smoke and drink like an undergrad, take a daily walk/swim/nap, and have someone on hand to feed your every whim while keeping noisy children/guests/neighbours at bay. These are just some of the 'rituals' that are common amongst many great writers, composers, philosophers and artists, according to Mason Curry in his book Daily Rituals: How Artists Work (AAKnoff; 2013).
A recent gift from my thespian brother, James, it's been a fascinating insight into the way some of the past century's 'Greats' create. It's also been a welcome wake-up call to give myself a break while writing the follow-up to my last Ghostwriter Mystery. Not only do some artists only work a few hours a day (Gertrude Stein thought 30 minutes was more than enough!), many sat, frustrated for hours in front of their typewriters, pianos, etc, achieving bugger all.
Of course many others were terrifyingly prolific, and Henri Matisse says he loved his work so much he rarely took a break, working all day every day, including Sundays, much to his models' great annoyance.
Everybody had a different body clock, some getting up at the crack of dawn, others only picking up their pencils at midnight, and almost all seemed to rely on my drug of choice, coffee, to see them through (although absinthe, cigars and amphetamines get a regular mention).
The one common factor for all, though, was ritual or, as the author points out, really just boring old ROUTINE. No matter when they start or what gets them cracking, most of the great artists had a routine that worked for them and that they stuck to, and it clearly brought results.
It got me thinking: what's my writing routine? Seems, I, too, have one, and it rarely varies, at least while I've got a book on the hop. I get up with the kids at 7:00 a.m. and get them off to school (something none of the artists had to worry about, I might note) then I have a little breakfast and coffee with my husband before he heads to his recording studio at the top of our property, and I take to my sunroom/office to answer emails, check the online news and generally faff about. By 10:00 a.m. I am into my latest novel, reading through yesterday's words, correcting a few things, then continuing on.
I break regularly for cups of coffee and tea, down a (DIY) sandwich at some point, and then wind it all up by school pick-up time at 3:00 p.m. After that, I steal the odd half hour when the boys are being calm (read: rarely), then I do a walk and some yoga, watch the TV news and enjoy dinner at the table with my family. I don't write again at night unless I'm at the end of a book and so engrossed, I simply can NOT let it go. Generally, though, too much plotting close to bedtime keeps me awake all night, so I have to release it by 5:00 p.m. to allow my brain time to chill out.
It's a routine, it seems to do the job, and it's not a bad life when I think about it. But, gee, it'd be nice if someone brought me breakfast in bed so I could loll in the sheets and dream the day away as Descartes did ...
I'd love to hear about your daily rituals or routines. Get in touch below, or drop me an email: christina.larmer@gmail.com.
And happy creating, everyone!
xo Christina
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Plotting my way out of writer's block
I've never really experienced 'writer's block' but have to admit, while working on my fifth Ghostwriter mystery recently, I struggled to get the story out, labouring over every sentence, feeling bored, floundering, wondering why I bother and was there a less talented writer anywhere on this dark earth.
Then I picked up a book I bought at the last Byron Bay Writers Festival that I'd neglected to read. An anthology of Australia's leading crime writers with the disappointingly cliché title If I Tell You ... I'll Have to Kill You (edited by Michael Robotham) and relief flooded through me like a cold shower in the middle of a Melbourne heat wave.
Forget about just 'Australia' and 'crime', 20 of the world's top writers have revealed that they, too, stumble and fall, flounder and feel like frauds from time to time. Experts like Gabrielle Lord and Kerry Greenwood, Peter Corris and Shane Maloney. Gee I'm in good company!
These wonderful, candid writers offer excellent advice on getting started, on keeping going, on plotting or not plotting (to each their own), on flow, character development and how to handle the ugly ego that sits on each of our shoulders laughing regularly at our 'ineptitude'. Every writer struggles occasionally. No writer thinks it's a breeze. Not even the best of them.
Of course, deep down I know all this, I've heard it all before, but to see it at this time, as I struggle with a series that, just between you and me, has been a breeze, was a welcome buoy in what's been a turbulent and unproductive month. (Well, if you don't count the spotless kitchen and one very tidy desk.)
Just promise yourself you'll write 500 words a day, suggests Katherine Howell (writer of pacy ambo thrillers). If that doesn't work, make it 250. Before you know it, you'll be on a roll. Others advised I just put the pen down (keyboard, iPad...) and go for a stroll. Thinking, or not thinking, is just as pivotal to plotting as getting letters onto a page. (Sadly, most of us see this as a waste of time, but oh no it's not!) Almost everyone stressed the importance of character and I wondered whether I'd not developed mine enough. Was that my stumbling block?
Then I read that perhaps it's not me that's struggling. It's the plot. Yes, I thought, yes! Let's blame the blasted plot!
I put my keyboard aside and I sat out on my veranda, watching the wallabies mow the backyard as the catbirds screeched like manic babies in the poinciana above, and I looked again at my plot. Of course. That was it. My plot was all wrong. It just wasn't doing its job. There were not enough suspects. There were certainly not enough dead bodies. It was all a bit of a yawnfest. No wonder I was bored senseless, it was a senselessly boring plot. So I grabbed pen and paper and reworked the entire novel. Then I returned to my keyboard and the story began to flow.
I haven't stopped writing since.
Thanks, fellow writers, for your candour and your encouragment, but most of all, thank you for your failings, because without them, I'd still be scrubbing every square inch of my office.
Happy reading (and writing) everyone.
xo Christina
Then I picked up a book I bought at the last Byron Bay Writers Festival that I'd neglected to read. An anthology of Australia's leading crime writers with the disappointingly cliché title If I Tell You ... I'll Have to Kill You (edited by Michael Robotham) and relief flooded through me like a cold shower in the middle of a Melbourne heat wave.
Forget about just 'Australia' and 'crime', 20 of the world's top writers have revealed that they, too, stumble and fall, flounder and feel like frauds from time to time. Experts like Gabrielle Lord and Kerry Greenwood, Peter Corris and Shane Maloney. Gee I'm in good company!
These wonderful, candid writers offer excellent advice on getting started, on keeping going, on plotting or not plotting (to each their own), on flow, character development and how to handle the ugly ego that sits on each of our shoulders laughing regularly at our 'ineptitude'. Every writer struggles occasionally. No writer thinks it's a breeze. Not even the best of them.
