I Love Fiction Writing for the World-Building Fun

by Laurie Buchanan

With non-fiction, the author is writing about tangible, verifiable facts.

If they need to research the topic further, they can search online.

However, with fiction, the characters and storyline aren’t preexisting; every aspect of what the author’s writing is coming out of their head, their imagination—the story is being birthed as they write.

Differences in Writing Fiction and Non-Fiction

For accuracy sake, they might talk with an expert. For instance, with Indelible, the first book in the Sean McPherson novels, I spoke with a detective in the Major Crimes Unit of the Idaho State Police; a DNA specialist at the Idaho State Police Crime Lab; and a forensic pathologist.

For book two, Iconoclast, I’m currently leveraging a real-life private investigator’s experiential knowledge, and I’ve additionally talked with a thoracic surgeon to ensure that my information is accurate.

With non-fiction, I was satisfied to write in short bursts. It’s turned out, at least for me, that’s not the case with fiction.

When I enter my writing studio to work on a Sean McPherson novel, it’s akin to Alice slipping down the rabbit hole. I pack my mental bags and prepare for the long haul because I know I’m going to get caught up in the location, characters, and storyline—become part of it.

And though writing non-fiction was incredibly satisfying, it wasn’t “juicy.” There’s something utterly delicious about “playing God” and “world-building”—creating something of substance from absolute scratch.

Why I Chose to Write Suspense/Thriller Over Mystery

Thanks to my mother’s influence, I’ve been a voracious reader since early on.

I grew up books like Harriet the Spy (by Louise Fitzhugh), Black and Blue Magic (by Zilpha Keatley Snyder ), A Wrinkle in Time (by Madeleine L’Engle), and From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler (by E.L. Konigsburg). I thrive on intrigue.

I read in excess of fifty books a year. At the time of this interview, I’m currently on my fifty-eighth book this year. The majority of them are suspense/thrillers.

I opted for suspense/thriller instead of mystery because, for me, at least, they’re more fun to read and more fun to write. Why? I’m glad you asked.

With a mystery, the reader doesn’t know “who done it” until the end of the book. With a suspense/thriller, the reader knows “who done it,” almost from the beginning, but the book’s characters don’t.

Therein lies the element of suspense. Because the reader knows, they want to shout, “No!” “Run!” I love that element!

I Enjoy Writing About Writers

I thoroughly enjoy writing about writers. Because I belong to several writing groups—Blackbird Writers, Idaho Writers Guild, Pacific Northwest Writers Association, International Women’s Writing Guild, Sisters in Crime, and the Women’s Fiction Writers Association—I know many authors, so it’s not hard to extract characteristics here and there to help create the various nuances that writers have.

For example, a good writer knows the difference between “technically good” writing and great writing.

A good writer may come home from a workshop or conference and tick through a checklist as they write. A great writer comes home with the same list, is aware of what’s on it, but doesn’t let it dictate what they’re doing, sensing that it might make their writing feel mechanical or even contrived.

Accuracy and artistry can be mutually exclusive.

How a Cabin Served as Inspiration for My Novel

My inspiration for this series was based on my stay at Hedgebrook, a rural retreat for women writers on Whidbey Island, Washington.

Thick woods, individual cabins (each author is by themselves), and one handsome groundskeeper that I saw in the distance later, my imagination took over and voilà. The rest is history.

Writing the Story Isn’t Hard—Finding the Time to Write Is

For me, writing the story isn’t the hard part. Making the time to write the story is where the difficulty comes in.

The solution? I wake up at 4:00 am to start my day—usually starting with an hour of yoga. Then I get all of the things done that would otherwise niggle at the edges of my mind, distracting me from the writing process.

This might include laundry, any cleaning that needs attention; grocery shopping, or other errands that need to be taken care of.

Once I’ve cleared the decks, I can sit down and write without distraction from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm.

My Best Book Marketing Tools

My Blog

My blog, Tuesdays with Laurie, is one of the marketing tools I use that has served me well.

I’m careful not to yammer on and on about my books. Instead, each Tuesday, I offer a short post—always under 300 words—and a supporting photograph that I’ve personally taken.

I respect that people are all about concision, so my format works well. Now and then, I slip in a short post about one of my books.

Social Media

I’ve heard that social media can be the bane of some people’s existence—not mine. I post daily on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and my favorite platform of all, Instagram.

