Some of my best writing days have been days where I just wasn’t feeling it. I put my butt in the chair, powered up the computer and hit it. If you do that every day, your productivity will astound you.
Author Deborah Coonts swears she was switched at birth. Coming from a family of homebodies, Deborah is the odd woman out, happiest with a passport, a high-limit credit card, her computer, and changing scenery outside her window. We catch up with Deborah to talk about telling the story as you go, the importance of escalating tension and writing on days when you’re just not feeling it.
Please give us a brief overview of yourself and your work
I have a serious case of career ADD. I’ve been a business owner, an accountant, a tax lawyer, a pilot, a flight instructor, and now I make stuff up for a living. My work is fun—seriously writing is the best gig ever, and I should know, I’ve tried plenty of them. My stories are generally heartfelt mysteries, but they run the gamut from light, funny romantic mysteries, through to romantic suspense and thrillers to more mainstream fiction.
What made you want to be an author?
If somebody would pay you to make stuff up for a living wouldn’t you jump at the chance? Seriously, I’ve always been a storyteller, just ask my mother.
How did you develop your amateur sleuth character Lucky O’Toole?
I was living in Vegas at the time and had fallen under the city’s spell. As the Head of Customer Relations for a big Strip casino/hotel, Lucky is the embodiment of all things Vegas. She handles all sorts of problems from the guests to her staff to the entertainers to the gamblers. I thought she would be a really fun way to show all the mischief and silliness of Vegas that I adore.
What do you think is the key ingredient for writing a page-turner?
Tension on every page. You’ve got to start with a bang and keep tightening the screw.
Do you have a writing routine?
No, my days are crazy. I have lots of obligations outside of my writing. But I do set a word goal for each day and I don’t sleep until I get them all.
How do you outline your work and begin writing?
I’m not a huge outliner, I’m more of a by-the-seat-of-my-pants writer, especially with Lucky. Since her stories are told in the first person, I just follow her around and let her tell me the story. That being said, I do have a loose structure: I know what’s at stake, I know the main pinch points if you will where the plot thickens and I make life a bit harder on our heroine. And I usually have a scene all mapped out that I’m writing toward. It may not be the exact climax, but it’ll be close to it. For me, the stories are organic. I can spend a ton of time meticulously outlining the whole story, but I guarantee you I get better ideas when I have the story up and running and am in the thick of it.
Do you have any tips for a productive writing day?
You need to force yourself into a headspace that is clear enough for creativity. But, that being said, some of my best writing days have been days where I just wasn’t feeling it. I put my butt in the chair, powered up the computer and hit it. If you do that every day, your productivity will astound you. At this point, I can write anywhere…and have.
Is there any particular incident that has happened along your writing journey that you’d like to share?
Oscar Goodman was the mayor of Las Vegas when my first book set in his town, Wanna get Lucky? was slated to come out. Oscar is quite a character and a voracious reader. So, on the off chance he might read it, I sent him an Advanced Reading Copy of the book. A few weeks went by and, in the mail, I received a proclamation declaring the publication date of May 11th to be Wanna get Lucky? in Las Vegas. It was super fun. I saw Oscar not too long after that and from across a crowded room he pointed at me and shouted, “That woman there, she has the craziest sex life.” I bet you’re wondering how he knew? Well, you might want to check out Wanna get Lucky? It’s free on all e-retailers.
Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
If you’ve got stories in you that will drive you crazy if you don’t let them out, then by all means write them! But if that isn’t your level of compunction to write, there are easier ways to make a living. This is hard, tedious work. Is it great? You bet. But I wrote alone at night and in off-hours for fifteen years before I even tried to sell a manuscript. My beginner efforts, as are all beginner efforts, were complete drivel. But I learned and I rewrote, and I took criticism and slowly I started to understand commercial fiction and how to write it. It takes that to be at a level where you can sell enough to make more than the minimum wage.
What do you think is the biggest challenge for new authors?
As a new author that hardest part is being noticed. To get your books in front of readers. The marketing is almost harder than the writing. Even if you’re published by a big publisher, they expect you to do a lot of the marketing/social media/developing an email list/blogging/etc. It can get tough work to get things rolling.
What methods of book marketing do you find the most effective?
The most effective tool is a newsletter list of readers who love your books. That takes a good bit of time to grow. Once you have several books in a series, then things like Bookbub are fabulous. Other things that are okay but take time to learn how to optimize are ads on Amazon, Facebook and BookBub. I also love content marketing where you blog about things related to your book. If you write non-fiction this is a no-brainer. You already have a good platform in the content of your book.
What is the best writing advice you have received?
Write what you can imagine.
You can find out more about Deborah via her website and social media accounts: Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. You can also sign up for a free bundle of novellas on her website here.