Of course, deep down I know all this, I've heard it all before, but to see it at this time, as I struggle with a series that, just between you and me, has been a breeze, was a welcome buoy in what's been a turbulent and unproductive month. (Well, if you don't count the spotless kitchen and one very tidy desk.)
Just promise yourself you'll write 500 words a day, suggests Katherine Howell (writer of pacy ambo thrillers). If that doesn't work, make it 250. Before you know it, you'll be on a roll. Others advised I just put the pen down (keyboard, iPad...) and go for a stroll. Thinking, or not thinking, is just as pivotal to plotting as getting letters onto a page. (Sadly, most of us see this as a waste of time, but oh no it's not!) Almost everyone stressed the importance of character and I wondered whether I'd not developed mine enough. Was that my stumbling block?
Then I read that perhaps it's not me that's struggling. It's the plot. Yes, I thought, yes! Let's blame the blasted plot!
I put my keyboard aside and I sat out on my veranda, watching the wallabies mow the backyard as the catbirds screeched like manic babies in the poinciana above, and I looked again at my plot. Of course. That was it. My plot was all wrong. It just wasn't doing its job. There were not enough suspects. There were certainly not enough dead bodies. It was all a bit of a yawnfest. No wonder I was bored senseless, it was a senselessly boring plot. So I grabbed pen and paper and reworked the entire novel. Then I returned to my keyboard and the story began to flow.
I haven't stopped writing since.
Thanks, fellow writers, for your candour and your encouragment, but most of all, thank you for your failings, because without them, I'd still be scrubbing every square inch of my office.
Happy reading (and writing) everyone.
xo Christina
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Man or monster?
Most of my books contain strong, capable women like Roxy Parker and the Finlay sisters, but a recent radio interview got me wondering: If they were marooned on a desert island with a bunch of strangers, how would they react? Not very well, according to the Aussie co-author of a new book called No Mercy: True Stories of Disaster, Survival and Brutality, Eleanor Learmonth (with Jenny Tabakoff; 2013).
After studying dozens of real-life Robinson Crusoe-style scenararios, they came to the horrific conculsion that most of us turn into immoral, vicious monsters when the chips are down a la Lord of the Flies. And that freaks me out.
I don't know about Roxy and Alicia, but I like to picture myself as the Goddess of Calm in a crisis. I was voted School Captain back when I actually thought that mattered. I have long stood up to bullies and am rarely afraid of authority or taking a risk (within reason). I am fairly pragmatic, an articulate negotiator and have more than a dose of common sense. With that in mind, I like to think I could help lead the troops through days and days of food rationing, stress and emotional despair to ensure we all get back home healthy, happy and alive, and preferably in one piece.
In your dreams, suggests Learmonth. In a recent ABC Radio National interview with the peerless Richard Fidler (do interviewers get any better?), Learmonth explained how research proves that humans are more likely than not to discard all of our humanity, destroying the weak (gobbling them up for good measure), battling for power and generally turning into beasts. Forget 'women and children first', it's 'every man for himself'. It's not a pretty picture but there is some hope.
Learmonth did cite one inspiring group who managed to survive a ship wreck with good, elected leadership and the power of purpose (keep everyone busy and there's less chance of misbehaviour, apparently). She goes on to suggest other survival tips if you do find yourself stuck with salivating strangers, and they make such good sense. I'm thinking I should print them out and keep them with my passport, just in case.
This sounds like a fascinating read, more chilling than your average thriller, and I'm adding it to my Christmas Book Gift List this year. You might want to check it out yourself. But in the meantime, just hope you never have to put your mettle to the test. You may well be disappointed.
Happy reading!
xo Christina
After studying dozens of real-life Robinson Crusoe-style scenararios, they came to the horrific conculsion that most of us turn into immoral, vicious monsters when the chips are down a la Lord of the Flies. And that freaks me out.
I don't know about Roxy and Alicia, but I like to picture myself as the Goddess of Calm in a crisis. I was voted School Captain back when I actually thought that mattered. I have long stood up to bullies and am rarely afraid of authority or taking a risk (within reason). I am fairly pragmatic, an articulate negotiator and have more than a dose of common sense. With that in mind, I like to think I could help lead the troops through days and days of food rationing, stress and emotional despair to ensure we all get back home healthy, happy and alive, and preferably in one piece.
In your dreams, suggests Learmonth. In a recent ABC Radio National interview with the peerless Richard Fidler (do interviewers get any better?), Learmonth explained how research proves that humans are more likely than not to discard all of our humanity, destroying the weak (gobbling them up for good measure), battling for power and generally turning into beasts. Forget 'women and children first', it's 'every man for himself'. It's not a pretty picture but there is some hope.
Learmonth did cite one inspiring group who managed to survive a ship wreck with good, elected leadership and the power of purpose (keep everyone busy and there's less chance of misbehaviour, apparently). She goes on to suggest other survival tips if you do find yourself stuck with salivating strangers, and they make such good sense. I'm thinking I should print them out and keep them with my passport, just in case.
This sounds like a fascinating read, more chilling than your average thriller, and I'm adding it to my Christmas Book Gift List this year. You might want to check it out yourself. But in the meantime, just hope you never have to put your mettle to the test. You may well be disappointed.
Happy reading!
xo Christina
Tuesday, October 8, 2013
Why switching off switches you back on
I've been travelling through Europe for the past five weeks and put myself on a deliberate cyber diet. No blogging about my latest books, no trawling through Facebook or posting tweets (#CALarmer), I didn't even take my Kindle (shock, horror). For 34 glorious days, I got back to the real world. Family close by, I strolled, marvelling, through the cobbled streets of Paris. I delighted in the buzz of Barcelona and the snow dipped alps of Mt Pilatus in Switzerland. I swam in the Mediterranean and ogled the Mona Lisa, my disappointed children beside me ("But, Mum, it's soooo small!"). I ate fresh Greek squid and drank cherry beer in Brugge, and I had little more than my journal and a few well-thumbed paperbacks for company (Harlan Coben and Kate Moran if you must know).
