Writers' Rituals – Jean Henry Mead
The Mysterious Writing Habits of Crime Writers from Around the World
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 Jean Henry Mead, who writes the Logan & Cafferty mystery/suspense series.
How much research and plotting do you do before you're ready to write a book?
It depends on the genre. I've spent as long as three years reading microfilm to research a centennial history book, Casper Country: Wyoming's Heartland (97 years' worth of old newspapers). From the leftover research, I wrote my first novel, a Wyoming historical titled, Escape on the Wind. My mystery novels have gone a lot faster and haven't required much research. The first, Shirl Lock & Holmes, took a couple of years of part-time writing while I was working on my nonfiction books. The most recent, Diary of Murder, took six months. I don't do much research for my novels ahead of time. I shovel it in as I write because I don't work with an outline as I do with nonfiction books, and have no idea where the plot is headed when I sit down at the computer.
What hours do you devote to your writing and what time of day do you prefer to write?
I like to sit down at my computer by 8 a.m. and work until noon. If I don't have anything pressing, I go back to work after lunch until 3 p.m. I then usually return to the computer after dinner, if there's nothing I want to watch on TV.
Do you take breaks, and if so, what do you do during them?
I take a break at 9 a.m. and watch "The View" from my treadmill, small trampoline and exercise bike. I take another break about 2 p.m. when I make a cup of chai tea and indulge in something sweet.
What do you write with?
I wrote the first two of my twelve books on a typewriter and prefer not to do that again. The computer is a God send to anyone who writes on a regular basis.
...and why is that a preference?
No more trips to the library for research. Nearly everything you need to know is on the internet. The Wikipedia is a good starting point to research just about any subject or person.
Describe what you like to keep within arm's reach while you're writing.
I'm surrounded by bookcases that are built into my computer desk and they're filled with research books. I also like to have a cup of hot green tea in the morning to wake me up. Notepads and pens are also on hand.
Describe the things you can see when you look up from your writing.
Books, books and more books. I'm a bibliophile with thousands of books, some leather bound, hardcover and trade paper. I also have a phone and scanner on my desk as well as a photo of Ernest Hemingway, on whose birthday I was born. Sitting on top of the bookcases is a tall ship model, a Sherlock Holmes deerslayer hat, pictures of my family and copies of the books I've written.
What was the first thing you wrote which was published?
My first published article was in my high school newspaper, an interview with a new math teacher. The first article for which I was paid was published in the Hanford Sentinel, a daily newspaper in California, where I worked as a reporter/photographer.
What is your latest book?
My latest is Diary of Murder, another Logan & Cafferty mystery that borders heavily on suspense, and will be released in early March 2009.
Find out more about Jean Henry Mead here.
Read about Peter May, Jane Finnis, Ruth Dudley Edwards and many other Writers' Rituals.
Diary of Murder by Jean Henry Mead
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Jean Henry Mead
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