Where do they come from, those words that mystery writers spin into stories? Do we catch them like butterflies netted as they fly through the air? Do we snatch them from conversations of friends or winnow them from long ago memories? And then, with a pocket full of words, how can they be spun into sentences and paragraphs and a story that has meaning? It’s a mystery.
With a published book, all readers see is the finished product. Like a tapestry in a weaver’s hands, we see what it looks like when all is said and done. But, on the other side is the not-so-lovely evidence of a lot of hard work. Before a book goes to press, there are the agonizing moments of whether to include or delete, the conversations that need to sparkle and move the story along, the edits, the re-writes, the re-edits, discussions, decisions, and, at last, the book is ready to be read. A pocket full of words has just been woven together into a cozy mystery.
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