And it was clearly just what I needed because, one night, around day 28, I had an epiphany.
I was lying in bed listening to the wind howling outside our cosy villa in Santorini when it came to me, in a whoosh—the key to a book I had been struggling with for many years. Dubbed Greek Expectations, this is the story of a woman's journey back to a small Greek island in search of something she left there many years earlier. Problem was, I could not decide what it was she was actually searching for. Well, I had an idea, of course, it was the whole reason I'd started the story a decade ago, but it was clearly a crap idea because I could never get very far with the story before I laid down my proverbial pen and moved on to other projects.
I don't know, now, whether this tantalising plot line came to me because I was travelling to fresh and enthralling lands or because I had taken a much needed break from computers and the internet. I assume it was a little of both, but I know for a fact that there's nothing more enriching for the mind and soul. Whether we're creative types or not, but especially if we are, we all need time out from our ordinary, busy, noisy lives. We all need time to enrich the mind, nourish the imagination and be still, even if we're doing it trudging through the Louvre or towards the Acropolis. Or simply sitting in our back yard and doing nothing at all.
Sometimes you just need to stop staring into a screen to see things more clearly.
I can't wait to get started on Greek Expectations (#2). In the meantime, happy reading ... (and thanks, Santorini, I owe you one).
xo Christina
And it was clearly just what I needed because, one night, around day 28, I had an epiphany.
I was lying in bed listening to the wind howling outside our cosy villa in Santorini when it came to me, in a whoosh—the key to a book I had been struggling with for many years. Dubbed Greek Expectations, this is the story of a woman's journey back to a small Greek island in search of something she left there many years earlier. Problem was, I could not decide what it was she was actually searching for. Well, I had an idea, of course, it was the whole reason I'd started the story a decade ago, but it was clearly a crap idea because I could never get very far with the story before I laid down my proverbial pen and moved on to other projects.
And then, that night in the Greek Isles, it all made sense. Of course! That's what she's looking for. Suddenly, miraculously, I had the whole novel crystal clear in my mind, and it was invigorating. It still is. I can't wait to throw out my old, muddled draft, and start anew.
I struggled to sleep after that—plotting novels is never good for insomniacs—and promptly jotted the plot down in my travel journal over an icy frappe at Perissa Beach the next day. And then a calmness descended. That night I slept like a baby.
I don't know, now, whether this tantalising plot line came to me because I was travelling to fresh and enthralling lands or because I had taken a much needed break from computers and the internet. I assume it was a little of both, but I know for a fact that there's nothing more enriching for the mind and soul. Whether we're creative types or not, but especially if we are, we all need time out from our ordinary, busy, noisy lives. We all need time to enrich the mind, nourish the imagination and be still, even if we're doing it trudging through the Louvre or towards the Acropolis. Or simply sitting in our back yard and doing nothing at all.
Sometimes you just need to stop staring into a screen to see things more clearly.
I can't wait to get started on Greek Expectations (#2). In the meantime, happy reading ... (and thanks, Santorini, I owe you one).
xo Christina
Sunday, August 18, 2013
My first murder
A friend asked me a few months ago, one eyebrow raised a little cynically, why I was so fixated with crime and why I've spent the past 15 years writing about murder and mayhem (see my crime ebooks at Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/C.A.-Larmer/e/B006S9LC86/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1376891328&sr=1-2-ent).
I can't remember what I told her, but I do remember giving it considerable thought soon after.
Why AM I so fixated with crime, death, mysteries and puzzles? Why did I seek out The Three Investigators when all my friends were immersed in pony stories and The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe?
I think I have pinpointed why, or at least when my curiosity for crime began. I can't recall my age, but I must have been six or so, I was living in Brisbane, and had heard (either directly or via gossip) that a young child had been kidnapped off a Brisbane street in broad daylight and found days later chopped into a million pieces. (Allow a little poetic license here for a child's overactive imagination if you will.) That wasn't the worst bit for me, or at least the bit that stuck in my mind and haunted my dreams for years to come. What freaked me out was the 'broad daylight' bit. The poor kid, according to my hazy memory, was picked up and carried away in a public place, and despite wailing and flailing, onlookers allowed it to happen.
Why?! Why would they do that?!
I don't know if I worked it out for myself or if my mother explained it in a warning lesson, but it soon became obvious. The poor love had not made it clear this was a stranger. He/she (I'm sorry, I don't recall their gender) had screamed and cried, and onlookers had assumed it was just a very naughty child having a very disruptive tantrum. "The poor dad," they probably thought, glancing away and minding their own business.
I learnt then—and I have taught my own children since—that you must always let people know what's really going on. I learnt that if a stranger dared to scoop me up and try to haul me away, that I MUST scream out words to the effect of: "I don't know you! Let me go! Help, I don't know this man!"
It was an eerie story for a young child to hear and I can't even verify if it ever really happened. No Google back then to check it out now, just a horrible, lingering memory. Maybe it was a storyline from a dodgy TV show I had sneakily watched without my parents knowing. Perhaps it was a scenerio someone simply mentioned to me. I simply don't know. But it stuck with me and rather than being appalled and shrinking from crime, I feel, now, that it was the seed that began to grow into a lifelong passion for the dasterdly deeds of others.
What made that horrendous man steal that child in the middle of the day? What made him then chop that poor soul up? How did those onlookers feel afterwards, knowing they had allowed the kidnapping to happen? Who was that child? Who were the parents? The siblings? The murderer? How did the world settle down again after that?
How could it, ever again?
And so, perhaps, lacking answers and wanting some vestige of control, I began to read about crime and immerse myself in it. Because it seemed so damn important. This wasn't Black Beauty, this wasn't fantastical wardrobes that opened into fictitious worlds. This was life and death stuff.
And it was in each of our hands, whether we liked it or not.
I'd love to hear about YOUR first murder, your first whiff of the darker world outside. Share your stories, real or imagined, via comment below or drop me an email.
In the meantime, happy reading, (if you can!)
xo Christina
I can't remember what I told her, but I do remember giving it considerable thought soon after.
Why AM I so fixated with crime, death, mysteries and puzzles? Why did I seek out The Three Investigators when all my friends were immersed in pony stories and The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe?
