Sunday, October 13, 2013

Marilyn Meredith explains Why We Do It.

(Comment for a chance to be a book character.)


Welcome, Marilyn. Happy to have you visit.
 
Marilyn Meredith is the author of over thirty published novels, including the award winning Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery series. She borrows a lot from where she lives in the Southern Sierra for the town of Bear Creek and the surrounding area, including the nearby Tule River Indian Reservation. She does like to remind everyone that she is writing fiction. Marilyn is a member of EPIC, three chapters of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and on the board of the Public Safety Writers of America. Visit her at http://fictionforyou.com and follow her blog at http://marilynmeredith.blogspot.com/




Marilyn's latest in the award-winning series:






 

Blurb for Spirit Shapes: Ghost hunters stumble upon a murdered teen in a haunted house. Deputy Tempe Crabtree's investigation pulls her into a whirlwind of restless spirits, good and evil, intertwined with the past and the present, and demons and angels at war.

 
To buy directly from the publisher in all formats:
 http://mundania.com/book.php?title=Spirit+Shapes Also available directly from Amazon.
 
And now a few thoughts from Marilyn:
 
Why Do We Do It?
  

Why do writers keep on writing? Of course I can’t answer to every author, but I’ll give you my reasons.

First, I’ll give you the reasons why someone might ask that question if your name isn’t one that people recognize right off.

You spend hours sitting at a computer writing—or sometimes just thinking. Writing is hard work—sometimes even painful.

You spend hours sitting at a computer doing promotion. Promotion is hard work and you never quite know if the time you spent paid off.
 
You don’t have time to go out to lunch with friends on a whim. In fact, you probably schedule your social outings.

You don’t have time to belong to social or service groups—or if you do, you miss a lot of meetings.

Sometimes your husband and family members feel neglected because you spend so much time on your writing.

You don’t have time to watch TV all day, or do some of the chores you ought to be doing, because writing is more important.

You don’t make much money for all the work you do. (And if you’re not published yet, you haven’t made a dime for all that work.)

Here is why I keep on writing.
 
The main reason is because I can’t stop. Writing is such a part of my life, I can’t imagine not spending most days doing at least some writing.

How will I know what is going to happen to Deputy Tempe Crabtree and her husband, Pastor Hutch, or the men and women on the Rocky Bluff P.D. if I don’t write the next book?

Despite the lack of monetary reward, there’s nothing better than having someone tell me how much they liked my book.

I am writing for the readers as much as I’m writing for me. Hopefully, they want to find out what is happening with my characters too.
 
Maybe it’s not enough for some folks, but those are the reasons I keep writing.



Contest:

The person who comments on the most blogs on this blog tour will have the opportunity to have a character named after him or her in the next Deputy Tempe Crabtree mystery.

 
Thank you, Marilyn for an excellent post.
P.S. Comment folks. It's fun to be a character in a mystery book.
 

9 comments:

  1. Found you again Marilyn - hasn't always been easy! I write because since I was handed my first pencil, I haven't been able to stop. The only difference now is other people reading what I write. But I will write even if they don't. It is compulsive.

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  2. Thank you for tracking me down--I just haven't been at all the places where I thought I would be at the time I thought I would be. Thank you, Gerrie for hosting me.

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  3. We do write for our readers as much as ourselves. And you certainly have a lot of followers, Marilyn. I'm sure this wonderful trend will go on and on. I love your guest posts and feel as though you are talking just to me. :)

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  4. Jackie, thanks for commenting.

    And, Paul, I am talking to you.

    Marilyn

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  5. You're so right, Marilyn. We just can't stop. How else will the characters' lives be resolved? They certainly exist in some dimension.

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  6. Hi, Sue, I know you and I are similarly motivated.
    Marilyn

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  7. Thanks for being such a good guest, Marilyn. Great idea for a contest, but I'm not entering the contest, just thanking you for visiting with us.

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  8. It was wonderful to hear what Marilyn had to say about why we write. I agree that it isn't for the money. It is for ourselves, our characters, and our readers. :) Wishing her continued success!

    ~Jess

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