NOT YOUR USUAL SUSPECTS

A group blog featuring an international array of killer mystery, suspense, and romantic suspense writers. With premises and story lines different from your run-of-the-mill whodunits, we tend to write outside the box. We blog several times a week on all topics relating to romantic suspense and mystery, our writing, and our readers. We welcome all comments and often have guest bloggers. All our authors can be contacted separately, too, using their own social media links.

We find our genre delightfully, dangerously, and deliciously exciting - join us here, if you do too!

NOTE: the blog is currently dormant but please enjoy the posts we're keeping online.


Julie Moffet . Cathy Perkins . Jean Harrington . Daryl Anderson . Nico Rosso . Maureen A Miller . Sandy Parks . Lisa Q Mathews . Sharon Calvin . Lynne Connolly . Janis Patterson . Vanessa Keir . Tonya Kappes . Julie Rowe . Joni M Fisher . Leslie Langtry

Monday, August 25, 2014

The Monday Morning Blogging Blues


This is my fourth attempt at writing a blog this morning, and let me just say that attempt #3 was the ultimate in author irascibility. But see, I still have enough restraint to pull that back.

 

YOU’RE WELCOME.

 

I am deep, deep into the first draft of the third novel of the year, and being pulled away from it is physically painful. Which is where I find myself wondering if readers really want or need to hear from me in between books? I don’t know. We hear so much about social media and the need to keep readers interested and engaged. There is so much competition out there, how would readers know to find me if I wasn’t blogging somewhere every week?

 

Good question.

 

I don’t know the answer.

 

I know that I am faking my way through this blog because I am desperate to get back to the story I am writing, so I am pretending to be a normal human who likes normal interaction.

 

But for future reference – not just for me, but for this blog in general – what would you like to hear from us (besides the best damn books we can write?)

 

Here’s a list of potential (recommended) writerly topics – I went through several of these blogs and this is the only one where I thought the guy had a handle. But it seems only fair to point out that while he might have a handle on writing blogs, who the hell has ever read his fiction? Nearly 44K followers and I’ve never heard of him.

 

And that’s the dilemma, right?

 

I would rather be known for my fiction than my blogs. And I think it is safe to say that my wish has come true. And all kidding aside, that's a comfort on mornings like this one.

 

So you tell us here at Not the Usual Suspects. What kind of blogs would you like to see in the future?

 

1 - Excerpts from our Carina Press Novels.

 

2 - Backstory of Said Novel.

 

 3 - A Behind-the-Scenes Look at Said Novel. 

 

4 - “Directors” Notes. I personally like this one! "Explain why you chose to start with a particular scene. Talk about the scenes you had to delete—or those you had to add to improve the story."

 

5 - Interview with Yourself. *splutter*  

 

6 - Interviews with Your Characters.
 

You tell us. Basically blogs are for your entertainment. So what would be interesting to you, the reader?

 

 

 

 

6 comments:

jean harrington said...

Josh, I feel your pain, even though I'm a one-book-a-year girl. Most of the time.

As for your topic ideas--this will be no help, I'm afraid, but I like 'em all. Why not do a blog on each--and you've got 2015 NYUS sewn up?

Anne Marie Becker said...

Great questions! And that guy had 44k followers but no name recognition? Yeah, I'd rather be known for my books than my blogs, too...

Rita said...

Sooooo with you. I do much better when limiting interaction on social media. Much rather have good books.

J Wachowski said...

I love your list of questions Josh....I hope someone answers because I'm using it as a cheat- sheet next time myself!

Cathy Shouse said...

I think the "Directors Notes" sounds fascinating and unusual! As much as I love books, my second best love is writers who write blogs, even if it's just a peek into someone frustrated about writing a blog. :)

Susan said...

Hi Josh,

To answer your question, I would be most interested in items 2,3 and 4. But for this blog piece I would have begged off this one time since you are on a self-imposed deadline to finish your novel. We all have our priorities, yes?

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