Writers' Rituals – Mark & Charlotte Phillips
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 Mark H. Phillips, who writes with his wife, Charlotte Phillips. They are known for the Eva Baum detective series, which includes Hacksaw, The Golden Key (soon to be published). They also have short stories in the anthologies A Death in Texas and A Box of Texas Chocolates (due out in September, 2009) from L&L Dreamspell.
How much research and plotting do you do before you're ready to write a book?
Research can take upwards of six months. For The Resqueth Revolution I specifically read The Hunt for the Zero Point by Nick Cook, The Making of the Atomic Bomb and Dark Sun by Richard Rhodes, The Paperclip Conspiracy by Tom Bowler, Blue Fires by Gary Hyland, The Scientist, The Madman, the Thief and Their Lightbulb by Keith Tutt, Project Orion by George Dyson, The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene, and How the Universe Got Its Spots by Janna Levin.
Usually a detailed outline can take several months, but with The Resqueth Revolution I wrote it straight out in about six weeks without an outline.
What hours do you devote to your writing and what time of day do you prefer to write?
While I try to write some every evening, it is quite difficult to be consistently productive during the school year. I teach high school math and political philosophy. But the three month "vacation" during the summer and other holidays, like spring break, are usually marathon, twelve-fourteen hours a day, seven days a week, periods of intense creative effort.
Do you take breaks, and if so, what do you do during them?
During creative bursts I can hardly be dragged away from the keyboard and will forget to eat. I'll start writing at 4 or 5 a.m. and finish after the sun has gone down.
Where do you write?
My wife and I sit across from one another at a large table in the dining room, each with our own computer. During editing phases we will link the monitors and go over text line by line.
What do you write with?
I used to write out everything longhand first and then go to computer for the second draft. Now I write on computer all the time. My main reason is that neither my wife nor I can read each other's handwriting, so it has to be typed, and she's on the road a lot, so I e-mail content to her for feedback.
Describe what you like to keep within arm's reach while you're writing.
The Chicago Manual of Style, 15th Ed., The Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, and a never-ending sequence of caffeinated diet Cokes.
Describe the things you can see when you look up from your writing.
I can look over the top of my monitor and see the lovely face of my wife peeking back at me over the top of her monitor.
What was the first thing you wrote which was published?
Hacksaw was my first published novel.
What is your latest book?
The Resqueth Revolution is my second novel. My wife and I are finishing up The Golden Key, the second novel in the Eva Baum detective series.
Find out more about Mark H. Phillips and Charlotte Phillips and their books, here.
Read about Peter May, Jane Finnis, Ruth Dudley Edwards and many other Writers' Rituals
Mark H Phillips
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The Resqueth Revolution by Mark H Phillips
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