How I Write
The last thing I like to do before hitting the sack at night is to find something to tickle my funny bone. A TV show, a book, a YouTube video, even a Twitter post. Ending the day with a chuckle practically guarantees a good night’s sleep and waking up with a smile. To find a way to make others smile or feel dandy – that’s the real bomb. And, it’s also my reason for writing. That’s me in the photo below with some of my favorite smiling faces at the Camarillo Library, after a wonderful author panel. 
If you’ve read my books, you’ll note my pen barely touches the paper. Translation: I write light. My heroine, Corrie Locke, is mostly a straight-laced, newbie lawyer…when she’s not bending rules, wielding illegal weaponry (though she’s never actually shot anyone…yet) or beating the %#*& out of a villainous type. She’s not exactly an amateur sleuth, and word has been getting around about her case-cracking skills 
I’m constantly on the lookout for offbeat situations for Corrie and her crime-solving pals. They’re always up for it since nabbing bad guys beats the mundane day job every time. For instance, in MURDER GONE MISSING, Corrie and former security guard/now Corrie’s legal assistant and night law school student, Veera, visit an animal farm and stumble upon a surprise murder suspect.
I usually start out writing each scene straight and keep revisiting until I can mold it into something more amusing. I need constant action on the pages or it’s just not entertaining enough for me. The average person may be capable of walking a straight line from point A to point B. Not Corrie. A lot has to happen between the two points before she reaches her destination.
My favorite part of writing is spitting out that first draft and then combing through again and again to determine whether:
– The characters (main and supporting cast) sound and appear as they should in each situation;
– Each scene involves as many senses as I can squeeze in ( for instance, what does Corrie see, taste, smell, hear and touch?); and
– I’ve excess material that can be deleted without affecting the plot.
If I just can’t get a scene to work, I take it out and move on. That prevents me from feeling hampered and promotes manuscript progress.
