writing
The other LRK: TOUCHSTONE
Leading up to the publication of Lockdown, in June, I’ve been thinking about the nature of my other writing, that not set in the rather whimsical world of Russell & Holmes. Such as Touchstone, which began the Stuyvesant & Grey series. This week’s proposed women’s strike wasn’t quite as much of a Thing as England’s…
Read MoreThe OTHER Laurie R. King
Lately, I’ve been thinking about the kinds of stories that I can’t tell inside the world of Mary Russell. So I decided to write a few blogs about those stories, and what I could do with them, and them alone. I’ve been thinking about the non-Russells partly because I’ve been writing a standalone novel—but also because the act of…
Read MoreGleeful cackles of plot
A question writers are often asked is, “Where did that story / that character / that idea come from?” Usually the answer boils down to something small, some tiny piece of grit that lodges in the mind and accumulates ideas, images, snippets of dialogue like a pearl in an oyster. (Though admittedly, some pearls end…
Read MoreThe craft of crime
One of my favorite of the year’s mystery get-togethers is not a fan conference (although I love BoucherCon, and Left Coast Crime, and…) but one on the craft of writing. The Book Passage conference has a great track record with getting new writers published, and it’s a great place to meet your community, both in…
Read MoreEditorial love
I just had an hour-long conversation with my editor that reminded me why I write—and more, why I partner with a publishing house rather than go Indie. My 2017 novel, Career Day, is like nothing I’ve ever written. It’s a tapestry of a book, interweaving a lot (yes, a lot) of voices, story lines, parts…
Read MoreCommunity conversations
For a chance to hear about the new stories, before anyone (well, anyone but my editor…) read on… I started my college life at a California junior college called West Valley, located near my home in Saratoga. I had no money, no job, and no idea of what I wanted to do–which made community college…
Read MoreWriting Beginnings
Writes of Passage is a collection of essays on writing from Sisters in Crime authors. My piece, on finding a community (yes, that’s you guys,) brought up the end position. The publishers have asked us to write blog posts for them, and today is my turn. The topic is beginnings, and part of what I talk about…
Read MoreLaurie King, e-dinosaur
Well, friends, we’re one step closer to this: To my great consternation, the 21st century is nipping at my heels. All these years, I’ve done copyedits on actual pieces of paper: I’ll finish a book and send my editor a lovely clean copy, spa she can take up her pencil and slash it to pieces, adding questions…
Read MoreLRK’s words
I had to laugh the other day when my editor sent me a piece from Galley Cat with the most looked-up words on Kindle. Why would she send me that? Can’t think. Anyway, running my eye down the list I saw a number of words that I couldn’t remember using, and others I’ve probably used, but…
Read MoreAlma Mater
The University of California Santa Cruz (“The original authority on questioning authority”) is my alma mater, and has continued to nourish me long after she handed me my degree. Five years ago, I was tremendously honored to be named one of this relatively new university’s “45+5” alumni. And coming up on the 25th, I will be participating…
Read More