Other than diamonds, cats are a girl’s best friends. Especially, for Clea Simon, who introduces her alter-ego persona through the cat-loving detective Theda Krakow in Mew is for Murder, the first book in her new purrfect murder series.
R&T: How long have you been writing?
Simon: I’ve been writing all my life. Quite literally I recall making up stories in elementary school! From Junior high on, I was always on the staff—if not the editor of—my school newspapers and literary magazines. For most of my professional life, I’ve been in journalism. At times, I’ve worked as an editor, but I’ve never stopped writing. My first book, Mad House: Growing in the Shadows of Mentally Ill Siblings was published in 1997, and I’ve published two other non-fiction books (Fatherless Women: How We Change After We lose Our Dads and The Feline Mystique: On the Mysterious Connection Between Women and Cats) since.
What’s interesting to me is that—despite those first very short stories all those years ago—for a long time, I thought I couldn’t write fiction. I’ve always been a huge reader, primarily of fiction, but just never did it myself as an adult. It wasn’t until a sympathetic bookstore owner, Kate Mattes of Kate’s Mystery Books here in Cambridge, read my Feline Mystique and said to me, “You should write a mystery!” that I started to. It was like a light went on, and I said, “She’s right I should!” And that’s how I wrote Mew is for Murder!
R&T: Who do you read and what do you get from them that helps your own writing?
Simon: I read a lot of fiction and much of it’s mysteries. I love Sarah Waters, Hilary Mantel, Phillipa Gregory…Recently, I’ve become enthralled with the Boris Akunin books and with John Burdett’s Bangkok 8 and Bangkok Tattoo. They have such distinctive voices and they really bring you into their worlds!
R&T: What part does writing play in your life?
Simon: Writing is my work and my passion. I currently support myself with my freelance writing, primarily with journalism. I left my last editing job in 1999, with the encouragement of my husband (he gets the health insurance for both of us!). It is a tough life, money-wise, but I’m finally supporting myself—well, paying my half of the mortgage, etc.—by doing what I love. Next step is paying my way purely by the writing of books…but here’s hoping that will come.
R&T: How do you get started? For instance, do you use an outline?
Simon: For my mysteries, I have to have a basic idea of the crime to get started. I usually take a while to think that out—who did it, why, who the other obvious suspects should be—that kind of thing. Then I start writing. Once I get deep into it, I need to put together a timeline. That helps me keep in mind who is where, and when so my facts and clues stay straight. And I have a rough outline (who ends up where and with whom) in my head. But I like to let the smaller plotlines work themselves out. Sometimes the characters have their own minds about things! I have to know who did the crime before I start so I can hide the clues!
R&T: What is your favorite part of the writing process?
Simon: Without a doubt when I’m in the middle of it and I feel like I’m channeling! There are times when I’m so caught up in a story that I can’t concentrate on anything else. I remember being at an excellent concert and suddenly having to pull out a pen and start writing notes on my program: I’d suddenly realized what happened next in a particular situation! At other times, my husband will come home from his job and I’ll look up, blinking, and realize it’s 7 or 8 pm.
R&T: Do you ever get writer’s block? If yes, what do you do to overcome it?
Simon: I sort of consider writer’s block to be a luxury of nonprofessional writers! When you have a deadline and you won’t get paid unless you turn something in, you just do it. With fiction, of course, it’s harder. But even if you have trouble thinking of what to write next, there’s always something, some part of the piece, that you can work on—for example, you may not know what happens next with a certain character, but you’ll know that at some point, she’s going to visit the animal shelter. So you start writing the shelter scene, even though you know you may have to change it later to fit. My rule of thumb is if I can get three pages drafted, I can quit and do something else. And if you try you can ALWAYS write three pages.
R&T: How long did it take you to complete your first book?
Simon: Well, that’s sort of a trick question! I completed my first draft of Mew is for Murder in about three months. But then I revised for over a year! The second, Cattery Row, is already drafted and it took me about four months. And I’ve been revising it almost for the last year now so…
R&T: How do you time manage your time for writing. Any suggestions to our readers and writers?
Simon: Now that I’m freelance, it’s a lot easier. When I can, I like to work on my creative stuff in the morning. I seem to be less self-critical and more free in the mornings. Maybe because I’m not fully awake! Then in the afternoon, I can work on the money stuff. This may date back to when I used to work afternoons in an office editing catalogues, but it has worked for me through several other jobs, too. A lot of my newspaper work has been either afternoon or evening work, and so morning remains my best time.
I think it’s key to carve out some regular private time and keep it for your “real” writing. Daily or weekdays are best, but even if it’s one hour every week, give it to yourself and keep to it: No phone, no e-mail. Just quick re-reading of previous work and then you have to start typing. If you keep typing eventually you’ll write something.
R&T: What advice would you give to other amateur and professional writers?
Simon: It’s trite to say just do it, but that’s the first and hardest part. People are constantly telling me they have an idea for a book or they should write a book or they’re going to write a book. Most don’t. Not that they couldn’t, but they simply do not do it. So… do it! And once you start writing, keep at it till you have something you can revise. I do not recommend revising too soon—it’ll discourage you and stop you from going further.
But—this is the all-important next step once you have something that feels solid—a manuscript, a chapter, or a short story—then you have to, I repeat: HAVE TO, go back and re-read it and rewrite it as often and as mercilessly as necessary. Writing alone is not enough. Even if you write every day, you’re not a real writer unless you are willing to work on the text and make it right for a reader. As you-re-read your work, think how it will read to a complete stranger. If something feels slightly off, work on it till it sings. Try different words. Try different sentence structures, or more or less description, dialogue, or whatever. Don’t be afraid to throw parts out (I find it helps to have a file of “cuts” because I tell myself I may use them in something else). But revise, revise until every word has earned its place! Of course, this is impossible, but that’s the goal.
In addition to her new murder mysteries, Clea Simon is also the author of several books including, Mad House: Growing Up in the Shadow of Mentally Ill Siblings (Penguin), Fatherless Women: How We Change After We Lose Our Dads (Wiley), The Feline Mystique: On the Mysterious Connection Between Women and Cats (St. Martin's). Visit her website for more information.
Sherry Elaine Eubank is a staff writer with the Rose and Thorn. Writing is her favorite part of the process, and being able to interview new and established writers. Her short story works and prose have won prizes. Her poetry has been published by well-known publications, such as The Penwood Review and Expressions. She is currently living in Estill Springs, TN.
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