I think I have pinpointed why, or at least when my curiosity for crime began. I can't recall my age, but I must have been six or so, I was living in Brisbane, and had heard (either directly or via gossip) that a young child had been kidnapped off a Brisbane street in broad daylight and found days later chopped into a million pieces. (Allow a little poetic license here for a child's overactive imagination if you will.) That wasn't the worst bit for me, or at least the bit that stuck in my mind and haunted my dreams for years to come. What freaked me out was the 'broad daylight' bit. The poor kid, according to my hazy memory, was picked up and carried away in a public place, and despite wailing and flailing, onlookers allowed it to happen.
Why?! Why would they do that?!
I don't know if I worked it out for myself or if my mother explained it in a warning lesson, but it soon became obvious. The poor love had not made it clear this was a stranger. He/she (I'm sorry, I don't recall their gender) had screamed and cried, and onlookers had assumed it was just a very naughty child having a very disruptive tantrum. "The poor dad," they probably thought, glancing away and minding their own business.
I learnt then—and I have taught my own children since—that you must always let people know what's really going on. I learnt that if a stranger dared to scoop me up and try to haul me away, that I MUST scream out words to the effect of: "I don't know you! Let me go! Help, I don't know this man!"
It was an eerie story for a young child to hear and I can't even verify if it ever really happened. No Google back then to check it out now, just a horrible, lingering memory. Maybe it was a storyline from a dodgy TV show I had sneakily watched without my parents knowing. Perhaps it was a scenerio someone simply mentioned to me. I simply don't know. But it stuck with me and rather than being appalled and shrinking from crime, I feel, now, that it was the seed that began to grow into a lifelong passion for the dasterdly deeds of others.
What made that horrendous man steal that child in the middle of the day? What made him then chop that poor soul up? How did those onlookers feel afterwards, knowing they had allowed the kidnapping to happen? Who was that child? Who were the parents? The siblings? The murderer? How did the world settle down again after that?
How could it, ever again?
And so, perhaps, lacking answers and wanting some vestige of control, I began to read about crime and immerse myself in it. Because it seemed so damn important. This wasn't Black Beauty, this wasn't fantastical wardrobes that opened into fictitious worlds. This was life and death stuff.
And it was in each of our hands, whether we liked it or not.
I'd love to hear about YOUR first murder, your first whiff of the darker world outside. Share your stories, real or imagined, via comment below or drop me an email.
In the meantime, happy reading, (if you can!)
xo Christina
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
More sales, beloved readers
Hi guys,
I can't seem to help myself, but I'm lopping the top off a few prices—just because I can. From Friday, you can get the third in the Ghostwriter Mystery Series, Last Writes, for JUST 99c! Pretty damn good for such a riveting read, even if I do say so myself.
But that's not all! I'm also taking my newest Ghostwriter Mystery, Dying Words (the fourth in the series), down from $4.99 to $2.99.
Get in quick because I'm not sure how long my generosity will last ;-)
Happy reading,
xo Christina
I can't seem to help myself, but I'm lopping the top off a few prices—just because I can. From Friday, you can get the third in the Ghostwriter Mystery Series, Last Writes, for JUST 99c! Pretty damn good for such a riveting read, even if I do say so myself.But that's not all! I'm also taking my newest Ghostwriter Mystery, Dying Words (the fourth in the series), down from $4.99 to $2.99.
Get in quick because I'm not sure how long my generosity will last ;-)Happy reading,
xo Christina
Wednesday, July 31, 2013
I swear to God
Every now and then I get an irate reader outraged by the profanity in my books, demanding to know why I need to swear so much and refusing to read anymore until I desist. And I don't blame them. There are a lot of swear words in my stories, I admit that. And while the vast majority of my book reviewers/fans seem to have no issue with it, I do feel compelled to explain myself to those of you who are upset, distressed or annoyed. I'm not trying to upset you, but, well, two things:
1) Murder is okay but swearing is not? Huh?
I find it rather bizarre that the same people who take umbrage at swear words seem to have no issue with people getting murdered in my books. Slicing someone's throat or leaving them in a dank basement to be devoured by rats is okay, but cussing is not? I'll never understand that one. Sorry, guys but these are murder mysteries, not fairytales or children's books. I think you have to expect a bit of grit when you pick one up.
2) Hate to burst your bubble but Aussies swear a (bloody) lot.
It's a truth universally acknowledged that your average Australian cusses like a trooper. It's just a fact. Listen in on any conversation on any Aussie street, in any Aussie pub or office block, and you'll hear a colourful variety of words. 'Bloody' is the common one, but they get a lot, lot worse than that. We recently had a court case here where a teenager got off for using the 'F-word' at a policeman. The judge was forced to concede that it's now so common, it can't be construed as offensive. It's everyday language whether we like it or not.
And my stories are everyday Australian stories (albeit with a little murder and mayhem in the mix—see C.A. Larmer on Amazon). I need my Aussie characters to not just be colourful, but to sound like, well, everyday Aussie characters. My editor Maria at Glossy magazine (Killer Twist, Last Writes, Dying Words) is the perfect example. She is modelled on two real-life editors I used to work with who swore a hell of a lot more than she does. A hell of a lot. I have, in fact, toned her down for the books.
Do you know, I didn't even realise there was any profanity in my stories until an Aussie expat now living in Canada got in touch to say she'd forgotten how much Aussies swear until she read my books, and it made her feel quite homesick!
Obviously it makes some of you just feel sick, and for that I apologise. But I won't take the profanity out. There really isn't that much, and to do so would be bordering on censorship. It feels contrived. It wouldn't be real. It wouldn't be honest. And it would be swapping credibility for sales. Once you start doing that, you might as well just give up and ask your readers to write it for you with all the reality taken out.
I have, however, considered publishing two versions of each book—one for the Americans who seem to be the main people who take offence, and one for everyone else. And I'm happy to do that if anyone feels strongly about it (please send me an email or leave a comment here). But I do think the real story needs to be available in one format with the real street language included for those who want, well, reality.
What do you think? Please let me know, I'd love to continue the conversation. In the meantime, happy (slightly wicked) reading everyone.
xo Christina
1) Murder is okay but swearing is not? Huh?
