Between The Lines with Carla Neggers
Writers, of course, come from an infinite variety of backgrounds. I know a successful author who did not read books growing up. Others read voraciously, or started writing stories as soon as they could form letters with crayons.
But I have never met a writer who started writing in a tree. Until New York Times bestselling author Carla Neggers."I grew up in the country with six brothers and sisters," Neggers says, "and we all loved to climb trees. I'd grab a pad and pen and scoot up to my favorite branch in a sugar maple and sit up there and write. It was a great place to be on my own with my muse! I suspect it says that I have a zest for adventure and don't like to be tied to a computer. And that I can write anywhere, anytime. I also used to write on a rock in the middle of a brook."
Neggers, like many romantic suspense writers today, cut her teeth on category romances. This was, for her, an invaluable learning experience.
"Not only did I learn a lot, I met some wonderful people and worked with some fantastic editors. In terms of the craft of writing, I learned more about how 'internal' conflict -- within and between characters -- can drive and enrich a story. I also unleashed my sense of humor. Most of my category romances are funny books!"
Obviously, Neggers has learned her craft well. Publishers Weekly calls her just released title, Betrayals, "highly entertaining" and "a believable, gripping story that will keep armchair sleuths guessing."
So what is her technique for keeping readers in suspense? Whatever keeps things moving.
"When someone asks me if I'm an outliner or a seat-of-the-pants writer, I say yes. I don't have a set technique. It depends on the book. A synopsis is a jumping off point for me. I do best when I focus on what I call the forward momentum of the story versus forcing myself to write a certain way. If forward momentum means stopping and outlining, I stop and outline. If it means going back to Page 1 and rewriting, I go back to Page 1 and rewrite. If it means writing in a whoosh without pausing to revise...that's what I do. I'm disciplined as a writer but not regimented. For me, plotting is integrated with everything else about the story, but I often will do a chapter-by-chapter outline of the book in columns on a single page. That way I can see the story as a whole. It's very visual. I can see pacing, major plot points, the development of various plot threads...it helps me see the forest and not just the trees!"
One thing Neggers is known for is her character work. How does she make her story people memorable?
"I see them as real people in my head. The Widow, The Angel and my upcoming novel, The Mist, are connected books, and for me, the heroines -- Abigail Browning, Keira Sullivan and Lizzie Rush -- are all individuals. I can no more confuse them with each other than I could my own brothers and sisters. The same with Owen Garrison, Simon Cahill and Will Davenport. I don't think of myself as constructing characters so much as I do as allowing characters to reveal themselves to me."
Liker her plots, Neggers' writing day is uniquely structured. It's a matter of forward momentum according to the needs of the developing story.
"I believe in the yin-yang of periods of concentration and periods of abandonment (or simmer time). At the start of a book, I often work shorter hours because I need to walk away and let things simmer. At the end of a book, I get in the 'zone' and write much longer hours -- more concentration, less abandonment. That said, I'm a morning person. I try to avoid non-writing time sinks in the morning. Note that key word 'try'!"
In addition to being a bestselling thriller author, Carla Neggers serves on the International Thriller Writers board of directors as Vice President of Special Projects.
James Scott Bell is the author of Deceived (Zondervan), Try Dying and Try Darkness (Hachette/Center Street), as well as two bestselling books on the craft of fiction. His website is www.jamesscottbell.com
So what is her technique for keeping readers in suspense? Whatever keeps things moving. "When someone asks me if I'm an outliner or a seat-of-the-pants writer, I say yes. I don't have a set technique. It depends on the book. A synopsis is a jumping off point for me. I do best when I focus on what I call the forward momentum of the story versus forcing myself to write a certain way. If forward momentum means stopping and outlining, I stop and outline. If it means going back to Page 1 and rewriting, I go back to Page 1 and rewrite. If it means writing in a whoosh without pausing to revise...that's what I do. I'm disciplined as a writer but not regimented. For me, plotting is integrated with everything else about the story, but I often will do a chapter-by-chapter outline of the book in columns on a single page. That way I can see the story as a whole. It's very visual. I can see pacing, major plot points, the development of various plot threads...it helps me see the forest and not just the trees!"
One thing Neggers is known for is her character work. How does she make her story people memorable?"I see them as real people in my head. The Widow, The Angel and my upcoming novel, The Mist, are connected books, and for me, the heroines -- Abigail Browning, Keira Sullivan and Lizzie Rush -- are all individuals. I can no more confuse them with each other than I could my own brothers and sisters. The same with Owen Garrison, Simon Cahill and Will Davenport. I don't think of myself as constructing characters so much as I do as allowing characters to reveal themselves to me."
Liker her plots, Neggers' writing day is uniquely structured. It's a matter of forward momentum according to the needs of the developing story.
"I believe in the yin-yang of periods of concentration and periods of abandonment (or simmer time). At the start of a book, I often work shorter hours because I need to walk away and let things simmer. At the end of a book, I get in the 'zone' and write much longer hours -- more concentration, less abandonment. That said, I'm a morning person. I try to avoid non-writing time sinks in the morning. Note that key word 'try'!"
In addition to being a bestselling thriller author, Carla Neggers serves on the International Thriller Writers board of directors as Vice President of Special Projects.
James Scott Bell is the author of Deceived (Zondervan), Try Dying and Try Darkness (Hachette/Center Street), as well as two bestselling books on the craft of fiction. His website is www.jamesscottbell.com
ThrillerFest
ITW's annual celebration of the thriller world is the largest event of its kind, a meeting place for authors, readers, budding writers, and publishing industry professionals.
For 2011, we’ll be back in the heart of New York in July with the ThrillerFest conference including CraftFest and AgentFest.
ThrillerFest VI will be held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City.
The dates will be July 6-9, 2011.
More information to follow.
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