Writers' Rituals – Beth Groundwater

The Mysterious Writing Habits of Crime Writers From Around the World

Mar 9, 2009 Janice Hally

Writing a novel requires an idea, the right words, and something extra. Writer Beth Groundwater shares the secrets of her approach to writing, from idea to execution.

Are writers obsessive-compulsive? Overly superstitious? Or do habits and rituals provide security for writers who never know where the next idea, or the words to write it, will come from?

Searching for clues to the secrets of writing, Suite 101 has an exclusive interview with Beth Groundwater. Beth is known for The Claire Hanover gift basket designer series.

How much research and plotting do you do before you're ready to write a book?

I usually spend about 3 months "prepping" a book, including research, constructing a scene-by-scene outline, and character profiles.

What hours do you devote to your writing and what time of day do you prefer to write?

When I'm writing the first draft of a manuscript, I try to follow a fairly strict schedule to get 20-25 pages a week cranked out. I'll write for 2-3 hours in the morning, take a mid-day break, then write again for 2-3 hours in the afternoon.

Do you take breaks, and if so, what do you do during them?

I eat, exercise, nap/sleep, and do household chores during the breaks in between writing sessions. During a session, I only break to drink water or go to the bathroom.

Where do you write?

I have an office in the basement of my home.

What do you write with?

I write on my computer.

...and why is that your preference?

I type faster than I can write by hand, and I can have all my background files (outline, character profiles, research) open and available while I'm drafting the manuscript.

Describe what you like to keep within arm's reach while you're writing.

A glass of water or cup of tea, the heater at my back in the winter, those files I mentioned on my computer, and sometimes my dog curled at my feet, though she finds me to be rather boring when I'm writing.

Describe the things you can see when you look up from your writing.

I have all the writing contest awards I've won hanging on the wall on either side of the window behind my computer. So, when I feel like I'm pumping out absolute dreck that no one would ever want to read, I can look up and realize that yes, I can write. :)

What was the first thing you wrote which was published?

My first published fiction was a short story titled NEW ZEALAND, which was included in the anthology, Dry Spell: Tales of Thirst and Longing, published by RMFW Press in September, 2004. I wrote a lot of nonfiction (technical papers, manuals, reports, etc.) that was published during my former career as a software engineer, but that doesn't count.

What is your latest book?

My next book will be published in May, 2009, and it is titled TO HELL IN A HANDBASKET.

Find out more about Beth Groundwater and her books, here.

Read about Peter May, Jane Finnis, Ruth Dudley Edwards and many other Writers' Rituals.

The copyright of the article Writers' Rituals – Beth Groundwater in Writing Fiction is owned by Janice Hally. Permission to republish Writers' Rituals – Beth Groundwater in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.

Beth Groundwater

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