I find it rather bizarre that the same people who take umbrage at swear words seem to have no issue with people getting murdered in my books. Slicing someone's throat or leaving them in a dank basement to be devoured by rats is okay, but cussing is not? I'll never understand that one. Sorry, guys but these are murder mysteries, not fairytales or children's books. I think you have to expect a bit of grit when you pick one up.
2) Hate to burst your bubble but Aussies swear a (bloody) lot.
It's a truth universally acknowledged that your average Australian cusses like a trooper. It's just a fact. Listen in on any conversation on any Aussie street, in any Aussie pub or office block, and you'll hear a colourful variety of words. 'Bloody' is the common one, but they get a lot, lot worse than that. We recently had a court case here where a teenager got off for using the 'F-word' at a policeman. The judge was forced to concede that it's now so common, it can't be construed as offensive. It's everyday language whether we like it or not.
And my stories are everyday Australian stories (albeit with a little murder and mayhem in the mix—see C.A. Larmer on Amazon). I need my Aussie characters to not just be colourful, but to sound like, well, everyday Aussie characters. My editor Maria at Glossy magazine (Killer Twist, Last Writes, Dying Words) is the perfect example. She is modelled on two real-life editors I used to work with who swore a hell of a lot more than she does. A hell of a lot. I have, in fact, toned her down for the books.
Do you know, I didn't even realise there was any profanity in my stories until an Aussie expat now living in Canada got in touch to say she'd forgotten how much Aussies swear until she read my books, and it made her feel quite homesick!
Obviously it makes some of you just feel sick, and for that I apologise. But I won't take the profanity out. There really isn't that much, and to do so would be bordering on censorship. It feels contrived. It wouldn't be real. It wouldn't be honest. And it would be swapping credibility for sales. Once you start doing that, you might as well just give up and ask your readers to write it for you with all the reality taken out.
I have, however, considered publishing two versions of each book—one for the Americans who seem to be the main people who take offence, and one for everyone else. And I'm happy to do that if anyone feels strongly about it (please send me an email or leave a comment here). But I do think the real story needs to be available in one format with the real street language included for those who want, well, reality.
What do you think? Please let me know, I'd love to continue the conversation. In the meantime, happy (slightly wicked) reading everyone.
xo Christina
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
Oh aren't I clever! (Or maybe I've just got good eMates)
This will come as a shock to most of you (not) that I am a bit of a new age Luddite. I may have six ebooks out on Amazon and Smashwords, but I'm not an early adopter when it comes to modern technology (computers, gadgets, you get the gist).
Since my heyday on the manual typewriters at Cleo magazine circa 1988 (it was Packer's last publication to get computer-savvy as far as I remember), technology and I have not been the best of mates. Actually, let me rephrase that. We are mates, we're just what you'd call 'fair weather friends'. When they're working well, I'm in love with my gadgets. When they start to get tricky or play up (or some bozo goes and changes the software which happens, like, monthly) I start to get cranky and want to dump them like a Year 10 boyfriend.
But as an avid writer I am too smart and way too greedy not to know the true value in utilising this technology to my advantage (cue: sinister laugh). And so, this week, I have thrust myself into the world of social media (surely that's an oxymoron, at least where the internet is concerned?) with a kind of gusto that would knock the high-tops off a Gen Z.
I've joined Twitter. I've been writing my blog like clockwork. I've subscribed to all manner of ezines and websites. I even got an iPad (although we can thank the hubby for that one). For the rest, I can thank a bunch of people whom I've never met and who have no reason whatsoever to help me. But they have and I am eternally grateful.
First I must thank Kira Diaz via Goodreads. She suggested I send my books to Book Club Reading List and then gave me a great link about scatterblogging (yes, that would be something I'm guilty of). Very helpful and it's really reshaped the way I write these blogs. So thanks, Kira, you're a champ.
Next I have to say an enormous THANK YOU to Alice Bello. What an amazing human being. She downloaded my first ebook Killer Twist a million years ago and, with my five other ebooks now on sale, can't believe I'm not faring better on the Amazon charts a la J.A. Konrath (oh, if only!) So, she has been jotting me pages of friendly advice—completely unsolicited and no strings attached. She's the one who urged me to start tweeting and who's pointed me in all sorts of amazing marketing and PR directions. Alice is a writer, too, you may even know her work. I've just downloaded her adult romance, Hope Breaks, and it's witty and steamy and, if she follows her own advice, will be top of the Amazon betseller lists before the month is out.
Thanks, Alice, you've been an amazing efriend, and I don't care what the weather's like.
While I'm thanking people, I have to add a very special mention to Elaine Rivers—a total stranger who began reading my books and letting me know when she found punctuation and spelling errors (and she did it so gently it felt like a compliment). She gladly edited my last book, Dying Words (on sale now) and did so without any expectation of payment or praise.
With eFriends like these, who needs to be tech savvy?
Happy reading everyone.
xo Christina
Since my heyday on the manual typewriters at Cleo magazine circa 1988 (it was Packer's last publication to get computer-savvy as far as I remember), technology and I have not been the best of mates. Actually, let me rephrase that. We are mates, we're just what you'd call 'fair weather friends'. When they're working well, I'm in love with my gadgets. When they start to get tricky or play up (or some bozo goes and changes the software which happens, like, monthly) I start to get cranky and want to dump them like a Year 10 boyfriend.
But as an avid writer I am too smart and way too greedy not to know the true value in utilising this technology to my advantage (cue: sinister laugh). And so, this week, I have thrust myself into the world of social media (surely that's an oxymoron, at least where the internet is concerned?) with a kind of gusto that would knock the high-tops off a Gen Z.
I've joined Twitter. I've been writing my blog like clockwork. I've subscribed to all manner of ezines and websites. I even got an iPad (although we can thank the hubby for that one). For the rest, I can thank a bunch of people whom I've never met and who have no reason whatsoever to help me. But they have and I am eternally grateful.
First I must thank Kira Diaz via Goodreads. She suggested I send my books to Book Club Reading List and then gave me a great link about scatterblogging (yes, that would be something I'm guilty of). Very helpful and it's really reshaped the way I write these blogs. So thanks, Kira, you're a champ.
