Second Novels are Murder by Sue McGinty
Hi Marilyn, thanks for hosting me today. I’m going
to answer your questions about getting that second novel off the ground.
What
were your assumptions when you started your second novel, “Murder at Cuyamaca
Beach?”
Like most writers with a successful first novel, I
assumed the writing, publication, and marketing of my second Bella Kowalski
California Central Coast (5 adjectives, count ‘em!), mystery would be a cinch.
I was wrong on all counts.
How
was the writing process itself?
I assumed that because I’d written one novel, the
second would be faster and easier. If anything, it was harder. Novels are like
children, they don’t all behave the same way. Some let you sleep peacefully all
night long, others keep you up all night. The challenges I faced with my
recalcitrant child, “Murder at Cuyamaca Beach” were: Choosing a different
location on the Central Coast that fit story's plot, creating a believable plot
with means, method, and motivation, and how much backstory to include from the
first novel, “Murder in Los Lobos.”
The biggest challenge was revealing another side of Bella’s character the reader hadn’t seen in the first book. I decided to showcase her empathy for the homeless population and for physically and mentally challenged young people. She was a nun, after all.
The biggest challenge was revealing another side of Bella’s character the reader hadn’t seen in the first book. I decided to showcase her empathy for the homeless population and for physically and mentally challenged young people. She was a nun, after all.
Is
any of this based on your real life?
Well, as you know, I was never a nun. In fact, I was
such a teenage rebel I couldn’t make it through all four years in a Catholic
high school and was "invited" by the Mother Superior to transfer to
the local public high school for my senior year. It was a huge school, most
everyone had been together since grade school, and I had no friends the entire
year. But that, as they say, is another story.
Concerning the homeless population, and challenged
kids, I have quite often volunteered for an overnight stint in one of the
excellent homeless shelters run by our local churches. And after my retirement
from McGraw-Hill, I worked part time for a grassroots agency that provided help
and support to mentally challenged kids and their parents. Both of these life
experiences found their way into “Cuyamaca Beach” and helped to build Bella’s
character.
Was
the writing process faster for “Murder at Cuyamaca Beach?”
Oh heavens no, my second “child,” took me almost a
year and a half to produce a workable draft because of the aforementioned
challenges. I wrote “Murder in Los Lobos” in
nine months in a white heat (for me anyway) of creative energy.
Part of the second novel angst was the monkey who
sat on my shoulder during the entire process, whispering that I could never
repeat the first novel’s success. I’m glad to say that wasn’t true, but that
monkey still makes an occasional appearance now that I’m working on the fifth
Bella book.
Links you may like:
Tomorrow I’ll discuss publishing and marketing that
pesky second novel.
Comments
JoAnne Lucas in Clovis, Ca
Best of luck on all your endeavors, Sue,
Jackie
Thanks for these two enlightening pieces!