Author Issues

Mark Gilroy September 21, 2015

What Inspired You to Create Kristen?

In NYC at the BookExpo America Convention this past summer.

What inspired you to create Kristen Conner? That was the lead question by author, writer, columnist, and reviewer Kim Ford in a recent interview where I am on the cover of Christian Fiction Online Magazine. Click the link to read the entire interview that includes questions on starting a new publishing company, Sydney Lane Press, whether the Russian Mafia – one of the storylines in Cold As Ice – is a real menace in America, and the biggest changes I’ve seen in the publishing industry over the past 35 years. Thanks for a great interview Kim!

Kristen Conner – one of three daughters of a felled Chicago policeman who has contributed more than her fair share toward the elimination of crime in her city. Tell us how you were inspired to create this character.

I am such a fan of character-driven mystery series, I knew that’s what I wanted to create. First question, of course, was male or female? I considered flipping a coin. The decision was simple though. I looked at my own family. With three sons and three daughters, I’ll confess, my daughters provided more drama in my life! Now I’ve probably got myself in trouble again.

Let me mention one other inspiration as I created Kristen Conner. I started with the premise that I would not write a Christian series. I would do my best to write for the mystery genre. But just as Tony Hillerman, Fay Kellerman, and many others have written series with a very distinctly religious and reflective character, I would write Kristen as a Christian – a “church girl.” That may be a nuance but I think she has been very well received by readers who bought the books from the perspective of either genre. Read the full interview.

Mark Gilroy April 20, 2015

6 Thinking Hats for Writing

Try on all 6 hats for your next writing project!

Can a business strategy be used for the writing process? I thought I would give it a try with the 6 thinking hats for writing.

In 1999, Edward De Bono introduced the Six Thinking Hats as a way to improve thinking and decision making for individuals and groups in the business arena. De Bono showed that humans think in six distinct ways and he gave each thinking dynamic a representative color. He believed all six ways of thinking are needed for making the best decisions, but if we let them run amok in our head we tend to get confused.

“We try to do too much at once. Emotions, information, logic, hope, and creativity all crowd in on us. It is like juggling with too many balls.”

De Bono suggested that a breakthrough activity (not a permanent state of being and doing things) for groups and individuals is to compartmentalize our thinking intentionally and purposely. If we tried on each of the six hats when dealing with problems, new ideas, processes or any other task at hand, we would come up with better decisions and solutions. If one of the hats doesn’t quite fit who we are and how we do things, all the better. It’s role play after all. [Read more…]

Mark Gilroy April 7, 2015

13 Ways for An Author to Use Google Tools

Google is a powerful company with powerful tools that can enhance an author’s productivity and final product.

I have come up with 13 ways for an author to use Google tools that will enhance your productivity and the final product. I first wrote about writers using Google in 2012. But Google’s array of tools has grown and my needs as an author continue to morph, so I realized it was time for a new list. As you read through my list of both obvious and clever ways to put Google to work for you as an author, keep an open mind that you may have 13 additional ideas. Feel free to share! [Read more…]