Next I have to say an enormous THANK YOU to Alice Bello. What an amazing human being. She downloaded my first ebook Killer Twist a million years ago and, with my five other ebooks now on sale, can't believe I'm not faring better on the Amazon charts a la J.A. Konrath (oh, if only!) So, she has been jotting me pages of friendly advice—completely unsolicited and no strings attached. She's the one who urged me to start tweeting and who's pointed me in all sorts of amazing marketing and PR directions. Alice is a writer, too, you may even know her work. I've just downloaded her adult romance, Hope Breaks, and it's witty and steamy and, if she follows her own advice, will be top of the Amazon betseller lists before the month is out.
Thanks, Alice, you've been an amazing efriend, and I don't care what the weather's like.
While I'm thanking people, I have to add a very special mention to Elaine Rivers—a total stranger who began reading my books and letting me know when she found punctuation and spelling errors (and she did it so gently it felt like a compliment). She gladly edited my last book, Dying Words (on sale now) and did so without any expectation of payment or praise.
With eFriends like these, who needs to be tech savvy?
Happy reading everyone.
xo Christina
Sunday, July 21, 2013
High Tea with Mum, anyone?
So it was my birthday. The boys were all heading off, beanies in hand, for the Collingwood versus Gold Coast Suns footy game (yawn) and my mother determined that WE were not to be outdone. So she invited one of my besties and we lippyed up and headed to the so-kitsch-it's-cool Verscace Hotel in Surfer's Paradise (think Miami on steroids, my American friends).
As I sat there supping darjeeling, quaffing champers and scoffing myself with lashings and lashings of teeny cakes, oversized scones and mushy cucumber sandwiches, I couldn't help wondering what my protagonist Roxy Parker (of the Ghostwriter Mystery series) would make of all this.
[AD BREAK: You can grab your copies at Amazon and Smashwords, now.]
[AD BREAK: You can grab your copies at Amazon and Smashwords, now.]
Not Roxy's cup of tea at all, I'd've thought (the bubbly and best friend would have been welcome, the mother not so much). We had a lot of fun, and there wasn't a single patronising word or eyeroll from anyone. I didn't even get a raised eyebrow over my black skinny jeans and mulberry suede ankle boots.
I guess that answers the question I often get from readers about whether Roxy's mum Lorraine Jones is modelled on my own mother.
God no. Thank God, no! But gee she's a fun character to write. I'd love to hear about YOUR mums/moms, too, people. Are they meddling like Lorraine? Away with the fairies like Max's mum (we'll meet her in the next book), or generous and full of good ideas like mine?
Do tell, darlinks! (That's High Tea-speak for 'oi, let us know')
Oh and happy reading, everyone.
xo Christina
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Ghostwriter Sale Coming Up!
Hi guys,
A quick heads up for those who loved Killer Twist and are considering buying more great Ghostwriter mysteries. I will be putting Roxy Parker's second exciting adventure—A Plot to Die For— on sale on Amazon for just 99c for one full week, starting this Saturday, July 20.
But that's not all, lovely people. If you go to Goodreads, you can clinch one of 3 free paperback copies I'm putting up for grabs. You've got a month to enter, so hop to it: book giveaway.
If you're after the 4th Ghostwriter Mystery, Dying Words, that's hot off the press and now available as an ebook at:
Amazon and Smashwords.
I'd LOVE to hear your feedback so please don't hesitate to write a quick review and/or leave me a comment. And look out for other giveaways coming up.
Happy reading,
xo Christina
PS: Those who know me will also know that July 20 is my birthday, so this year, the treats are clearly on me!
A quick heads up for those who loved Killer Twist and are considering buying more great Ghostwriter mysteries. I will be putting Roxy Parker's second exciting adventure—A Plot to Die For— on sale on Amazon for just 99c for one full week, starting this Saturday, July 20.
If you're after the 4th Ghostwriter Mystery, Dying Words, that's hot off the press and now available as an ebook at:
Amazon and Smashwords.
I'd LOVE to hear your feedback so please don't hesitate to write a quick review and/or leave me a comment. And look out for other giveaways coming up.
Happy reading,
xo Christina
PS: Those who know me will also know that July 20 is my birthday, so this year, the treats are clearly on me!
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
My favourite 'Book of Death'
Anyone who has ever read my books—check them out on Amazon and Smashwords—knows that, like my protagonist Roxy Parker (who keeps a Book of Death or Crime Catalogue), I, too, have a fascination for crime. But not just any crime.
I was reading an article today about a particularly nasty Mexican Drug Lord (is there any other kind?) who got off on torturing his victims before killing them, things like burning them alive in drums full of oil. A lovely chap. I started reading the article—sadly, today's most popular read on that particular website—and got as far as paragraph two before I had to stop and see if my stomach was still in the right spot. Gross.
Now, even I have to admit, there's a certain voyeuristic curiosity to stories like that. I read them all the time. I have long been fascinated by true crime and what makes one soul capable of doing such horrendous things to another—but that's as far as it goes for me. It's not what I revel in, and it's not what I like to write. It's also why I'm a bigger fan of say, Agatha Christie (the queen of delicate stab wounds) than Patricia Cornwall (who likes to crack open a body and get on down).
I don't want the grit and grime. I don't want the bloody and bloated corpse. For me, the best deaths are not really the point. It's about the puzzle behind the death.
Why were they murdered? How did it happen? Who is to blame? And how could they possibly have pulled it off without anyone knowing? (How clever was that?!)
I don't want to be distracted by dripping limbs and serial killers and creepy goings on in the night. I find many modern writers rely on those things too much, often when they haven't got much of a storyline. Sure, those things might be there, but they're not the best part. They're not the reason to read, borrow or buy.
I want the riddle. I want the red herrings and sideways glances, the 'where was she at such-and-such a time?' I like to line up all my clues and suspects and work it out for myself. And as far as I'm concered, the blood and the guts can be present as long as they don't get in the way. Or, worse still, mask a total lack of plot.