Again, I’m careful not to harp on the topic of my books. And because social media is all about being “social,” I engage by liking, retweeting, sharing, and re-gramming other people’s posts.

This has worked in my favor because when I do infrequently post about one of my books, others usually share it with their followers.

Newsletter

My quarterly newsletter goes out in Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct. It’s here that I share some of the favorite books I’ve read during that particular quarter.

If I’ve got a giveaway or other type of promotion going, I talk about it here. The newsletter is also where I share about up-and-coming speaking engagements.

Website

The analytics feature on my website, lauriebuchanan.com, indicates that it’s considered “high-traffic.” Through my website, people can use the “Contact” page to send me an email and the “Subscribe” page to sign up for my quarterly newsletter.

How I Got Several Endorsements for My Novel

As mentioned earlier, I’m a voracious reader. And the best way to thank authors for their work is to write a brief review.

That said, when I finish reading a book, I make a point of posting a brief review on Goodreads, Amazon, and BookBub.

When it’s time to ask authors to read one of my books to potentially offer an author endorsement blurb, I send them an email to let them know how much I enjoyed reading their book titled “so and so,” and attach a copy of the review I posted.

Then I ask if they’d consider reading the manuscript or ARC (Advance Reader Copy) of my book. In my experience, authors are generous people; rarely are they unwilling to read another author’s book to potentially give a brief endorsement.

Here are two examples:

“Fast-paced and with plenty of plot twists; you’re sure to be swept up into the story.” —DEBBIE HERBERT, USA Today, best-selling author

“I was hooked from the first sentence. Buchanan’s Indelible is a delicious look at what can happen when you create a writing retreat in the bucolic Pacific Northwest and then populate it with intriguing characters. I was on the edge of my set for the entire wild ride.” —JOHN DEDAKIS, author of the Lark Chadwick Mysteries, and Former Senior Copy Editor, CNN’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer”

Future Books Planned in the Sean McPherson Series

Future books planned in this same series:

• Book 2, Iconoclast, is slated for release in April 2022
  Book 3, Implacable, is slated for release in April 2023
  Book 4, Insidious, is slated for release in April 2024

That’s as far as my publisher and I have projected out. But there’ll be more. Right now, my mind is plotting Book 4.

Not one to share any spoilers, the one thing I will tell you is that each title is a single, four-syllable word that starts with the letter “I.” I’m having a lot of fun with that. The storyline of each book contains the title word once, and only once, throughout its pages.

Will I Write More Nonfiction in the Future?

Right now, I’m having so much fun writing the Sean McPherson suspense/thriller novels that I can’t imagine writing anything else. But I’m a firm believer in the adage: “Never say never.”

Note: Read Laurie’s other blogs on Writing and Wellness:

How Two Years Behind-the-Scenes Research Led to My Second Book
From Spiritual Journey to Coaching Practice to Successful Book

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Laurie Buchanan is a former holistic health practitioner and transformational life coach. She holds a doctorate in holistic health with an emphasis in energy medicine.

Her first two books—Note to Self: A Seven-Step Path to Gratitude and Growth, and The Business of Being: Soul Purpose In and Out of the Workplace, are nonfiction titles designed to motivate, inspire, and transform.

Coming soon, her third book, Indelible: A Sean McPherson Novel, Book One, launches a suspense/thriller series that takes place in the Pacific Northwest.

For more information about Laurie and her work, please see her website and blog, or connect with her on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

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Indelible: When a sniper killed his partner, Sean McPherson was injured in the ambush. Now an ex-cop, he takes a job at a writing retreat in the Pacific Northwest. At Pines & Quill, he hopes to heal and put his life back together in the Zen-like capacity of groundskeeper and all-around handyman.

Sniper, Jason Hughes, blames McPherson for the loss of more than ten million dollars’ worth of heroin—and he wants revenge.

In the guise of a New York City limo driver working on a sizzling tell-all memoir, Hughes arrives at Pines & Quill along with three other writers in residence: a bohemian psychic taking a break from grueling work as a forensic intuitive, a bitter divorcée who wants to open herself to a new life, and a vibrant and resilient potter navigating life from a wheelchair.

With conflicting agendas, uncertain loyalties, and romantic entanglements at play, Hughes finds it difficult to get McPherson in his sights. Gradually, he forms a different plan, one that threatens the lives of everyone at the retreat.

Available at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Indiebound, and wherever books are sold. You can order a signed copy from Rediscovered Books in Boise, ID.
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