by Susan Van Kirk | Dec 31, 2021 | Blog
The first week of a new year always seems like a time to consider where you’ve been and where you’re going. The past year for me was a banner writing year, and I’m not sure I can duplicate it. We’ll see. A series of projects all came together, and I suppose it’s safe...
by Susan Van Kirk | Jan 20, 2020 | Blog
Writing “The End” on a manuscript is a luxurious feeling, followed quickly by exhaustion. Tons of anxiety and pressure fall from my shoulders, and I know I have finished another novel. It’s a bit sad because I’ve lived with these characters I love and admire, and then...
by Susan Van Kirk | Jun 17, 2018 | Blog
I’ve always loved jigsaw puzzles, whether putting them together by myself, with my children, or with my grandchildren. Maybe that’s why I also write and read mysteries. Recently, I thought about how my efforts in solving a jigsaw puzzle were like writing a mystery....
by Susan Van Kirk | Feb 11, 2017 | Blog
Until recently, I’d forgotten how difficult it is to start writing a new book, let alone a new series. At the beginning, I must create all new characters, locations, back stories, and plots. Because I write mysteries, I will spend hours putting together the...
by Susan Van Kirk | Apr 15, 2015 | Blog
In my retirement years, I have totally changed personalities, or maybe I have found out who I really am. Does this happen to everyone? “Retirement,” of course, is a catch-all phrase that means I am writing books now on my own time without a seven-to-four job. In those...