In an ideal world, I want one murder, 10 people in a room, and a baffling whodunnit. Oh, and there has to be a bloody good twist at the end, or you're wasting my time. It's the reason I wrote my second Ghostwriter Mystery book, A Plot To Die For. I loosely modelled that on Agatha Christie's Evil Under the Sun (one can only aspire). In my case, there were a bunch of people stuck on a Pacific Island and a corpse they had to answer for. One of them had to have done it. But who? How? Why? (Sure, there was a little gore in that one, but not enough to lose your Gin & Tonic over, and it all worked to serve the plot.)
Plot! How many times can I say it? There has to be a decent plot. That's why I read what I read, and why I write what I write. I may not win any awards for my prose, but I like to think I'm providing a kick-ass plot and a twist that most of you won't see coming (I've learned that some of you smart chookies may never be surprised!).
If you like that kind of writing, too, please pick up one of my books, write a review and let me know how I'm faring—am I getting it just right? My latest venture is Dying Words, and I think even the smarties will be left baffled by this one.
And if you don't like that writing style, I'd love to know what kind of "Book of Death" you like. Drop me an email or post a comment any time.
I'd love to hear from you.
Happy reading,
xo Christina
I was reading an article today about a particularly nasty Mexican Drug Lord (is there any other kind?) who got off on torturing his victims before killing them, things like burning them alive in drums full of oil. A lovely chap. I started reading the article—sadly, today's most popular read on that particular website—and got as far as paragraph two before I had to stop and see if my stomach was still in the right spot. Gross.
Now, even I have to admit, there's a certain voyeuristic curiosity to stories like that. I read them all the time. I have long been fascinated by true crime and what makes one soul capable of doing such horrendous things to another—but that's as far as it goes for me. It's not what I revel in, and it's not what I like to write. It's also why I'm a bigger fan of say, Agatha Christie (the queen of delicate stab wounds) than Patricia Cornwall (who likes to crack open a body and get on down).
I don't want the grit and grime. I don't want the bloody and bloated corpse. For me, the best deaths are not really the point. It's about the puzzle behind the death.
Why were they murdered? How did it happen? Who is to blame? And how could they possibly have pulled it off without anyone knowing? (How clever was that?!)
I don't want to be distracted by dripping limbs and serial killers and creepy goings on in the night. I find many modern writers rely on those things too much, often when they haven't got much of a storyline. Sure, those things might be there, but they're not the best part. They're not the reason to read, borrow or buy.
I want the riddle. I want the red herrings and sideways glances, the 'where was she at such-and-such a time?' I like to line up all my clues and suspects and work it out for myself. And as far as I'm concered, the blood and the guts can be present as long as they don't get in the way. Or, worse still, mask a total lack of plot.
In an ideal world, I want one murder, 10 people in a room, and a baffling whodunnit. Oh, and there has to be a bloody good twist at the end, or you're wasting my time. It's the reason I wrote my second Ghostwriter Mystery book, A Plot To Die For. I loosely modelled that on Agatha Christie's Evil Under the Sun (one can only aspire). In my case, there were a bunch of people stuck on a Pacific Island and a corpse they had to answer for. One of them had to have done it. But who? How? Why? (Sure, there was a little gore in that one, but not enough to lose your Gin & Tonic over, and it all worked to serve the plot.)
Plot! How many times can I say it? There has to be a decent plot. That's why I read what I read, and why I write what I write. I may not win any awards for my prose, but I like to think I'm providing a kick-ass plot and a twist that most of you won't see coming (I've learned that some of you smart chookies may never be surprised!).
If you like that kind of writing, too, please pick up one of my books, write a review and let me know how I'm faring—am I getting it just right? My latest venture is Dying Words, and I think even the smarties will be left baffled by this one.
And if you don't like that writing style, I'd love to know what kind of "Book of Death" you like. Drop me an email or post a comment any time.
I'd love to hear from you.
Happy reading,
xo Christina
Friday, July 5, 2013
Roxy back on murder track
At last, life was looking pretty good for ghostwriter Roxy Parker. She had the man of her dreams, a new book in the wings, and was so content, she'd barely found time for a speedwalk, let alone her good friend Gilda Maltin. Everything was rosey until ...
... In the dead of night, an elderly man has been bulldozed over in a brutal hit and run. Clutching to life, he summons his sobbing family to his bedside and utters one simple sentence—"Roxy Parker ... she has it!" —before taking his final, gasping breath.
So begins the next exciting adventure for my crime loving amateur sleuth.
Keen to know more? Want to clinch your own ecopy?
Dying Words is the fourth book in the Ghostwriter Mystery series and is now available at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Dying-Words-Ghostwriter-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00DPUYG5M/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373078356&sr=1-4&keywords=Dying+Words
It was a fun story to write because, as I said in an earlier blog, it was based on a real life incident that happened to me. An elderly man I had met and interviewed just once also called out my name on his deathbed and, while I'm pretty sure his passing was innocent enough, it set my imagination into overload.
Why did he call out my name of all names? What had he given me that was so precious to him? And what if there was a riveting mystery behind it all and he was sending me a message from the grave?
Dying Words is the result of my imagination gone wild. I loved writing it and I'm sure you're going to love reading it, too. And if you did, please don't hesitate to jot down a quick review and/or get in touch.
I love hearing from my readers, it's part of the reason I do what I do. (The other part is simply because it's such good fun.)
Happy reading!
xo Christina
... In the dead of night, an elderly man has been bulldozed over in a brutal hit and run. Clutching to life, he summons his sobbing family to his bedside and utters one simple sentence—"Roxy Parker ... she has it!" —before taking his final, gasping breath.
So begins the next exciting adventure for my crime loving amateur sleuth.
Keen to know more? Want to clinch your own ecopy?
Dying Words is the fourth book in the Ghostwriter Mystery series and is now available at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Dying-Words-Ghostwriter-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00DPUYG5M/ref=sr_1_4?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373078356&sr=1-4&keywords=Dying+Words
It was a fun story to write because, as I said in an earlier blog, it was based on a real life incident that happened to me. An elderly man I had met and interviewed just once also called out my name on his deathbed and, while I'm pretty sure his passing was innocent enough, it set my imagination into overload.
Why did he call out my name of all names? What had he given me that was so precious to him? And what if there was a riveting mystery behind it all and he was sending me a message from the grave?
Dying Words is the result of my imagination gone wild. I loved writing it and I'm sure you're going to love reading it, too. And if you did, please don't hesitate to jot down a quick review and/or get in touch.
