Writers' Rituals - Rebecca Cantrell

The Mysterious Writing Habits of Crime Writers from Around the World

Feb 23, 2009

Writing a novel requires an idea, the right words, and something extra. Writer Rebecca Cantrell 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 Rebecca Cantrell, author of The Hannah Vogel mystery series set in Berlin in the 1930s. "A Trace of Smoke" is her first novel and it will appear in May 2009.

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

Too much and not enough. I read tons of non-fiction books, diaries, newspapers, and novels about the period in which my book is set. I watch movies filmed in that era, especially those set in Berlin. I write about 50 pages, then plot the book. I write 50 more pages that sometimes more or less follow the plot and sometimes don't at all. Then I replot, write 50 more pages, repeat until the book is done. I'm not advocating this process, and I'm sure many people have better ones.

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

I write when my son is in school. I do my best writing early in the morning. I have real trouble writing late in the evenings as my brain seems to be mush by then.

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

I take breaks to read email, pet the cat, and feed the wild geckoes brown sugar. I should use the breaks to do laundry, which is always piling up, but I don't.

Where do you write?

Mostly, I write at a coffee shop and on my lanai. But I will write anywhere I can, including airports, hotels, and in the car.

What do you write with?

Mostly computer, although sometimes I'll head off to a cafe with a notebook and pen if I'm stuck.

...and why is that your preference?

I type much more quickly than I write. The second thing I bought with my babysitting money when I was 13 was an electric typewriter (the first thing was a TV, sorry Mom!), so I've always typed my fiction.

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

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

Don't hate me. I see a 180 degree view of the Pacific Ocean. From December to March I might even see some humpback whales. Between me and the ocean is my wild backyard, a dry stack antique rock wall (called the Great Wall of Kuakini), undeveloped land, and the roofs of some condos.

What was the first thing you wrote which was published?

I wrote a haiku in the second grade called "Brown Deer" that was published in the local paper after winning the Ohio State Fair.

What is your latest book?

"A Trace of Smoke" follows a crime reporter through 1931 Berlin as she searches for her brother's killer, a trail that leads from the city's dark underbelly to the top ranks of the rising Nazi party.

The copyright of the article Writers' Rituals - Rebecca Cantrell in Writing Techniques is owned by Janice Hally. Permission to republish Writers' Rituals - Rebecca Cantrell in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.