I love hearing from my readers, it's part of the reason I do what I do. (The other part is simply because it's such good fun.)
Happy reading!
xo Christina
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Sneak peek - 4th Ghostwriter cover
Hi readers,
As promised, here's a sneaky peek at the latest cover for the fourth Ghostwriter Mystery novel, Dying Words which will be up on Amazon in early July. Designed by Mullumbimby artist/designer Stuart Eadie, it's a bold new look, and I'm very excited about it.
I'd love to hear your comments and will be back in touch when the book is published.
Cheers,
Christina Larmer
As promised, here's a sneaky peek at the latest cover for the fourth Ghostwriter Mystery novel, Dying Words which will be up on Amazon in early July. Designed by Mullumbimby artist/designer Stuart Eadie, it's a bold new look, and I'm very excited about it.
I'd love to hear your comments and will be back in touch when the book is published.
Cheers,
Christina Larmer
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
Roxy's next breathtaking adventure!
Fans of Roxy Parker and my Ghostwriter Mystery series will be happy to hear I have now completed the fourth book in the series and it is with my US editor as we speak. I've had many wonderful emails from fans begging for another Roxy Parker adventure, so I hope this one delivers on every scale. It's now called Dying Words and actually derives from a real-life incident that happened to me about two years ago.
A man I had met and interviewed once very briefly called out my name on his death bed. He was begging for a photo to be returned. It was a photo he had given me for a relatively dull book on Surveying that I had just completed. I had to Express Post the photo back to him before he died and it got me wondering: why did he NEED that picture back, so desperately? Was there something hidden in the picture? Some clue to a secret treasure or a cause for his death?
And so Roxy Parker gets the same desperate plea in my next book, Dying Words. In her case the man was definitely murdered and she must try to work out why he called out her name before he slipped off this mortal coil. Thus begins a very baffling adventure for the adventure-prone ghostwriter who goes on a frantic chase to locate an old missing photograph before a mysterious burglar beats her to it. This seemingly benign, black and white portrait of six people in 1975 holds the key, not only to the man's senseless murder, but to another very brutal crime that happened 37 years ago.
Along the way, we also reunite with Roxy's motley collection of mates including gutsy copper Gilda and Roxy's now-boyfriend Max (who has a secret bombshell he's about to drop!)
It's an intriguing tale and I hope you enjoy it. I certainly enjoyed writing it and it's also been great fun creating the cover with my talented Aussie designer Stu Eadie. This cover will be a little different to the last three and I'll give you all a sneak peek once I have it in my hot little hands (or should that be hot little hardrive?).
Once again, thanks to everyone for your patience and support, and I'll let you know once it's available online. In the meantime, you can catch Roxy's other adventures (or try one of my other books, The Agatha Christie Book Club or An Island Lost) at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=C.A.+Larmer
All feedback most welcome.
Happy reading,
Christina
A man I had met and interviewed once very briefly called out my name on his death bed. He was begging for a photo to be returned. It was a photo he had given me for a relatively dull book on Surveying that I had just completed. I had to Express Post the photo back to him before he died and it got me wondering: why did he NEED that picture back, so desperately? Was there something hidden in the picture? Some clue to a secret treasure or a cause for his death?
And so Roxy Parker gets the same desperate plea in my next book, Dying Words. In her case the man was definitely murdered and she must try to work out why he called out her name before he slipped off this mortal coil. Thus begins a very baffling adventure for the adventure-prone ghostwriter who goes on a frantic chase to locate an old missing photograph before a mysterious burglar beats her to it. This seemingly benign, black and white portrait of six people in 1975 holds the key, not only to the man's senseless murder, but to another very brutal crime that happened 37 years ago.
Along the way, we also reunite with Roxy's motley collection of mates including gutsy copper Gilda and Roxy's now-boyfriend Max (who has a secret bombshell he's about to drop!)
It's an intriguing tale and I hope you enjoy it. I certainly enjoyed writing it and it's also been great fun creating the cover with my talented Aussie designer Stu Eadie. This cover will be a little different to the last three and I'll give you all a sneak peek once I have it in my hot little hands (or should that be hot little hardrive?).
Once again, thanks to everyone for your patience and support, and I'll let you know once it's available online. In the meantime, you can catch Roxy's other adventures (or try one of my other books, The Agatha Christie Book Club or An Island Lost) at Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=C.A.+Larmer
All feedback most welcome.
Happy reading,
Christina
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Business as usual
Well that was a long festive season!
Hope you all had a great one and apologies for not being in touch. Writing books can really turn you into a hermit (I'm knee deep in Roxy Parker's fourth adventure and it's proving to be a killer... if you'll excuse the pun), but it's time to do a little business, so to speak.
I did discount the third Ghostwriter Mystery, Last Writes, over Christmas and the New Year, but I wanted to let you know that it will soon go back to the normal price of $2.99. If you want to get it at the super-cheap price of $1.99, be sure to download it ASAP, or you'll miss out.
Death Sentence (the fourth Ghostwriter) will be published mid-2013, and I promise some further discounts then. In the meantime, THANK YOU so much for all your tremendous support, your beautiful emails and words of encouragement. I don't write for profit, quite the opposite in fact, but I love creating stories and taking Roxy —and my many other characters — on wondrous adventures.
Happy reading.
xo Christina
Hope you all had a great one and apologies for not being in touch. Writing books can really turn you into a hermit (I'm knee deep in Roxy Parker's fourth adventure and it's proving to be a killer... if you'll excuse the pun), but it's time to do a little business, so to speak.
I did discount the third Ghostwriter Mystery, Last Writes, over Christmas and the New Year, but I wanted to let you know that it will soon go back to the normal price of $2.99. If you want to get it at the super-cheap price of $1.99, be sure to download it ASAP, or you'll miss out.
Death Sentence (the fourth Ghostwriter) will be published mid-2013, and I promise some further discounts then. In the meantime, THANK YOU so much for all your tremendous support, your beautiful emails and words of encouragement. I don't write for profit, quite the opposite in fact, but I love creating stories and taking Roxy —and my many other characters — on wondrous adventures.
Happy reading.
xo Christina
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